Host Communication

Host Communication Telnet

Assigned Device Name (setting)

• Specifies which host device is assigned for your connection.

Assigned LU Name (setting)

• Specifies which LU (session) is assigned for your connection. This setting is read-only.

Device Name

• Specifies the Device name (also known as LU name) to which to connect. This box accepts up to 32 characters.
• This option is only available in 3270 and 5250 sessions.
• You cannot change this value while you are connected.
• You can also map the Device Name setting to a model variable, which allows a different setting for each server runtime session. If a model variable is mapped to the Device Name setting, the Device Name configured in Session Setup will be used as a default unless changed by a session pool model variable list or a Host Integrator API SetModelVariable method.

Secure Host SSL Negotiated Cipher

• Specifies the cipher negotiated for the host connection when Telnet SSL or Telnet Extended SSL is used as a transport. The value is based on text originating from the crypto library.
• This is a read only setting.
• To use FIPS 140-2 validated TLS encyption for SSL support, you must first define an environment variable, VHI_FIPS = 1. After this variable is set all SSL Telnet connections will use the FIPS 140-2 Crypto Libraries.

Telnet Attention

• Specifies what happens when you press the following keys:
  • ATTN key (Ctrl-F1 by default) in a 3270 session
  • Ctrl-break in a VT or HP session

Telnet Average Keep Alive Roundtrip

• Specifies the average amount of time Host Integrator has waited for a response to a Timing Mark Command.
• This is a read-only setting.
• The range of values is 0-999999 milliseconds, and the default value is 0.

Telnet Binary

• Telnet defines a 7-bit data path between the host and the terminal (Host Integrator). This type of data path is not compatible with certain national character sets. Fortunately, many hosts allow for 8-bit data without zeroing the 8th bit, which resolves this problem.
• In some cases, however, it may be necessary to force the host to use an 8-bit data path by selecting this check box.

Telnet Echo

• This group box controls how the Design Tool responds to remote echo from a Telnet host:
  • Automatic (default): The Host Integrator Tool attempts to negotiate remote echo, but does what the host commands.
  • Yes: The Host Integrator negotiates local echo with the host, but always echoes.
  • No: The Host Integrator negotiates remote echo with the host, but does not echo.

Telnet Environment

• This setting applies only to 5250 connections over Telnet.
• When you establish a 5250 terminal session, specific information is sent to the AS/400 to configure your session. When you connect over Telnet, you can pass additional information at connect time as input to an Exit program on the AS/400. Use the Telnet Environment setting to send this additional information.
• Enter a string of up to 260 characters, using the following format: keyword=value; keyword=value; keyword=value

Using Telnet Environment with Auto SignOn

When Auto SignOn is set to Yes, Host Integrator automatically signs on to the host using the current values of the Username and Password settings. You can set Telnet Environment to specify additional, non-default sign-on options using any of the following keywords in the Exit program string:

Keyword	Sets	Equivalent SignOn Menu Option
IBMPROGRAM	Program to call	Program/procedure
IBMIMENU	Initial menu	Menu
IBMCURLIB	Current library	Current library

For example, the following statement specifies that when Host Integrator makes a Telnet connection using Auto SignOn, the host should display the menu called MAIN, run the program called QCL, and set QGPL as the current library: Session.TelnetEnvironment = "IBMIMENU=MAIN;IBMPROGRAM=QCL;IBMCURLIB=QGPL"

Because this information is sent at connect time, you cannot change this setting while you are connected.

Initiate Option Negotiation

• This option specifies whether certain connection options--including whether to always request a binary mode connection--should be negotiated when the Telnet connection is established.
• Connections to some hosts on the Internet are expedited if this check box is cleared so that the terminal (meaning, the Design Tool) does not attempt to initiate negotiations for Telnet options.

Send Keep Alive Packets

• In some cases, Host Integrator may become aware of Telnet communication problems only after a significant delay or when it attempts to send data to the host. This can cause problems if you enter a large amount of data on one screen or if you keep your connection open during periods of inactivity.

• To become aware of connection problems as they occur, you can configure your model to send Keep Alive packets. Four methods are available:

  • None. Host Integrator does not send any keep alive packets to the host. This is the default value.
  • Send NOP Packets. Host Integrator periodically sends a No Operation (NOP) command to the host. The gateway and host are not required to respond to these commands, but the TCP/IP stack can detect if there was a problem delivering the packet.
  • System. The TCP/IP stack keeps track of the host connection. This method requires fewer system resources than Send Timing Mark Packets or Send NOP Packets, but most TCP/IP stacks send Keep Alive packets infrequently.

