hedrick@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Charles Hedrick) (08/30/85)
Well, I think I know what Art was hinting at. I'm sure he was following the convention that manufacturers are not allowed to advertise their own products. Since we are just a customer, I think I can talk. ACC is building an Ethernet interface for IBM systems. It is intended to be high performance. (The design goals have numbers noticably higher than those that you see on a VAX.) It is part of a more general network front end effort that they are working on. The intent is to have a single interface that supports Ethernet, DDN, etc. The version we are getting is to look just like the ACC 1822 interface as far as the host is concerned. Thus it should be able to use the UCLA TCP/IP code for MVS without any change. Their eventual plans involve putting more intelligence into the front end than this. I had not said anything in public about this for the last year, since we had had problems getting a clear commitment to delivery time from ACC. However I have heard that our box will be shipped next week, so it sounds like the thing is real. I won't give a price, because it may have changed since when we ordered it (over a year ago). But I think it is fair to say that it is going to be significantly more expensive than a DEUNA. It is also a much more ambitious and complex piece of equipment than a DEUNA. It has several processors (68000's, I think) in it. I'll say more about this after we get it and have some experience with it. I may have a hard time giving you good performance figures on it, since I suspect it will run faster than anything we have to test it with (though our primary Unix systems are Pyramids, and their TCP is somewhat faster than TCP on the VAX). Given the role (and cost) of an IBM mainframe, one would like it to be able to feed several VAXen at the same time, driving each of them at their top speeds. Thus it makes sense for ACC to have set high goals for performance.
carter@masscomp.UUCP (Jeff Carter) (08/31/85)
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I know this has been mentioned before on the IBM <==> sane ethernet
connection (I mean IBM, as in 3081/4341/370/etc., not ibm, as in PC),
but Spartacus, Bedford, MA, makes an Ethernet to IBM block multiplexer
channel adapter known as the K200. It does many amazing things,
including FTP and TELNET running, of course, TCP/IP. UDP is also supported.
It also allows emulation of IBM bisync terminals, like 3270, 3278.
It requires no custom software on the non-IBM end, (unless
you want to do the 3270 stuff, I believe) and I have seen it work with a
myriad of UNIX systems. Looks pretty good to me, and gives a nice, homogeneous,
TCP/IP network.
Spartacus, Inc.
Attn Ms Pat Lefebure
5 Oak Park Drive
Bedford, MA, 01730
(800) LAN-KNET
(617) 275-4220
Telex 948513
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Note the cross-distribution to net.lan and the followup line. Let's move
this back into the appropriate newsgroup.
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The opinions above not those of any sentient creature in the known universe.
The author has no connection with Spartacus, Inc., or IBM.
Jeff Carter
MASSCOMP
1 Technology Park
Westford, MA 01886
....!{ihnp4|decvax|allegra|harvard}!masscomp!carterjbn@wdl1.UUCP (09/06/85)
Let's move this to net.dcom.