DOCUMENTATION FOR SUPERKERMIT ON THE DPS-6 This document describes the idiosyncrancies of SUPERKERMIT Ver. 2.00 for the DPS-6, further information should be obtained from the included Kermit Users's Manual. These brief notes are to allow novice personnel to start using SUPERKERMIT for the Honeywell DPS-6 mini-computer. This Kermit was written using the Honeywell 'C' optimizing compiler to generate executable code. This software was developed in response to the need for several facilities that are lacking in the VIP-3 terminal emulation and file-transfer package. A few, but certainly not all, of the shortcomings of VIP-3 are: o Will not operate at 19,200 bps and above. (Independent tests at 9600 bps have shown Superkermit to be 3 times faster on binary file transfers and two times faster on ASCII file transfers than VIP-3 at 9600 ! You can nearly double these figures at 19.2 kbps.) o No wild-card, batch or time-activated transfers (e.g. trans- ferring files in unattended mode at midnight). o No data-compression...VIP-3 transfers data 'as-is' including white-space, repeated-strings, etc.. o VIP-3 is not a 'well-behaved' application as it usurps the MSDOS screen and keyboard interrupts. o VIP-3 always creates a MOD400 sequential file for incoming data regardless of its true type (e.g. binary or 'save' format). o Superkermit does NOT have to run in a swappool under the Honeywell 4.0 operating system as VIP3.1 does. o Superkermit has many new advanced server features - see HD6KER.BWR. Basically SUPERKERMIT on the DPS-6 allows one to perform telecommunications using a slightly modified MSKermit (Version 3.01) on the PC microcomputer with all of its attendant scripting, batch, LAN and data mangement utilities. This modified MSKermit is still 100% compatible with ANY other computer and files can thus be transferred from the DPS-6 to the Defense Data Network, IBM mainframes, the Novelli network, etc. without using any other telecommunications package. Superkermit Capabilities At A Glance: Local operation: Yes Remote operation: Yes Transfers text files: Yes Transfers binary files: Yes Wildcard send: Yes File transfer interruption: Yes Filename collision avoidance: No Can time out: No 8th-bit prefixing: Yes Repeat count compression: Yes Alternate block check types: Yes Terminal emulation: None Communication settings: None Transmit BREAK: No IBM mainframe communication: Yes Transaction logging: Yes Session logging (raw download): No Raw upload: No Act as server: Yes Talk to server: No Advanced server functions: Yes Advanced commands for servers: Yes Local file management: Yes Command/init files: No Command macros: No Extended-length packets: Yes Local area networks: Yes (Honeywell/Bridge Ethernet) MS-Windows compatibility: N/A Attribute packets: Yes Sliding windows: No Although the PC Kermit is a 'full-blown' Kermit, SUPERKERMIT for the DPS-6 can only send files, receive files and act as a server. There is no 'connect' facility. Also, the DPS-6 has certain communication parameters that do not change and MSKermit on the microcomputer must be set for them as follows: SET PARITY EVEN SET FLOW-CONTROL NONE SET HANDSHAKE NONE SET SEND START-OF-PACKET 01 SET RECEIVE START-OF-PACKET 01 If using MSKermit 3.02 ALSO perform the following two commands: SET TERMINAL HONEY SET RECEIVE IGNORE 10 for 3.1 operating system while using MSKermit 3.02: SET SEND DOUBLE 92 The speed at which MSKermit can send packets to the DPS-6 (since hardware/software handshaking is not available) can actually EXCEED the turn-around capabilities of the ATD line driver and produce (^G) BEL characters as a packet response. Therefore the best way to use Kermit is to put a slight delay between packets and use the largest packet size, e.g. SET SEND PACKET-SIZE 2000 SET RECEIVE PACKET-SIZE 2000 SET SEND PAUSE 20 This delay can be tuned for greatest throughput at different baud rates etc.. Baud rates, packet-size, block-checks are all configurable as discussed below. It should be noted that the Honeywell sends an identification string to its VIP type terminals anytime the system been rebooted, an inactivity timeout occurs or an UNPLUG/REPLUG command has