In one of those announcements that trigger a double take in observers who find it hard to believe the function had not been available for years, IBM Corp this week finally added Ethernet support for the 3174 cluster controller, long after most users must have given up on the idea and made other arrangements. There are three new 3174 Networking Server models, an Ethernet Adaptor for existing 3174 models, new Configuration Support-C Release 4.0 Licensed Internal Code – which is only for Ethernet users – and an upgrade package consisting of the new code, the Ethernet Adaptor, 4Mb of extra memory and a 20Mb disk at a discount price. The new 3174 Models 14R, 24R, and 64R with Ethernet, and the Ethernet Adaptor for current 3174 controllers make it possible for attached dependent terminals – ASCIIs as well as 3270s – to access SNA and TCP/IP hosts via an Ethernet. There are TCP/IP enhancements such as TN3270, TCP/IP host printer support, and SNMP MIB-II to be made available as a Request Price Quotation item in March next year for both Configuration Support-C Release 3.0 and 4.0. Ethernet support makes it feasible to use 3270 and ASCII terminals to access both traditional hierarchical SNA environments and TCP/IP environments using a single network, IBM says. Supported Ethernet gateway configurations are similar to those currently supported by 3174 Token Ring gateway configurations. The Ethernet adaptor costs $4,045 and IBM is in no hurry to get it out – it does not arrive until December. The upgrade package is $9,755, and the new 3270 models cost $9,160 to $14,580, also in December. Release 3 of the internal code is also new, and supports connections to SNA, APPN and TCP/IP environments, adding 3174 APPN Network Node compatibility in environments where the host is a Low Entry Networking node, APPN End Node, APPN Network Node, Migration Data Host or Interchange Node; support for multiple links into a LEN subarea from an APPN network comprised of 3174s and other APPN nodes; and support for the transfer of 3270 and APPN datastreams across a single SDLC or Token-Ring link between a 3174 and an AS/400 running OS/400 2.2 up. Release 3 is out in June.
