NCP/Token-Ring Interconnection (NTRI) for peripheral nodes

NCP/Token-Ring Interconnection (NTRI) is an NCP function that allows a communication controller to attach to the IBM® Token-Ring Local Area Network and that provides both subarea and peripheral node DLC services in the SNA network. In this section, we discuss the peripheral node DLC services that NTRI provides to VTAM®.

You implement this type of connection by defining both of the following:

switched major node
NCP major node

The switched major node defines the peripheral nodes and associated logical units that are attached to the token ring.

The NCP major node defines both physical and logical resources:

The token-ring interface coupler (TIC) connection for NTRI support is defined as a physical connection in a GROUP definition statement specifying ECLTYPE=PHYSICAL.
The peripheral nodes that are attached to the token ring are defined as logical connections in a GROUP definition statement specifying ECLTYPE=LOGICAL.

The name specified for GRPNM (group name) in the PATH definition statement of the switched major node must match the name of the logical group definition in the NCP major node.

In the configurations illustrated in the following sections, the communicating VTAMs A02N and A81N are defined as type 2.1 peripheral nodes to each other and are attached to the token-ring network through NCP A31 and NCP A04.

The following are four sample switched major nodes for the NTRI peripheral node connection.

For the corresponding sample NCP major nodes used in this configuration, see Attaching peripheral nodes to VTAM using NTRI. For more information about NTRI connections, see the z/OS Communications Server: SNA Network Implementation Guide.