Welcome to BARR/CHANNEL. This high-performance product directly connects your Microsoft SNA Server or Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000 (HIS) node to a mainframe channel. The result is a device that tightly couples the two environments by bypassing the front-end processor (FEP) and providing the link from the LAN to the mainframe.
BARR/CHANNEL offers the following two options:
Bus & Tag – Directly connects your SNA gateway node to a mainframe channel. Your BARR/CHANNEL package includes adapter drivers and hardware.
ESCON – Directly connects your SNA gateway node to an ESCON channel of an IBM or compatible mainframe host system. Your BARR/CHANNEL package includes adapter drivers, an ESCON adapter, and a fiber-optic cable.
BARR/CHANNEL provides the following features.
BARR/CHANNEL provides your SNA gateway with a fast, direct link to the mainframe. It might even eliminate the need for an FEP, depending on your mix of traffic. You can put the computer with the channel hardware in a location that is convenient for the operator.
Bus & Tag – Bus & Tag cables connect the computer to the mainframe channel.
ESCON – The computer connects to the mainframe via a thin, flexible fiber-optic cable. You can also connect multiple ESCON adapters to an ESCON director, which is connected to the mainframe. The ESCON director provides a switched point-to-point fiber-optic configuration, so that failed components can be replaced, and controllers and channels relocated without disrupting operation.
When you connect a computer to the mainframe, you need the ability to isolate the mainframe from the computer environment. The Barr channel hardware allows you to disconnect the computer without affecting the mainframe or other channel devices.
Bus & Tag – The CHANNEL INTELLIGENCE cable or Channel Attach Box (CAB), depending on which hardware you purchased, electronically isolates channel signals from the computer. When you exit the software, the CHANNEL INTELLIGENCE cable or CAB disables the computer connection. LED indicators on the cable or CAB show the connection status, so you can tell if the mainframe is operational and communication is taking place.
ESCON – The Barr CHANNEL-IN (ES) adapter is a point-to-point fiber connection to the ESCON channel of an IBM or compatible mainframe host system. You can disconnect the computer without affecting the mainframe or other channel devices, because no other devices share the same piece of fiber.
For any type of computer-to-mainframe access, BARR/CHANNEL provides a faster, more direct link that can dramatically improve your throughput and response times.
Bus & Tag – The Barr CHANNEL INTELLIGENCE and CHANNEL-IN (BT) interfaces support data transfer rates up to 4.5 megabytes per second (MBps).
ESCON – The CHANNEL-IN (ES) interface supports transfer rates of up to 17 MBps.
The Barr channel attachment, in combination with SNA Server and HIS, can provide the same functionality as an FEP at a greatly reduced cost. BARR/CHANNEL connects the computer to the mainframe channel, and the SNA gateway provides Downstream Physical Unit (DSPU) support. DSPU support allows PU Type 2 devices to connect to the server using SDLC and 802.2 links. You get the functionality of an FEP at computer prices.
Easy-to-use BARR/CHANNEL diagnostics enable you to check each step of the installation process. If you have any problems with the Barr hardware or software, diagnostics capture the information Barr Technical Support needs to diagnose the problem.
After you attach the adapter to the computer, use the self-test utility to verify correct computer installation. The self-test verifies that the adapter works correctly.
Before you connect the cable to the mainframe, use the self-test to test the cable installation. The self-test verifies that the cable works and tests its connection to the computer.
If you encounter any difficulties when the software communicates with the mainframe, use the Barr trace facility to record the problem for Barr Technical Support.