been executed. The string basically asks 1) What type of terminal are you? and 2) Do you have a printer attached?. A user terminal MUST respond to these inquiries before a login banner will appear. The supplied files start- ing with a '!' char illustrate the proper PC response to these questions when in batch mode. MSKermit 3.02 has been modified to automatically answer this escape string when in terminal emulation via a 'connect' command (HONEY mode). In addition, the supplied file MSKERMIT.INI contains many useful macros and settings for DPS-6 file transfer and is automatically executed when MSKermit is invoked. The settings for the PC that vary for a particular Kermit environment are as follows: SET PORT 1/2 (use COM1 or COM2 on PC) SET SPEED 2400/9600/etc. (set comm line speed) SET SEN PACKET-SIZE 94/2000/etc. (set size of trans- SET REC PACKET-SIZE 94/2000/etc. mission packets) SET BLOCK-CHECK 1/2/3 (set the error-checking type) The DPS-6 Kermit, the 'remote' Kermit, can be invoked in several ways depending on the type of file being transferred and the intervening electronic pathway (e.g. LANs or multiplexors). Several examples are given below: To send/receive an ASCII file: SUPERKERM |R| [filename] |S| To send/receive a binary Honeywell file: SUPERKERM |R|B [filename] |S| To send/receive an executable MSDOS file: SUPERKERM |R|F [filename] |S| To place SUPERKERMIT in binary, ASCII or FOREIGN server mode: SUPERKERM V|A| |B| |F| ( This method is highly recommended and has been extensively tested in send and receive modes. Extended packets will be negotiated automatically if your PC Kermit requests them.) There are also many permutations of the above examples that will work. Typing SUPERKERM H on the DPS-6 will list all of the available command arguments. Also if you type SET ATTRIB ON on the PC Kermit will show the percentage of the incoming file that has been received during file transfers. This only works for fixed-relative files (bound-units) as variable-length record files sizes can only be determined by reading the entire file. More importantly if file attributes are used when uploading bound-units, the proper size DPS-6 file will be pre- created instead of growing all over the disk in the default growth size of 32 Control Intervals per file extent. If you MUST know the percentage transferred of incoming variable-length record files (e.g. ASCII text), SAVE them into a pre-created fixed-relative MOD400 save file and download them in binary mode. Attributes MUST be set on for MSDOS executable file transfers. ********************* * N - O - T - E * ********************* If you have any trouble at all with the 'enhanced' features of Kermit, stick to 'classic' Kermit with 94-byte packets, attributes turned off, ASCII mode only, etc.. Also, if an ASCII file pre-exists on the DPS-6, Superkermit will APPEND incoming data to the file if the concatenate option 'C' is used on the command line! Binary transfers automatically overwrite any existing files by the same name. Once you have logged into the DPS-6 you may use the supplied PC BAT files, GET and PUT, to transfer files from/to the DPS-6; just type GET or PUT without any arguments and they will print help information. The bound unit 'SUPERKERM' must be in your DPS-6 search path. SUPERKERMIT also requires the Honeywell Scientific Instruction Processor or an equivalent simulator (SIPSIM). Questions and Answers about Superkermit Q. Can I send/receive ASCII files using 'binary' or 'FOREIGN' mode? A. Yes, but the output will be garbled as Superkermit will not handle line feed, carriage returns combinations properly. Q. Can I operate the PC Kermit in 'server' mode and initiate transfers from the DPS-6? A. Yes, connect the PC Kermit into the DPS-6 and then put it into 'server' mode. File transfers can then be started at a DPS-6 user terminal thus: SG KM 2 !KVxxx -OUT !KVxxx -EFN SUPERKERM -ARG S/R [filename] Q. Can I operate Superkermit 'host-to-host' directly from one DPS-6 to another? A. Not at this time, this feature was not incorporated as the Honeywell LAN allows file transfers quite easily via the PC Kermit. Q. Can any Kermit on the PC work with the