emulationfiddlermainframe3270

Can one use Fiddler to monitor a PCOMM session, or any 3270 Emulator session?


Can one use Fiddler to monitor a Mainframe PCOMM session? Or a Mainframe session with any 3270 Emulator software? If so, how? I have looked at the Fiddler documentation, and searched, and it is not mentioned.

The ultimate goal is to connect to the mainframe using Java code. I have already provided a PCOMM automation solution that logs on, goes to CICS, performs the transaction, screen scrapes the screens, and puts the screen data to a file. Now the client wants me to do the same thing without PCOMM. The user wants to use a Java solution. I have Java program that connects to the mainframe. But the initial menu screen is not returned in order to "log on" to the mainframe. I am seeing a series of 3270 codes, such as 255 (IAC) 253 (DO) 40 (?), I reply with 255, 253 (Will do) 40 (?) EOR. The mainframe comes back with 255, 250 (Subnegotiate) 40 (?), and so on. I tried such codes in different ways, but so far no luck. See http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1576.html for more info on the codes to negotiate a session 3270. It is a very old document and may have been updated since. Also http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc854.html

My thought was to monitor the PCOMM session, to discover the correct conversation to negotiate a connection to a 3270 session. After all, PCOMM is working to make that session happen.

thanks, Baruch Atta


Solution

  • Working with other staff on site here, we have concluded that Fiddler can not view PCOMM communications. We have concluded that Fiddler can only monitor BROWSER based communications. Our staff claim to be "experts" in Fiddler, with lots of experience. If anyone on STACK Overflow can actually use Fiddler to monitor PCOMM communications with a mainframe, I would love to be proven wrong.