Rumba 3.1 Review - 3270 emulator for MS Windows
Christopher Sacksteder
This is a very nice 3270 emulator and "session automation" system (my
term) for MS Windows. It is roughly comparable to IBM's Personal
Communications/3270 2.0; it implements some of the same features in a
better way (hot spots, macros, multiple sessions), but is not as good
with others (file transfer, color mapping, keyboard mapping). But, if
you must use a TCP/IP connection, as most people at Penn State do, you
can't use PCOM2 at all.
You can easily do many things to customize and automate your 3270
sessions; the product generally has a good "windows feel" to it.
There are a variety of related products and tools that I did not
evaluate; for example, there is a "Rumba Tools for DDE" to allow
other Windows applications to interact with Rumba.
Details follow.
VENDOR
Wall Data Incorporated
17769 NE 78th Place, Redmond, WA 98052-4992
Ph: 206-883-4777; Fax: 206-885-9250
Cost -- I've no idea; give them a call.
WHY?
I am interested in TCP/IP applications and in IBM 3270 emulation
programs that run under MS Windows 3.0. I have a personal need to log
onto VM and AS/400 for systems support and development, and I help
support end users who log onto these systems. Most users access these
and other systems using TCP/IP based software such as FTP Software's
PC/TCP.
WHAT IS IT?
Rumba is a package of Windows 3.0 applications providing easy mainframe
(IBM 3270) access. A wide variety of connections are supported,
including DFT coax and (as a separate option, TCP/IP). For the later,
a packet driver, such as one from FTP Software, is needed.
The basic component is 3270 terminal emulation with some advanced
features. The special features are "Hotlinks", "QuickStep" and
"Hotspots".
I was sent an evaluation version, which is limited to 1000
"transactions", and had no manual. Watch out! "Transactions" includes
every 3270 AID key and you'll use them up quickly.
THIS EVALUATION
Equipment used was an IBM PS/2 95 XP 486 (25mhz), with 8Mb memory, XGA
Display Adapter (1Mb memory), IBM 8515 display, IBM 4/16 TokenRing
card, and IBM 3270 emulation card. Pertinent software: IBM DOS 5.0, MS
Windows 3.0a, FTP Software PC/TCP 2.05. Windows display driver was IBM
XGA version 1.2, installed with 8515 fonts (resolution 1024x768x256).
Host systems tried were VM and AS/400 (there is a special AS/400
feature which I did not have).
It is somewhat comparable to the Windows mode of IBM's Personal
Communications/3270 Version 2.0, which I'll reference as "PCOM2" and
use to contrast overlapping features, even though PCOM2 can't connect
via TCP/IP.
I had a number of questions on how to do things, and they were very
helpful.
INSTALLATION
Quite simple. This limited evaluation copy puts a hidden directory in
your root, which I don't care for, but they need to limit the free
evaluation, which (I believe) is otherwise the full package.
I couldn't install from the diskette a second time because I removed
the files manually from the hard drive; I should have UNINSTALLed the
product. Had to get new diskette. Should only be a problem with the
evaluation version.
About 4 megabytes of disk space was used.
For use with FTP Software's packet driver, another TSR has to be
loaded; this takes 23k of memory.
DOCUMENTATION
The evaluation package does not come with manuals. The on-line help is
fairly extensive and easy to use. I was very frustrated at first
because I didn't notice the feature of using Ctrl-H to turn on
context-sensitive help. This causes the cursor to change to a
hand-pointer, and double-clicking on most controls brings up the
appropriate help.
To me, the natural "windows thing" is to to select the HELP menu item,
but the dialog windows don't have HELP on the menu bar, and you can't
go back to the session window without closing the dialog. I think
every window should have a HELP menu, with an item to do the same thing
as CTRL-H.
TERMINAL EMULATION
It emulates an IBM 3270 models 2, 3, 4, or 5 with extended highlighting
and extended colors. An optional feature provides 3179G and 3472G
graphics features. I've not seen this yet.
Mulitple sessions are supported; can use different interfaces at same
time (e.g., DFT coax and TCP/IP). This is particularly important for
me because I have a TCP/IP connection and a coax connection, and
previously have not been able to use both at the same time under
Windows.
Doesn't seem to have any "Entry assist" features, such as word tab or
word wrap.
Colors: The default blue was totally illegible on my screen; colors can
be remapped, but I could not get exactly the desired shade of blue.
Fonts: are auto-scalable; you can also select fixed-aspect ratio.
Larger sizes are really ugly. Perhaps an XGA only problem; for some
other drivers, they use different fonts rather than scale-up a small
font. Problem: underscore is in middle of letters on the larger sizes.
(Vendor says this is fixed.)
For the blinking attribute, an italic version of the font is shown.
A Windows limitation.
Alternate cursor (block) provided, but cursor must blink. A Windows
limitation.
CUSTOMIZATION
It is fairly easy to customize any number of sessions. Settings are
saved in one file which can be placed in a program group for easy
access.
KEYBOARD MAPPING
It is not easy to find out what the keyboard map is.
It is fairly easy to remap the keyboard, but I prefer the interface
provided by PCOM2.
There is a predefined "Quick Step" pad (see below) with all the
special 3270 keys assigned to buttons -- this is great for the beginner
and for people who use many terminal emulators and have difficulty
remembering every mapping.
MACROS
There is a small macro language; macros are defined with the help of a
small macro editor. There are 9 types of statements that allow the
macro to send text or 3270 keys to the session, wait for specified
text to be displayed, initiate a file transfer, and run other
applications. There are labels and a GOTO and EXIT to provide some
logical branching.
