IBM Network Control Program
Appearance
The IBM Network Control Program (NCP) ran on an IBM 3704, 3705, IBM 2725 or 3745. It caused the machine to become an IBM Systems Network Architecture (SNA) Physical Unit Type 4 (PU4). A PU4 usually had SDLC links to remote cluster controllers (PU1/PU2) and optional SDLC links to other PU4s. Polling and addressing of the cluster controllers was performed by the NCP without mainframe intervention.
A local NCP connected to a System/370 channel via single address. A remote NCP had no direct connection to a mainframe. Instead a connection was made through a local NCP via SNA packet switching. NCP provided the link control and Network layer functions of a Wide area network.
Further reading
- W. S. Hobgood (1976). "The role of the Network Control Program in Systems Network Architecture" (PDF). Vol 15, No 1. IBM Systems Journal. Retrieved 2006-08-26.
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