  • Send Timing Mark Packets. Host Integrator periodically sends a Timing Mark Command to the host to determine if the connection is still active. The gateway or host should respond to these commands. If a response is not received or there is an error sending the packet, it will shut down the connection.

    To view the average amount of time waited for a response to a Timing Mark Command in the Design Tool, open the View Settings dialog box and select the Telnet Average Keep Alive Roundtrip setting.

Keep Alive Timeout

• The Keep Alive Timeout is the interval between the keep alive requests sent by the Design Tool.
• The range of values is 1-9999 seconds, and the default is 600 seconds.

Telnet Line Mode

• The Host Integrator supports line mode and faux line mode for Telnet connections. Line mode allows Host Integrator to store characters in a buffer until a carriage return is entered, and then the characters are sent to the host in one packet (instead of sending each single character as an individual packet).
• Line mode is useful for long network delays, and allows you to reduce costs on networks that charge on a per packet basis.
• The Linemode list options: Don't do line mode (default), RFC Compliant (You need a host that supports line mode and it will get negotiated during connect), During Local Echo (Do line mode when the host tells Host Integrator to do the echoing), When Not in SGA (Do line mode when the host does not Suppress Go Ahead), Local Echo no SGA, Always
• Note: All options other than RFC Compliant are known as "faux" line mode.

Telnet Location

• Specifies to the host where the connection originated. Can also be used to provide informational messages to the host from the PC. Usage conventions vary by site.
• You are not required to enter anything in this box.
• This box accepts up to 260 characters.
• You cannot change this value while you're connected to a gateway.

Telnet Ports

• Specifies the host port or socket number that the Telnet session should use. Enter any number between 0 and 65,535 in this field.
• You can configure Port in either the Session Setup or View Settings dialog boxes.
• The default port number for Telnet is 23.

Telnet Protocol

• Specifies which Telnet protocol is being used to communicate with the host.

• This setting is read-only.

• The value of this setting can change during a session.The values are:

  NVT: The Network Virtual Terminal protocol is in use.

  TN3270: Standard TN3270 protocol is in use.

  TN3270E: Extended TN3270 protocol (RFC 1647) is in use.

  TN5250: Standard TN5250 protocol is in use.

Response Mode (Telnet Extended Option)

• Specifies whether Verastream will support responses for Telnet Extended connections. The default is Yes. You should not need to change this setting.
• If this setting is changed to No, Verastream will inform the host that is does not support responses when the connection is established.
• The Telnet Extended option is configurable from the Session Setup or New Model dialog box. You cannot change this value while you are connected to a gateway.

Send LF after CR

• A "true" Telnet host expects to see a CrNu (carriage return/null) character sequence to indicate the end of a line sent from a terminal (that is, the Design Tool).
• Some hosts on the Internet are not true Telnet hosts, and they expect to see a Lf (linefeed) character following the Cr at the end of a line. If you're connecting to this type of Telnet host, check this box.

Set Host Window Size

• This setting sends the number of rows and columns to the Telnet host whenever they change. This enables the Telnet host to properly control the cursor if the window size is changed.

Telnet Sys Request

• Specifies what happens when you press the SYSREQ key (Alt+PrintScreen, by default). The definition of this key and its values vary by host application.

• This setting is valid for 3270 sessions over Telnet only. The values are:

  Telnet Abort Output: Sends a TELNETABORTOUTPUT to the host.

  Telnet Break: Sends a TELNETBREAK to the host.

  Telnet Interrupt Process (default): Sends a TELNETINTPROCESS to the host.

  Test Request Read: Sends a TESTREQUESTREAD to the host.

Telnet Terminal ID

• This setting overrides the Model ID selected in Session Setup if the Transport Type is Telnet, and if the Session Type is IBM 3270 Terminal. It allows you to specify a Terminal Model that Host Integrator does not implicitly support (but might work with), such as Fujitsu.
• For best results, specify one of the Terminal Models available in Session Setup and leave the Terminal ID box empty. When the Terminal ID box is empty, the Design Tool uses the Model ID defined in Session Setup by default. Only specify a Telnet Terminal ID, if after experimenting with other available Terminal Models IDs in Session Setup, you still cannot connect to the host.
• If you must define a Telnet Terminal ID, specify a string you know is acceptable to the host. Otherwise, you may experience problems connecting to the host and emulation problems after connecting to the host. Typically, these types of problems occur if the host is not configured to recognize the terminal specified in the Telnet Terminal ID string.

Use Emulation Terminal ID

This setting is currently not used.

Telnet X System

• Specifies whether X SYSTEM is supported in 3270 sessions.

