IDEA Delivers IDEA FrameServer

FRAME RELAY ACCESS DEVICE ENABLES MULTI-PROTOCOL NETWORKING FOR SNA AND
CLIENT/SERVER WANS

BEDFORD, Mass. -- April 30, 1996 -- IDEA, a leading provider of
comprehensive access and integration solutions for IBM host and
network-based applications, today announced the delivery of the second
phase of its Frame Relay strategy -- IDEA FrameServer. IDEA FrameServer is
a multi-protocol Frame Relay Access Device (FRAD) for SNA and
client/server Wide Area Networks (WANs). IDEA FrameServer integrates
existing SNA and client/server networks into a single multi-protocol Frame
Relay connection, thereby eliminating the costs associated with parallel
networks. IDEA FrameServer is available for immediate delivery.

IDEA FrameServer is the second product in IDEA's Frame Relay portfolio. The
first product was announced in January and featured Frame Relay on
IDEAConcert, enabling RFC 1490-compliant Frame Relay connections for
terminals and LANs locally attached to IDEAConcert. IDEA plans additional
Frame Relay enhancements on IDEAConcert and IDEA FrameServer over the
course of the year.

IDEA FrameServer takes these features a step further by providing Frame
Relay access for both local and remote LAN and SDLC devices, such as IBM
3174- or 5494-compatible controllers. This ability to integrate SDLC
devices (referred to as "primary SDLC support") allows companies to
utilize existing legacy devices while consolidating many remote sites into
a single Frame Relay connection, eliminating the need for multiple points
of entry to the Frame Relay network. IDEA FrameServer can consolidate up
to 32 remote SDLC connections and supports up to eight WAN ports.

When IDEA FrameServer is used in conjunction with a channel-attached
IDEAConcert at the host, IDEA's Frame Relay products provide a single
vendor, end-to-end solution which can eliminate the need for a front- end
processor, resulting in significant reductions in monthly maintenance and
lease costs.

"Our SNA customers are very excited about IDEA FrameServer," says Rohit
Mehra, product marketing manager, IDEA. "IDEA FrameServer will give them
maximum flexibility as they migrate their legacy networks to switched WAN
services like Frame Relay."

The benefits of consolidating SNA and client/server networks over Frame
Relay are very substantial. In addition to a typical 30 percent cost
savings vs. leased lines and the elimination of parallel dedicated
networks, performance improvements of up to five fold are not uncommon.

Protocol Prioritization

IDEA FrameServer provides an efficient and reliable scheme for transporting
SNA traffic over multi-protocol Frame Relay networks. IDEA's protocol
prioritization scheme allows for separate priority "queues" to be
established, thus reserving dedicated bandwidth for both mission- critical
SNA applications and vital LAN applications such as Novell SAP broadcasts.
This ensures that multi-protocol traffic can be reliably and consistently
routed over a single Frame Relay circuit.

Local Polling and Termination

One common difficulty encountered when transporting SNA over a WAN like
Frame Relay is the frequency of SNA application "time-outs". This occurs
because the integrity of the SNA network can become disrupted when the
SDLC/SNA "keep alive polls" are transmitted across the WAN. Unlike leased
lines, where the network delay is constant, delays in a Frame Relay
network may vary, resulting in SNA "time-outs" and lost SNA sessions.
These SNA "time-outs" can occur at either the host or the remote
location.

IDEA FrameServer is specifically designed to protect the intrinsic
strengths of the SNA architecture while providing customers with the
benefits of Frame Relay. In order to address the SNA "time-out" problem,
FrameServer performs its own "local polling". The SDLC connection is
locally terminated at the IDEA FrameServer (at the host, a remote
location, or both). The IDEA FrameServer protects the integrity of the SNA
architecture (both applications and sessions) by separating the WAN
communications from the SDLC/SNA polling. Only the "keep-alive polls"
relevant to the configured WAN are sent across the WAN. This ensures the
maximum integrity of the SNA sessions while eliminating redundant WAN
polling.

PU Concentration and PU Pooling

The traditional method for PCs, printers, cluster controllers and graphical
displays to talk to an SNA host is for each device to have a PU (physical
unit) address assigned at the host (mainframe, AS/400, etc.). This
represents costly overhead for both the host and the network in terms of
memory, CPU utilization, network management and bandwidth utilization. In
addition, problems can arise due to system limitations on the maximum
number of supported PUs. IDEA FrameServer provides PU Pooling and PU
Concentration features which enable one PU on the host to be configured to
support up to 254 LAN devices. PU Pooling and PU Concentration require no
changes at the end user (LAN) level and result in simpler/fewer host
configuration parameters.

Configuration and Network Management

IDEA FrameServer is configured and managed by a suite of Windows-based
utilities. The IDEA Configuration Utility features include:

 MS Windows-based graphical user interface
 Default network settings wherever possible
 Dedicated and focused configurator for SNA, IP and IPX parameters

The IDEA BRouter Manager is designed specifically to manage a number of
FrameServers in a routed TCP/IP network, allowing full in-band management
of all configuration parameters associated with this class of product. In
addition to an on-board SNMP agent reporting MIB II data, an
enterprise-specific MIB has been defined to allow any SNMP network
management station to see the IDEA FrameServer as part of its management
domain. The IDEA FrameServer is also capable of being a Netview service
point.

IDEA's Central Site management (CSM) software is available as an optional
feature. CSM is a Windows-based software package which can be used to
distribute software releases, patches and configuration files
electronically over SNA/APPN and TCP/IP networks. Running in-band or
out-of-band over a serial interface (dial-up or direct), it allows data
files such as memory dumps, traces and event logs to be downloaded over
the network.

Pricing and Availability

IDEA FrameServer provides users with a choice of two hardware platforms,
the F300 Series and the F700 Series, each available in Token Ring or
Ethernet configurations. Additional SDLC, LAN or WAN ports can be added
for larger configurations. In the larger F700 Series chassis, up to four
SDLC cards can be installed, supporting up to 32 SDLC devices. Up to eight
WAN ports and four LAN ports can be supported. This configuration
flexibility is unique among FRAD vendors. In addition, the IDEA
FrameServer supports multiple protocols (SNA, TCP/IP, SPX/IPX and LAT) and
is fully RFC 1490-compliant.

In the June 1996 timeframe an additional optional SDLC card will be
available that effectively doubles the maximum number of supported SDLC
connections and SDLC devices to eight and 64 respectively.

IDEA FrameServer is available for immediate delivery and will be sold on a
direct basis and through IDEA OEMs, network integrators, value added
resellers and distributors, worldwide. Pricing for a fully configured IDEA
FrameServer begins at $3,395.

IDEA

IDEA designs, manufactures and markets data communications and networking
solutions that enable end-users to easily access data located on diverse
hosts and servers within a heterogeneous enterprise network. IDEA products
include IDEAcomm' client software and emulation boards, IDEAConcert
communication processors for access to AS/400, Mainframe and UNIX hosts,
IDEA Transaction Stations and Desktop Client Stations, which unify
traditional terminal and PC LAN technologies.

IDEA products are targeted to users who need access to IBM mainframes,
AS/400s and the new Advanced 36 midrange computers, IBM System/36 and
System/38, UNIX and other TCP/IP-based systems. With an installed base of
more than 1,000,000 connections worldwide, customers include all sizes of
industrial and manufacturing enterprises as well as entertainment and
service companies, financial and academic institutions and federal and
state agencies. IDEA's home page is located at http://www.idea.com.
 
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