Tubes provides users with greater flexibility in accessing applications, and provides other benefits:

• Enhanced system usage;
• Increased security;
• Reduced costs;
• Improved communication.

Tubes
Technical Features

Networking
From a single menu, users can access all applications running on any IBM mainframe operating system, online environment or CPU.

Application Builder
Different applications, even on different operating systems can share and exchange data. Output from one or more sessions can be collected selectively and displayed on user-defined panels, in effect creating a new application. Alternatively, the information collected may be used as input to other sessions.

Windows
Several sessions can be displayed simultaneously on one physical terminal, without incurring additional costs involved with PCs.

Spy
Authorised users, such as Network Controllers, Help Desk and Technical Support staff, can simultaneously view the screen contents currently displayed at the terminal of another Tubes user. This is especially useful when Technical Support and the end user are at different locations.

Data stream optimisation
The Tubes Network Data Minimiser, the 'MISER', compresses both inbound and outbound data streams by transmitting only changes which have been made to data. This significantly increases network throughput and solves bottleneck problems.

Demonstration and View
The input and output screen displays at one terminal can be displayed automatically on a number of other terminals (up to 999). This enables a user to demonstrate a system to an authorised group of users, providing simple, cost-effective training.

Bypass VSCS/VTAM for VM Applications
Tubes provides two unique functions, Logical Device Support and GRAF Support, for VM/VTAM® users running Tubes GCS. Local non-SNA terminals can dial straight into Tubes and VM sessions can be started directly from a Tubes menu, rather than going via VTAM or VSCS. This provides an extremely efficient method of accessing applications and reduces VTAM load.

Multisessioning
Up to 999 sessions can be accessed concurrently from one physical terminal. The powerful Tubes Panel and Script Language (TPSL) can be used to automate processes including signon.