Data General Corp, Westborough, Massachusetts has enhanced its IBM Corp communications products its AViiON Unix systems, including what it claims is the industry’s first open implementation of IBM’s Systems Application Architecture Common Programming Interface – Communications. The company says that its version of CPI-C ensures that programs run on AViiON systems can communicate with applications developed for IBM’s strategic SAA environments – MVS, VM, VSE – sort of, OS/400 and OS/2 for the present. CPI-C is a protocol-independent application program interface that enables developers to write applications that can be driven over multiple networks such as SNA, TCP/IP, Open Systems Interconnection and others. Data General says its IBM Communications product suite is designed to make AViiON Systems compatible and fully interoperable in IBM networked environments. The enhancements include faster network throughput, NetView support and Data General-added network management and monitoring utilities. Data General also says that SDLC and X25 can now share the same synchronous controller, saving users te expense of buying multiple controllers for wide area communications – again the company claims to be the only Unix-based systems vendor to offer the capability. The IBM communications product set includes SNA/SDLC, QLLC and Token Ring environments, PU 2.1 peer-to-peer networking, and Logical Unit 6.2 Advanced Program-to-Program Communications. Offerings include SNA 3270 Emulation, SNA 3270 Emulation in Distributed Mode for Workstations, SNA Remote Job Entry Emulation, Applications Program Interfaces including CPI-C, APILU 6.2 Run Time for AViiON Systems, and APILU 0, 1, 2, 3. SNA Transport links AViiON users over local and wide area networks with mainframes and peer processors in SNA environments. SNA Token Ring Driver provides connections to an IBM mainframe or peer processor via 16/4Mbps Token Ring. The products cost $750 to $3,000 depending on CPU type; all out now.
