MiniSoft already has a solution for secure communications with an HP3000.

Javelin is a Java applet version of MiniSoft's HP terminal emulator. It resides on a web server and is downloaded through a browser when a client needs to connect to an HP3000.

The Secure version of Javelin incorporates industry-standard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption. Provided with Secure Javelin is the JES (Javelin Encryption Server). JES runs on any machine that supports Java, and typically runs on a Windows NT machine adjacent to the host. JES listens on a user-defined port for an SSL encrypted session from a Javelin client. When a connection is requested, JES connects to the HP3000 and encrypts/decrypts the session as it procedes. Everything sent to and from the client is encrypted.

It is necessary to ensure that communications between JES and the HP3000 cannot be "sniffed" outside of the secure environment - this can be achieved by configuring the local part of the network appropriately. Since all traffic across the internet is to the machine running JES, the HP3000 itself can be made invisible to the Internet.

Secure Javelin supports both the Telnet and the NS/VT protocols, which is why I changed the subject line of this message.  From a performance point of view I would recommend NS/VT where there is a choice, because of NS/VT's far more efficient use of the network. NS/VT generate far fewer packets, and encrypting thousands of one-byte packets, as required in Telnet, is an inefficient use of computer resources.

Peter Gofton
Software Licensing Corp
Developer of Javelin
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