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TCP/IP - Overview Information

   TCP/IP Overview

TCP/IP can be characterized as providing functions and services that can be categorized as follows:

  • Connectivity and gateway functions that handle the physical interfaces and routing of data

  • Server functions that provide a service to a client (that is, send or transfer a file)

  • Client functions that request a certain service from a server anywhere in the network

  • Network status/management functions that detect and solve network problems.

  • Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow you to write your own client/server applications.

TCP/IP is used to build an interconnection between networks (or internet) through universal communication services. To allow communicate between these networks, addresses are assigned to each host that is connected to the network.

   TCP/IP for z/VM Overview

TCP/IP is used to build interconnections between networks (including the Internet) through universal communication services. To allow communication among networks, addresses are assigned to each host with a network connection. TCP/IP for z/VM with your System z server can communicate and share data with multi-vendor systems via your intranet and the Internet. Applications can be shared transparently across z/VM, z/OS, UNIX, and other environments.

TCP/IP for z/VM can support tens of thousands of users and communicate with multi-vendor systems within your enterprise via your intranet or with external systems via the Internet. TCP/IP for z/VM allows users to send messages, transfer files, share printers, and access remote resources across a broad range of systems from multiple vendors.

TCP/IP is designed to support the z/Architecture HiperSockets function for high -speed communication among virtual machines and logical partitions within the same IBM mainframe. The HiperSockets function allows virtual machines and logical partitions to communicate internally over the memory bus using the internal-queued-direct (IQD) channel type in System z servers. z/VM provides TCP/IP and guest LAN support for HipeSockets using IPv6 protocol.

TCP/IP broadcast support is provided for the HiperSockets environment when using Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). Applications that use the broadcast function can propagate frames to all TCP/IP applications.

Detailed information about TCP/IP for z/VM can be obtained from our various publications.