Fremont, California-based Interlink Computer Sciences Inc is adding what it claims are fault-tolerant capabilities to its software that links TCP/IP networks to IBM Corp MVS mainframes and their SNA networks. TCPaccess-Fault-Tolerant is an add-on to a new 3.1 release of Interlink’s TCPaccess package, and is designed to re-route sessions automatically in the event of hardware failure or routing changes. Process-based pricing starts at $18,000 for TCPaccess 3.1, $14,000 for TCPaccess-Fault Tolerant, both to be available from March. The 12-year-old Interlink, which expects to reach around $28m in turnover this year, claims some 1,500 mainframe installations with 50% of its business done in the US, 40% in Europe and 10% in the Pacific Rim. It estimates that some 50% of its users have rigged TCPaccess to create three-tier architectures linking servers, desktops and MVS mainframes at the back end. Although all indicators suggest Unix is invading MVS sites, in Interlink’s experience there has less replacement than co-existence going on. Even so, it guesses, less than a third of MVS sites are rigged up to Unix yet. Those that are, are also linking to personal computers and other desktops in addition to Unix. Interlink, which counts Computer Network Technology Corp’s Brixton Systems Inc and other SNA-to-NetWare and NT Server communications packages as it competition, claims its system is the only native TCP MVS implementation; IBM runs TCP under VM, it says. Interlink has new resellers coming on line in a couple of weeks and other software for use with client-server configurations and applications that are not tied to a particular host, including technology for use with IBM’s MVS Open Edition (or Open MVS as it is dubbed) and an enhanced security. Interlink has a range of mainframe communications software and offers a range of third party software that can be used in conjunction, such as Wollongong Group Inc’s Pathway Access TCP/IP for VMS, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Mac; input-output Concepts’ X-Direct tn3270 graphical user interface emulator for Unix workstations, plus back-up and DB2 links.
