Barr Channel attaches SNA Gateways

(Gainesville, FL - June 20, 1995) Barr Systems has introduced a high speed,
low cost mainframe link for the most powerful SNA gateways. The new
BARR/CHANNEL products add an upstream S/370 channel interface to Novell
NetWare for SAA and Microsoft SNA Server gateways. It consists of a PC
based channel adapter, a unique channel attachment unit, and drivers for
the target gateway. The S/370 channel is the IBM standard parallel
interface used by most mainframe peripherals and Front End Processors
(FEPs). The Barr offering is the first product to allow the Microsoft SNA
server to attach to mainframes via the S/370 channel. The version for
NetWare for SAA offers new flexibility for channel attaching Novells SNA
gateways. BARR/CHANNEL changes the economics of directly attaching SNA
gateways to the mainframe, and will encourage many data centers to
re-evaluate their use of Front End Processors.

The BARR/CHANNEL products also successfully address a leading concern of
mainframe managers-their fear of connecting a PC to the S/370 channel. The
products incorporate a fail safe Channel Attach Box that can be inserted
anywhere along the channel whenever it is taken down for other
maintenance. The PC containing the SNA gateway later can be added or
dropped from the channel with an "enable/disable" switch while the
mainframe and peripheral devices continue uninterrupted.

Even if the PC is powered off or rebooted, there is no effect on the
mainframe or peripheral devices. The Channel Attach Box provides BUS and
TAG in and out, while another cable connects the box to an adapter inside
the gateway PC. If the unit loses power, signals are passed through
without affecting other devices on the channel.

Tony Barr, President of Barr Systems, said, "By making it easy and
affordable, we are encouraging a new era of low cost, high speed mainframe
access. People want to extend the reach of mainframes without expanding
their Front End Processors." The new products offer every NetWare for SAA
and SNA Server gateway this improved level of performance in a relatively
inexpensive, yet highly flexible package. In some cases, users may even be
able to eliminate FEPs by completely replacing their functions.

BARR/CHANNEL for SNA Server and BARR/CHANNEL for NetWare for SAA have a
list price of $7,290. Each includes an ISA bus adapter for the PC, the
Channel Attach Box, cables, and software drivers.

Barr Systems, Inc
4131 NW 28 Lane
Gainesville, FL 32606 6681
800 BARR SYS or 904 371 3050


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