DPS-6 Superkermit (e.g. PROCOMM, QMODEM)? A. No! Although the PC MS-Kermit 3.01 provided will work with ANY other host Kermit..it has been modified to detect and take special action during DPS-6 file transfers. However, under the Honeywell 4.0 operating system ONLY, Superkermit will communciate correctly with the VIP-3 PC Terminal Emulation package. The VIP3 software must be configured for the '7-bit other host' Kermit file transfer protocol. It can perform binary transfers in this fashion without the need to precreate a 'fixed relative' file on the DPS-6. The speed will be greatly reduced as VIP-3 only supports 94-byte packets in this mode. Q. Can I send any DPS-6 file types back and forth to the PC (e.g. indexed, IDS_II, relative,etc.) ? A. Absolutely, you must first create a fixed-relative file (e.g. CR myfile -F_REL) on the DPS-6 and then use the 'SAVE' command to store the desired files into the pre-created file (e.g. SAVE mydirectory myfile) then as long as transfers are performed in 'binary' mode and the results rebuilt using the DPS-6 'RESTORE' command any type file can be transferred. (NOTE: EOF must be set to No CTL-Z in MSKermit on the PC.) Q. Can PC executable files (.EXE and .COM) files be sent to the DPS-6 and back ? A. Yes, version 2.00 of Superkermit has introduced a new file type called 'FOREIGN'. UNIX and/or MSDOS files can be uploaded and downloaded and not only will they retain their 'executability'; they will also retain their host system creation date, user access rights, etc.. See HD6KER.BWR for more details. Q. Is Superkermit smart about Honeywell directory structures ? A. Yes. To send a file to a specific directory issue the PC Kermit command: SEND myfile >mydir>myfile To receive a file from a specific directory use the GET command thusly: GET Remote Source File: >mydir>myfile Local Destination File: myfile NOTE: Superkermit will accept the 'remote cwd' command from MSKermit; this allows one to change directories on the DPS-6 without terminating Superkermit ( e.g. remote cwd \udd\mydir ). Due to an MSKermit bug you must use the '/' (forward slash) character to replace the '>' symbol in remote cwd DPS-6 attempts. See HD6KER.BWR for details. Q. What Honeywell operating systems does Superkermit work with ? A. It works with both the 3.1 and 4.0 operating systems. It is highly recommended that you use MSKermit 3.02 or higher with Superkermit. See the HD6KER.BWR file for details. Incidentally, the Superkermit server can perform MANY advanced Kermit server functions such as typing a host file (in your Honeywell WORKING directory only!) to your PC screen or executing host commands for you and sending results to your PC screen: 'remote type START_UP.EC (c/r)' 'remote host STS -ALL (c/r)' See HD6KER.BWR for details. Q. Will sliding windows be implemented in a future Superkermit ? A. It is doubtful...with the use of MSKermit 3.10 a file transfer can use up to 2000-byte packets. Although sliding windows provide some advantages over large extended packets, this is offset by the fact that extended packets allow the data compression algorithm to be more efficient and the packet overhead/data ratio is much smaller. Q. Can I perform 'wildcard' transfers using Superkermit ? A. Yes, Version 2.00 fully implements wildcard transfers. You can perform Superkermit 'send' commands using wildcards or do wildcard 'get' commands on the PC while Superkermit is running in server mode. The only restriction is that only files matching the wildcard name AND having the Honeywell file type specified on the Superkermit command line will be transferred. For example, if you perform the following server command on the Honeywell: Superkerm VA , then escape back to MSKermit and execute a 'get *.C' command, you will only receive sequential (ASCII) files having a filename extension of 'C'. NOTE: If you want ALL Honeywell files of a specific type the correct wildcard string for the DPS-6 is '**' NOT '*.*' !!! Frank Dreano (Code 431) 2403 Tarkington Ct. or Navy Management System Support Office Chesapeake, Va. 23322 1441 Crossways Boulevard (804) 421-3785 Chesapeake, Va. 23320 (804) 523-8190 END OF HD6KER.DOC FILE 09/19/90