AST RESEARCH TECHNICAL BULLETIN TB-0188                   5-16-86


           THE ASTFT/11-A FILE TRANSFER WITH IBM SYSTEM/38


The  purpose  of  this Technical Bulletin is  to  inform  IBM 
System/38  users  of certain conditions that must be  met  if 
they  are  utilizing the ASTFT/11-A  File  Transfer  Program.  
This  file transfer program is packaged with the  AST-5251/11 
emulator. 
                              
If  the following conditions are not met, then the  following 
symptoms can cause the IBM Personal Computer to be disabled:

Symptoms:

    1.  The  display  screen on the  personal  computer  will 
        display  the  AST  File  Transfer  license  agreement 
        after the user enters,  "ASTFT11".  In a few seconds, 
        an  error message will indicate that the PC has  lost 
        communication  with  the  System/38.   It  will  also 
        prompt the user to check the System/38 screen.

    2.  On  the System/38 screen,  an error message  will  be 
        generated  indicating that it was unable  to  install 
        the file, DLDBA SECURITY.

    3.  The PC at this point is "locked-up".

Conditions:

    1.  If  the  user  signs  on to the  System/38  with  the 
        regular  user I.D.  and password,  the cursor on  the 
        System/38  screen  must  be in a  position  where   a 
        command can be entered before hot-keying over to  DOS 
        to  execute  the file transfer  program.   With  this 
        condition  met,  the user can now hot-key over to DOS 
        and enter "ASTFT11.EXE",  which will execute the file 
        tranfer program.

    2.  If  step #1 is not convenient,  then  this  alternate 
        route  should be taken.   The user should sign-on  to 
        the System/38 using the user I.D.  of  "DL38".   When 
        the user chooses this route, it does not matter where 
        the  cursor  is positioned on the  System/38  screen.  
        This means that the System/38 screen can be at either 
        a command entry screen or a programmer's menu.   When 
        the  user decides to use the file  transfer  program, 
        all  that  is  needed is to hot-key over to  DOS  and 
        enter "ASTFT11.EXE 1,90".