Re: Emulated S36 pn RS/6000 to AS/400 Conversion -- MIDRANGE-L



>>I just stepped into the middle of conversion and I need some help.
Customer has a RS/6000 running a System/36 emulation package from Universal
Software from Canada. The 720 is all plugged in and IP and CA/400 are up and
running but's about it at the moment.

We tried a save of a file from the 6000 to a 1/4" cart using the emulation sw.
Looked like it did it, a "CATALOG" from the 6000 says it did it, but the 400
dies on the label in both s36 and 400 sessions(I was afraid of that...)<<

Kirk,

I vaguely seem to recall that the Universal Software package emulated the S/36
right down to the byte.  I think you could save right off a S/36 and "restore"
on the RS/6000 using this package.  SSP and everything ran without
recompilation.  As I remember it, the package translated EVERYTHING ON THE FLY!
Can anyone else here confirm that?

If this is not true, then everybody stop reading this message and delete it!
;-)

If this IS true, and you have some programs for which you have no source, I
think what it means to you is that the S/36 "machine" may be the way you will
most likely want to go.  Assuming that you can get it onto the AS/400 in the
first place.  I'm purely speculating here, but I imagine that, if you can
restore to the S/36 "machine" on the AS/400, you should be able run everything
like you were on the RS/6000 without recompiling anything.  (A pipe dream???)

(The above paragraph also refutes Nina's assertion that you'd have to recompile
and that you could expect problems with packed and binary data.  So everything
I've said so far rides on the factualness on that paragraph.)

However, won't setting up the S/36 "machine" pretty much lock you in to that
setup?  I.e., would you be able to use CA/400? (you mentioned in your post.)
Why are you moving to the AS/400?  Only to run a faster "S/36" than the RS/6000?
Or to take advantage of AS/400 technologies that are not available in a S/36
"machine" setup?

Just another idea, have you tried contacting Universal Software to see if they
have anything constructive to offer?  Maybe they know someone else who has done
what you're jumping into.

I agree with another poster.  Sounds like it could be a fun challenge, but also
could quickly degenerate into a disaster.

Keep us posted.  I'm curious to know what will come out of this.

- Dan Bale





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