🚀 go-pugleaf

>Has anyone seen any IBM NETBIOS implementations from VM or MVS?
>Or know what "PVM/PC" is?
>Or what the "PSCA device driver" for PVM is?
>Does this product(?) offer NETBIOS PC to Mainframe communications?

PVM/PC is an obscure PRPQ developed by IBM at Yorktown
Research.  It provides communication between CMS users and PC programs
through the PVM program product.  While it may at first look like
"NETBIOS on the mainframe" there is a stronger argument that it is "IUCV
on the PC."  It does run on NETBIOS (the client PC communicates NETBIOS
to the 8232 which then talks to PVM as a simulated CTCA).  However, this
requires a dedicated 8232 processor (ie one of the two AT boxes that
make up an 8232 CU) since the PVM/PC code does not coexist with other
(usually TCP/IP) uses of the same unit.  However, one AT can run PVM/PC
while the other supports TCP/IP, both within the same 8232 rack.

The PCCA (sic) was the prototype of the 8232 control unit which in turn
was the predecessor of the 3172 control unit.  This device driver allows
two VM mainframes to communicate PVM to PVM using a LAN.  It also allows
a CMS user to communicate with a PC using the PVM/PC API.

While the function works, this is strategically a dry hole.  In current
usage one would either use TCP/IP or APPC (CPIC) for communications.
At this late date I would have expected PVM/PC to have been withdrawn.

Several IBM research projects at Yorktown and Raleigh have explored
multi-transport arrangements.  Although the primary thrust might be
sockets-over-SNA and SNA-over-sockets, NETBIOS is ususally grandfathered
in to such designs.  No product has been produced.  The simple fact is
that there are relatively few PC based clients or servers which were
written which depend on the NETBIOS program interface.  Generally LAN
Manager/LAN Server is the only important NETBIOS user, and its SMB
control blocks could be (and are) just as easily transmitted over
sockets, APPC, DECNET, Appletalk, or OSI.