---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Third Party: OpenConnect Announces Server II Gateway for Sun SunFLASH Vol 34 #19 October 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPENCONNECT SYSTEMS(SM) ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF OPENCONNECT SERVER II GATEWAY FOR SUN(R) PLATFORMS MIAMI, FLORIDA, Sun Microsystems National Sales Meeting, July 18, 1991 -- OpenConnect Systems today announced the release of a new version of its OpenConnect Server II (OCS II) gateway product for use on Sun Microsystems(R) platforms. The new product offering is a software product that transforms a Sun SPARCsystem into a powerful gateway for inter- connecting IBM(R) SNA and TCP/IP networks. The Sun SPARCsystem can now provide the physical connection between an IBM mainframe and/or midrange system and UNIX(R), VMS(TM) and/or DOS systems on a TCP/IP LAN. The OpenConnect Server II gateway is a true full function SNA-TCP/IP gateway running on a Sun SPARCsystem. The Sun systems acts as a front-end communications server to connect TCP/IP LANs to an SNA environment, supporting special features such as routing IP packets across an SNA backbone ("tunneling"), and NetView(TM) control of TCP/IP nodes. The full complement of existing OpenConnect software products for bi-directional terminal emulation, file transfer, remote job entry, distributed processing, and remote printing all run with the OpenConnect Server II gateway. According to Catherine Kingeter, Vice President of Marketing for OpenConnect Systems, "With the introduction of the OpenConnect Server II gateway product, SNA network administrators can extend fully integrated network management capabilities across networking platforms, while benefiting from the only true peer-to-peer connectivity solution between SNA and TCP/IP systems." Kingeter adds, "Unlike other SNA gateways which link only their host, the OCS II provides gateway services to all nodes on both SNA and TCP/IP networks. Nodes on either network can now access and pass data bi-directionally, in a transparent seamless fashion, without the need for additional hardware or supplemental programming." Some of the benefits users can realize with the OpenConnect Server II are: * Bi-directional terminal access between systems on SNA and TCP/IP networks, such as IBM mainframes, midranges and PCs, UNIX workstations from Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard(TM), IBM, DEC(R), Sequent, MIPS(TM); as well as DEC/VAX, and other computing platforms supporting TCP/IP * PC or UNIX workstation access to IBM 3179G/GDDM mainframe graphics applications * APPC connections over TCP/IP * TCP/IP "tunneling" through IBM SNA * IBM mainframe connections can be made via the SunLink(R) Channel Gateway or a serial link (SDLC) to a front-end processor * IBM midrange (AS/400, System 38/36) connections can be made via a serial link (SDLC) to a synchronous port * High-speed, bi-directional file transfer between IBM and TCP/IP platforms over the SunLink Channel Gateway * NetView network management for UNIX, including basic and generic alerts, an API, remote TCP/IP workstation management through the Sun SPARCsystem, and NetView Response Time Monitor Other distributed services provided by the OCS II include SNA 3770 RJE with a programmatic interface allowing interactive submission of batch jobs and direct submission of print files to JES, an APPC Library for LU6.2 support on UNIX workstations allowing them to communicate with the IBM host over a common data link, and IBM 3287 printer support providing users the ability to receive IBM print locally on their TCP/IP workstation. With the integration of OpenConnect/Network Management Extended Facilities(TM) (OC/NMEF), OCS II gateway expands NetView network management services to include control of TCP/IP nodes. OC/NMEF reports problems on TCP/IP nodes to IBM's NetView via OCS II functionality. In addition, the OCS II gateway recognizes Response Time Monitor (RTM) requests allowing response times between the gateway and the host to be measured and made available to NetView's Session Monitor. In addition, response times can be measured between the SNA host and the TCP/IP host when OC/Presentation Services terminal emulation products are used. Founded in 1982, OpenConnect Systems Incorporated (formally Mitek Systems Corp.) is an IBM Business Partner and Sun Catalyst Member offering a broad line of OpenConnect hardware and software connectivity products used in linking IBM mainframe and midrange systems with hosts and devices from a variety of vendors. OpenConnect Systems' products and services are utilized by a wide range of companies including many of the Fortune 500. For more information, contact Catherine Kingeter at 214/490-4090, or write to OpenConnect Systems, 2033 Chennault Drive, Carrollton, Texas 75006. Contact: Catherine Kingeter OpenConnect Systems 214/490-4090 Brian Moran David Greenwell MarkeTech 214/960-0551 From: cvg@mitek.com (Cleve V. Graves) Techincal Marketing OpenConnect Systems, Inc. 2033 Chennault Dr. Carrollton, Texas 75006 (Dallas) (214) 490-4090 FAX (214) 490-4052 cvg@mitek.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.