[3577] in linux-net channel archive
Re: sna and bridging
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David C Niemi)
Thu Jul 4 02:53:34 1996
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 00:42:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: David C Niemi <niemi@wauug.erols.com>
To: System Development <devel@vrml.k12.la.us>
cc: linux-net@vger.rutgers.edu,
"Samuel S. Chessman" <chessman@wauug.erols.com>
In-Reply-To: <199607031444.JAA00318@vpsd5.vrml.k12.la.us>
On Wed, 3 Jul 1996, System Development wrote:
> Is there any way to enable bridging on a linux firewall machine so that
> we can transport sna packets across? Thank you.
3 questions for you:
- "across" to where?
- What application this is for?
- How are these SNA packets getting onto Ethernet (or TokenRing)?
In theory, if you do bridging you could let two SNA-over-Ethernet machines
talk to each other via a Linux box which connects their networks.
However, if this is on your firewall, the other SNA box is probably not
sitting just on the other side of the Linux box, and SNA will not route
too well over the Internet (!). So you probably really need SNA
tunnelling over IP (aka encapsulation), and you'll need a gateway to each
SNA host (which could in theory be the SNA hosts themselves or their
minions who attach them to the LAN, if they are smart enough). It is even
possible to convince Big Iron to speak TCP/IP, though admittedly with a
thick accent.
We do this where I work, and FTP to the mainframe is almost as fast as
between two Linux boxes with $8 ethernet cards, which is to say it is at
least an order of magnitude faster than proprietary transfer schemes
over LU 6.2 bisync connections (and also far more reliable).
I have not heard much action on SNA in the Linux community, probably
because there is major culture shock between blue-suited big-iron fans and
mellowed-out sandal-and-tshirt-wearing Linuxers. It would probably not be
all that difficult technically, though, if you want to take it on ;^)
David
Niemi@wauug.erols.com 703-810-5538 Reston, Virginia, USA
------ Money talks, but it is wrong half of the time. -----
