NCR Corp has enhanced its Top End mainframe-class, open distributed transaction processing system that enables customers to integrate existing mainframe applications with those running on Unix machines. The new Release 2 enhances IBM co-existence with links to CICS and IMS/DC applications so that a Top End application can interoperate with them through LU 6.2. As well as supporting MS-DOS, Windows and Unix Remote Clients, the new release supports Microsoft Windows Dynamic Link Library and OS/2. A new Remote Login Client feature enables Unix users to move all character-based processing to local systems and send only complete messages or transactions to the server for processing, reducing communications costs. An Enhanced Routing/Load Balancing is designed to ensure that system resources are used effectively by intelligently allocating resources and an Automatic Throughput Optimization feature is designed to improve system utilisation, ensure consistent response time and cut overall application development costs in a dynamic workload environment by adding, or subtracting copies of the application to meet current demands. The transaction monitor is also now fully integrated with Ingres 6.3 and 6.4 for transaction management. NCR notes that it added 3270 Terminal Support a few weeks back. The system costs $4,000 to $18,000 depending on the size of the server and as well as being available on the NCR System 3000 family is also available on the HP 9000 line through Independence Technologies Inc, Fremont, California, and it is to be offered on other non-NCR systems shortly.