  X SYSTEM is a keyboard-locked state that occurs when the host ends a transmission to the workstation without unlocking the keyboard. Some applications use this to notify you of a message written to the display, requiring you to reset the keyboard before you can type again. Other applications rely on SNA to unlock the keyboard. - The default is Yes.

TN APPN Gateway

• Specifies whether the third PC Support header is added to the Telnet pass through header for a save screen command, and removed for a restore screen command.
• This setting is only valid for 5250 connections over Telnet to an Apertus gateway.
• The default is No.

SSH

SSH Compression Enabled

• Change this setting to Yes to enable compression of all data.
• Note: If you have a relatively fast connection to the host, compression can have a slightly negative impact on performance.

SSH Keep Alive Timer Interval

• This setting specifies an interval, in seconds, for sending keep alive messages to the SSH server.
• The default setting is 0, meaning that keep alive messages are disabled.
• Change the value to reflect the number of seconds between messages. The maximum number is 86,400.

SSH Passphrase for the Private Key

• If the key is protected by a passphrase, the client user is prompted to enter that passphrase to complete the connection using public key authentication. Public keys are not sensitive information and may be known to anybody, whereas the private key is protected very carefully by a strong passphrase.
• This setting reflects whatever was set in the Design Tool or Model Variable Authentication dialog box; however, you can modify the value here.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Port

• Specifies the host port or socket number that the SSH session should use. Enter any number between 0 and 65,535 in this field. You can configure Port in either the Session Setup or View Settings dialog boxes.
• The default port number for SSH is 22.

SSH Private Key File

• SSH keys always come in pairs, one private and the other public. The private key is known only to you and it should be safely guarded. The public key, however, can be shared freely with any SSH server to which you would like to connect.
• Although this setting reflects the value that was set in the Design Tool or Model Variable Authentication dialog box, you can modify it here.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Public Key Files

• SSH keys always come in pairs, one private and the other public. The private key is known only to you and it should be safely guarded. The public key, however, can be shared freely with any SSH server to which you would like to connect.
• Although this setting reflects the value that was set in the Design Tool or Model Variable Authentication dialog box, you can modify it here.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Selected Algorithms for Ciphers

• This setting specifies the ciphers you want to allow for connections to the current host. When more than one cipher is selected, the SSH client attempts to use ciphers in the order you specify on the Advanced VT SSH dialog box.
• If the value is modified, you must maintain the proper format, including commas.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Selected Algorithms for HMAC

• Specifies the HMAC (hashed message authentication code) methods you want to allow. This hash is used to verify the integrity of all data packets exchanged with the server. When more than one HMAC is selected, the SSH client attempts to negotiate a MAC with the server in the order you specify on the Advanced VT SSH dialog box.
• If the value is modified, you must maintain the proper format, including commas.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Selected Algorithms for Key Exchange

• Specifies which key exchange algorithms the client supports. When more than one algorithm is selected, the SSH client attempts to negotiate key exchanges in the order you specify on the Advanced VT SSH dialog box.
• If the value is modified, you must maintain the proper format, including commas.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Selected Host Key Algorithms

• Specifies the hash algorithm the client uses in the process of proving possession of the private key. This hash is used during public key user authentication.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

SSH Selected User Authentication Types

• Specifies an authentication method. Public key is selected by default.
• Maximum length is 260 characters.

NS/VT

Host Network Address

• Specifies the IP address of the host for this model. This setting is read-only.

• Specifies the host port or socket number that the NS/VT session should use. Enter any number between 0 and 65,535 in this field.

• You can configure Port in either the Session Setup or View Settings dialog boxes. The default port number for NS/VT is 1570.
• Note: NS/VT is a proprietary HP protocol that connects only to HP3000 hosts.

NS/VT Timed Reads

• The NS/VT protocol allows the host to set a time limit when it reads from the terminal. If the read has not been satisfied within the set time limit, the NS/VT client notifies the host and terminates the read.

  Typically, a host application uses this capability for security. When notified that the read has timed out, it automatically logs the user off of the host. - A setting of Yes means that timed reads are treated normally and the host is notified when the time expires. - A setting of No means that the time parameter of reads is ignored by the NS/VT client and the reads will never time out. The default setting is No.

Auto SignOn (setting)

• When this box is checked, Host Integrator tells the transport protocol to automatically log you on to the host as soon as you establish a connection in the Design Tool.
• By default, this box is not checked.

Connected (setting)

• Specifies whether you are connected to a host.
• This setting is read-only.

Enable Asynchronous Transport Behavior (setting)

• This setting is no longer used.

