LINCS SNA Concentrator

Cost Effective, Front End Processor Alternatives

Streamlined Networking Made Easy

Would you like to reduce the number of SDLC ports required on your Front End processor? How about an alternative to adding NTRI or NPSI to your Front End? Or perhaps you need a way to interface your Ethernet LAN or Frame Relay environments to your host. It might even be possible to eliminate your Front End processor altogether. Would you like to do this by adding minimal equipment to your already complex networking environment? We have good news. Thanks to the LINCS SDLC concentration and SNA gateway features, you can.

The SDLC concentration feature allows LINCS to concentrate multiple SDLC lines onto an ESCON channel, Token Ring, Bus and Tag channel, an Ethernet LAN, or high speed SDLC, X.25 or Frame Relay link. This innovative capability is achieved with LINCS Distribution Access Point (DAP) software. In a similar fashion, X.25 connections can also be concentrated with the LINCS X.25 gateway feature.

Ethernet, Token Ring, and Frame Relay devices can also be concentrated using SNA concentrator features of LINCS.

Remote PU Polling Over SDLC Links

The LINCS SDLC DAP software, runs on a standard Visara 1174 Communications Server. The SDLC DAP feature allows LINCS to emulate a FEP's ability to poll remote PU 2.0 or PU 2.1 devices over SDLC links. LINCS then concentrates these lines using any or all of the upstream host connection options (ESCON, Bus and Tag channel, SDLC, Frame Relay, X.25, Token Ring, or Ethernet). 

Fewer FEPs, Fewer Upgrades

With the LINCS SNA concentration feature, you'll need fewer small channel or remote communication processors, such as the IBM 3745, 3746, 3725, or 3720 or Comten FEPs. Imagine the potential savings in FEP-associated annual license fees for ACF/NCP! And you won't need as many upgrades to your existing FEPs either. For example, when multiple SDLC lines are concentrated through a LINCS platform into a single Token Ring TIC or high speed SDLC line connected to an existing FEP instead of requiring multiple new adapters, costly FEP upgrades can be avoided. It is even possible to bypass a heavily-loaded FEP completely by connecting the LINCS platform directly to the channel.

Need APPN Support?

LINCS has you covered there too. LINCS provides full APPN Network Node support, eliminating the need for a costly 3746 to be added to the host network. APPN traffic can be supported over the same network connections supported for traditional SNA traffic. High Performance Routing (HPR) and Dependent LU Requester (DLUR) gateway support are also handled by LINCS.

What About the Cost?

LINCS platforms are very affordable. The expense of an 1174 solution will pay for itself in just a few short months when compared to the expense of adding features to an existing FEP or when replacing an existing FEP.

Reliability

LINCS runs on a dedicated communication platform, designed for performance and reliability, not on a PC. New hardware and software features can be installed in just minutes, thus making upgrades to your network a simple exercise. 

LINCS Serial Communication Card Options

LINCS support two different serial cards, the SCC and the HSC. The SCC card provides two serial ports capable of supporting SDLC lines. These two lines may be run in HDX mode at speeds up to 19.2 Kbps, or a single line may be run in FDX mode up to 256 Kbps. 

The HSC card provides four serial ports capable of supporting SDLC, Frame Relay, and X.25 connections up to T1 and E1 speeds. Additionally, the HSC card provides Group Poll, FDX, APPN, and even clocking over each independently configured interface.

The following table shows an example of the number of SDLC lines that can be concentrated through various LINCS platforms onto an upstream LAN or ESCON connection.

The Best Just Got Better

The most comprehensive networking platforms available have gotten even better. Developers of the Memorex Telex 1174 product line, Visara engineering expertise is relied upon by thousands of companies worldwide. Recognized as SNA networking experts with more than 30 years in integrated networking, no one designs better Communication Servers than Visara.