phil@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Phil Meyer) (01/23/89)
We are going to open a branch office in another city. The branch office MUST be 'online' with the main office. It would be ideal if RFS could run over a wide area network. Has anyone done this? Did you use modems, or a faster method of communications? This seems like a trivial matter to me, but the hardware vendors we deal with are balking at the idea, and one suggested that duplicate data sets be maintained at both sites with batch updates/exception reporting. Any ideas are welcome. One last note: This client will PAY what it takes to do the job, yet the reps we talk to always consider costs first, even to the point of omitting information on some products because they are 'too expensive'. There must be ways to solve the WAN problem, but have the reps omitted something important again?
John_Robert_Breeden@cup.portal.com (01/27/89)
You didn't say what protocol you wanted to use but.......this solution IS expensive but works. AT&T makes a packet data switch called ISN (information System Network). An ISN node would be installed at one host end and a wire concentrator at the other host using either DDS or analog dedicated service between (9.6, 56k or T1). If you want to transfer ethernet, you plug EBIM (ether- net Bridge Interface Moduals) between each end and transport RFS over ether- net. If it's AT&T's 3bs your using, you could RFS over StarLan hardware and use SLIMB cards (StarLan Interface Modual - Bridge) in the ISN and transport RFS over the ISN. But be warned - it ain't cheep!!!
childers@avsd.UUCP (Richard Childers) (01/28/89)
phil@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Phil Meyer) writes: >We are going to open a branch office in another city. The branch office >MUST be 'online' with the main office. It would be ideal if RFS could >run over a wide area network. Has anyone done this? Did you use modems, >or a faster method of communications? I'm assuming RFS is analogous to NFS, in that it's made to work over the local ethernet connecting workstations. At a previous site, I was on the fringes of such an issue, and generally, it was felt that there were wide-bandwidth devices that utilized 56kb-wide leased channels from the phone company, which could be gated through a box to put it [back] onto the ethernet. More recently, at another location, we had a remote office that was line- -of-sight with our present office, and there is hardware which translates ethernet packets to T1 packets, and other hardware that feeds T1 packets into the microwave horn. T1 may the the magic phrase that will unlock doors, in your problem. Where I am now, we are discussing line-of-sight lasers for linking the buildings - as well as the more common fiber optic cable. >This seems like a trivial matter to me, but the hardware vendors we deal >with are balking at the idea, and one suggested that duplicate data sets >be maintained at both sites with batch updates/exception reporting. That might be cost-effective. So might maintaining a private PBX/CBX which you could use to login to the local database from remote locations, as well as have one phone system connecting both sites and save long-distance bills. >Any ideas are welcome. Mind meld !!! (-: >One last note: This client will PAY what it takes to do the job, yet >the reps we talk to always consider costs first, even to the point of >omitting information on some products because they are 'too expensive'. >There must be ways to solve the WAN problem, but have the reps omitted >something important again? T1. -- richard -- * -= If it works, it must be a Fluke =- * * * * ..{amdahl|decwrl|octopus|pyramid|ucbvax}!avsd.UUCP!childers@tycho * * AMPEX Corporation - Audio-Visual Systems Division, R & D *
scott@attcan.UUCP (Scott MacQuarrie) (02/01/89)
Have you cvonsidered looking at a product called ISN ("Information Systems
Networking"). We use it to link offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal,
Ottawa, etc into a complete network environment. There is a card used in
the ISN called the EBIM ("Ethernet Bridge Interface Module") which sounds
like it will do exactly what you are attempting. You should contact your
nearest AT&T computer representative for more info.
--
------- Scott T. MacQuarrie
-====------ Senior Technical Consultant, Toronto Branch, AT&T Canada
-======------
-====------- Phone: 416-756-5124 UUCP:
---------- CompuServe: 73677,102 uunet!attcan!scott or
------- ATTmail: !smacquarrie uunet!attcan!strider!scott
P.S. Opinions expressed are my own and represent neither statement nor
policy of AT&T or AT&T Canada Inc.dtroup@carroll1.UUCP (Dave Troup) (02/02/89)
About the cost of your ISN network, I know. We've got one! Being a student, I must say that it is nice having 19.2k in the rooms! David C. Troup dtroup@carroll1.UUCP Carroll College, Waukesha Wi.