Host Communication Timeout (from the host)

• Specifies how many seconds Host Integrator should wait for a host connection response. When there is no response from the host in the allotted time, an error results.
• The range of values is from 1 to 9999.
• The default is 9999.

Host Connection Timeout (to the host)

• Specifies how many seconds Host Integrator should wait for a successful connection to the host. When Host Integrator is unable to connect to the host in the allotted time, an error results.
• The range of values is 0 to 86400. The default value is 30 seconds.
• Note: When the timeout is set to zero, all host connection attempts time out immediately.

Host Name

• Use this box to identify the host to which you want to connect. You can either select a host from the drop-down list or type one into the host name field.
• When you start the Design Tool without a value for this setting, the Design Tool looks for the Hosts file in the same folder as Wsock32.dll. If you are using third-party TCP/IP software, your Hosts file may be in another location.
• On a Windows platform, the Design Tool searches for the Hosts file in this order:
  • In the same path as Wsock32.dll
  • In the \WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\Hosts folder
  • In the System or System32 folder of the operating system root folder.
  • In the folder where the Design Tool is installed.
  • In the current folder.
  • In the operating system root folder (typically C:\Windows).
  • In the folders in your Path statement.
• When it finds a Hosts file, the Design Tool changes the value of this setting.
• If the Design Tool cannot find your Hosts file in any of those locations, the value of this field becomes blank.
• To locate a Hosts file on your computer, use the Browse button in the View Settings dialog box (while the Hosts File Name setting is selected under Settings) or use the operating system's Find feature.

Host Password

• Enter your password for the host if you want to bypass being prompted for it at connection time.
• You'll also need to enter your username.

Host User Name

• You must supply authentication credentials to establish a connection to the host.
• Enter your username for the host sign-on screen if you want to bypass being prompted for it at connection time.
• You'll also need to enter your password.

Host File Name

• Specifies the path to the Hosts file, which maps assigned node names to internet addresses. The value is a string of up to 260 characters.

• The purpose of this setting is to allow Host Integrator to find a list of hosts to populate the Host name or IP address list box in the Session Setup dialog box.

  When you start Host Integrator without a value for this setting, Host Integrator looks for the Hosts file in the same folder as Wsock32.dll. If you are using third-party TCP/IP software, your Hosts file may be in another location.

  • Host Integrator searches for the Hosts file in this order:
  • In the same path as Wsock32.dll
  • In the \WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS folder
  • In the folder where Host Integrator is installed
  • The current folder
  • In the operating system's root folder
  • The folders in your Path statement
  • When it finds a Hosts file, Host Integrator changes the value of this setting.
  • If Host Integrator cannot find your Hosts file in any of those locations, the value of this field becomes blank.
  • To locate a Hosts file on your PC, use the Browse button in the View Settings dialog box (while the Hosts File Name setting is selected in the Host Integrator settings list box) or use the operating system's Find feature.

Keyboard Lock Timeout

• The Keyboard Lock Timeout setting applies to terminals that the host system controls, whether or not keyboard input is permitted. The keyboard is said to be "locked" if input is disabled.

When the Host Integrator has input to send to the host, it will send the input immediately if the keyboard is unlocked. If the keyboard is locked, Host Integrator will wait up to the period specified by this setting for the keyboard to be unlocked.

If the keyboard is still locked after this time, Host Integrator will return a keyboard lock timeout error.

• This setting is an integer representing the number of seconds for the keyboard lock timeout. Values from 1-9999 seconds are accepted.

• The default is 5 seconds.

Transport protocol

• This setting specifies the transport type being used to connect to the host. The transport types available are related to the selected terminal type. You can use Telnet, Telnet Extended, SSH, or NS/VT transport types as well as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) security protocols.

  Telnet is available for 3270,5250, VT, and HP session types, while Telnet Extended is only available for IBM 3270 session types. Choose SSH to connect to a VT host using SSH security protocols. NS/VT is available for HP session types.

Telnet

For more information about using Telnet Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) see Using SSL/TLS.

Telnet and HP

If you are connecting to an HP terminal using Telnet as your transport type, use an event command such as WaitForNewHostScreen between HP TransmitTerminalKey commands in operations.

Telnet and Host Emulator

The Host Emulator cannot be used if you created .hetrace files while connected to a host using the Telnet Extended (TN3270E) transport type.

SSH and VT

You can configure SSH connections when you need secure, encrypted communications between a trusted VT host and your computer over an insecure network. SSH connections ensure that both the client user and the host computer are authenticated and that all data is encrypted. See "Using SSH: Overview."