Particularly valuable is the RECEIVE command, which waits for a
certain period, or forever, for certain text to appear on the host
screen. You would use this to know when a host function is finished
so the macro can continue with the next step.
Macros can also be created by recording keystrokes.
It is easy to specify a macro for automatic logon. There is even a
check box to indicate that text, such as a logon password, is to be
hidden; it then becomes encrypted in the macro file, and you can no
longer see it via the macro editor either.
Macros can be assigned to "hot spots" or to buttons on a "quick step"
pad. More about these later.
Type command -- can not enter more than 23 characters; this is a
odd limitation. I have several strings I wish to send to a
terminal session that are far longer than this. Answer: put string
in multiple TYPE commands.
MACRO EDITOR
This is a bit difficult to use. For example, you can't see *all* of
each statement at once, and it isn't immediately apparent that you
double-click on a line to edit it. It would be nice to be able to
manually edit lines right in the window.
If there is an error, you get "Macro playback failure" with no
indication of where failure is.
It would be nice to be able to edit a macro without starting Terminal
(e.g., testing an Automacro).
It would be better if it wasn't an exclusive window, so you could go
back to the terminal session to try something.
It prompts to save changes when no changes were made.
QUICK STEP
A session may have 1 to 8 "quick step pads", which are variable-sized
button pads with buttons assigned to macros. These may be set to
automatically open with a session, and are similar to PCOM2's popup
keypad but more extensive and more powerful.
It would be nice if key labels could be more than 4 characters (and if
keys could be made bigger for a 1024x768 display).
Configuring Quick Step pads is a bit awkward; you must define the
macros first, but it isn't clear how to create a macro when editing a
Quick Step file. (Part answer: use right-mouse button to edit existing
macro already assigned to a key, this brings up the macro editor. I'd
prefer a menu item to start the macro editor.)
HOT SPOTS
A hot spot is a character string on the host session screen that has
been assigned a macro. When you click on that screen location with
the right mouse button, the macro is executed. This is similar to
PCOM2's hotspots, but are more powerful.
There is an option to have these spots displayed (reverse video),
which is very helpful.
Rumba comes with default hot spots, such as "PF1", "PF2", assigned to
macros that send the appropriate PF key. These aren't quite right
for VM, because the "hot spot text" is "1", "2", "3", etc., and you
don't really want, for example, line numbers in XEDIT to be "hot".
PF key labels in our VM applications are usually like "1=", so I
redefine all 24, which was tedious.
It might be nice to be able to define a row and column range a
hot spot is active in.
It is a little tedious to configure many hot spots. For example, on
an AS/400, the PF key labels are like "F1=", and a separate
definition has to be made for all 24 possibilities (fortunately, it
can use the existing PF key macros).
It would be nice if somehow a macro could reference the hot spot text,
so that only one macro would be needed for PF keys or menus that had
numbered items. That is, hot spots "F1=", "F2=", "F3=", etc., are
assigned to 24 different macros. There could be some kind of link or
dynamic substitution, so that only one macro was needed.
For some reason, I could not make "More" do PF8 on the AS/400. They
suggested trying the trace utility to see what was happening; I didn,
but it was no help. Tried a few more things, and finally checked
"Override Lightpen" box in hotspot definition, and it worked. Wonder
why.
FILE TRANSFER
It can be configured for VM, TSO, or CICS. It uses IND$FILE on VM. I
would prefer that it had an FTP server because we have a host-based
interface that uses FTP (which still works if you start an FTP server).
File transfer is its weakest feature for several reasons:
-- for copy to host, you must manually enter host fileid -- would be
better if it defaulted to a derived name;
-- it is easy to send file to host with wrong name; host id for last
copy stays set (nice for a failure, bad if transfer was ok). If
you double-click on a different PC fileid you will quickly
overwrite the host file;
-- you cannot specify multiple files for transfer. This is a severe
limitation.
-- when the transfer is initiated, the window disappears; there is
no indication of progress; when done, the window was underneath
everything else.
-- if host file is not found, an empty local file is created anyway.
-- transfer menu uses terms "Send" and "Receive", which might be
familiar to some, but could be confusing to many. Terms like
"To Host" or "To PC" would be clearer.
One relatively unique feature is that it can read and present a list
of host files in the transfer dialog window. But on VM, it appears
that it will only show those on the "A" disk. It would be nice if it
allowed you to specify the minidisk mode (or even gave a menu of
accessed modes).
Otherwise, I much prefer the file transfer features and dialogs
provided by PCOM2.
HOT LINKS
Oops, my 1000 transactions have been used up. Not sure what you can do
with this feature. Apparently it "automatically" gets data from host
and inserts it into Excel.
QUESTIONS
I had various questions that the vendor answered quickly and
thoroughly:
Macros:
Type more than 23 characters?
(Hmm, they haven't had that complaint before; you can
string multiple TYPE commands together)
End session with macro? Control other windows and macros?
No; vendor says they aren't trying to make the macro facility do
everything. The RUN command can start a different product to
manipulate Win apps.
Problem making "More..." and "Bottom" send PF keys.
Will try DSA.EXE.
Unload driver? (Yes, use /u)
Is DDE supported?
Yes; "Rumba Tools for Visual Basic" sounds very nice.
Any way to do file transfer to/from an AS/400?
They are working on it.
PROBLEMS
There were surprisingly few problems. I'm usually able to make a 3270
emulator fail somewhere. Once when trying to change the keyboard and
the screen froze. Had to reboot. Was not repeatable.
Chris Sacksteder, Lead System Developer
Center for Academic Computing, Pennsylvania State University
105 Computer Building
University Park, PA 16802