Getting data from Access DB to 3270 mainframe

[kaco]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever attempted to get data located on a access database located on a LAN to a mainframe terminal. I am just trying to pick off a few fields off the access db and send it in a file to the 3270 mainframe. Any ideas?

[BruceG]

I do this stuff often, albeit with a VERY antiquated hardware/software setup. The mechanism we have to upload data from the PC to the mainframe is an old product called IRMA, which consists of putting a terminal emulator board in the PCs and using its file-transfer software. IRMA is so ancient that it does not even work with Pentiums. We have a few 486's around to do this job.

Anyway, assuming you have some kind of gateway to your mainframe from your PCs, you can have your VB program create a text file by picking off fields from your Access database. Then this file can be uploaded to the mainframe for processing.

The text file created by your VB program will either have to be in the format required by the mainframe program that will process it, or a separate mainframe program will have to be written to convert the data to the appropriate format.

If you can give me some info on the fields from your Access database, and also what the target mainframe record layout looks like, I can help you out with the coding.