BURLINGTON, MASS. - Windows NT users looking to get quick easy access to DB2 mainframe applications might want to consider Bus-Tech's latest offering.
Bus-Tech, a maker of mainframe connectivity products, is now rolling out a new version of its EnterpriseExpress Adapter for DB2 Access. This PCI card fits into an S/390 Enterprise System Connection (ESCON) slot and lets NT users tap into a DB2 mainframe database. ESCON is IBM's mainframe-based 17M bit/sec fiber-optic connection technology.
More and more NT-based enterprise resource planning, business intelligence and Web applications are being attached to legacy DB2 database applications, Bus-Tech claims. However, NT users generally have to go through complex gateways, such as an IBM Front End Processor or 2216 router to hook into DB2. Such connections can be complex and time consuming and expensive to set up. EnterpriseExpress Adapter costs only $15,000 and is much easier to deploy, Bus-Tech claims.
The Adapter comes with support for IBM's Multipath Channel+ (MPC+) protocol for high-speed access to the IBM DB2 Connect server software. MPC+ is IBM's fastest host communication channel protocol; DB2 Connect gives users fast access between NT boxes and mainframe based DB2 applications.
In addition, MPC+ allows multiple ESCON connections to be combined and run as one pipeline, giving users up to 40% greater speed; it also can reduce mainframe CPU cycles by as much as 63%, Bus-Tech says. The Adapter also will work with IP and other protocols supported by IBM's Communications Server for NT, Bus-Tech says.
The Adapter is available now and starts at $15,000.
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