RE: Remote office connection

You may want to think about an internet connection for the small offices
with a 56k leased line with the internet coming across it.   You would need
an NT 4.0 system running M.S. SNA at the office where the AS/400 is located.
This system would be a gateway to the AS/400 for remote users coming in via
the internet.  The only software the remote users need is a Browser that
supports Java applets (like:  ie4.0 or Netscape).

The product name is "HostFront" by  "Farabi Technology" out of Canada.
Their phone number is (800) 565-3455.

I hope this helps someone out there.

Lamar Thomas
Lamart@aldon.com <mailto:Lamart@aldon.com> 
Aldon Computer Group
Oakland, Ca.


                -----Original Message-----
                From:   Carl Galgano [mailto:cgalgano@ediconsulting.com]
                Sent:   Friday, July 03, 1998 2:28 PM
                To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
                Subject:        Re: Remote office connection

                Lorne:
                First of all, if the new branch office is to support 200
users, and all the
                rest have approximately 30 users, then you should look
closely at the speed
                of your frame relay port speed and CIR rates.  Clearly the
branch with 200
                users will have requirements for more bandwidth.  Also be
sure to review the
                port speed of the host side to be sure the aggrregate of all
the remotes
                will be sufficient.

                As far as your options, you could use multile remote
controllers.  You don't
                say if you are running your green screen applications on
dumb terminals or
                PCs.  If you are using PCs, you could use an ethernet card
in the Perle and
                not have the need for multiple controllers.  Also, are you
using SNA or
                TCP/IP.  Another senario if you are using PCs is to set up
an ethernet
                network at the remote branch and then use a router to
connect that branch to
                the AS400 via TCP/IP.

                As far as using an AS400 at the branch.  Again, that depends
on what you
                wish to do.  If the entire application resides on the host
and there are no
                other applications that can be served and distributed on a
local AS400 in
                the branch, then I find no value in having an AS400 to act
solely as a
                remote controller.  DDM is probably not the way to go, DDM
is a great tool,
                but not for this.  If you did install a remote AS400, then
DSPT (passthru)
                would be a much better alternative.

                One comment on installing an AS400 in the new branch, it
could serve the
                dual purpose of mirroring the primary host.  This could
serve as a hot
                backup to provide high availability.  I do have one client
that has a
                situation similar to yours.  They however run 2 AS400s and
mirror the
                databaase remotely over the 2 AS400s (between 2 different
countries), thus
                users in each office are working on a local machine, so
their response time
                is great,  and share a single logical database that is
mirrored over 2
                physical AS400s.

                HTH.
                Carl

                Carl Galgano
                EDI Consulting Services, Inc.
                http://www.cgalgano.home.mindspring.com
                mailto://cgalgano@ediconsulting.com
                (770) 422-2995

                -----Original Message-----
                From: Lorne Sturgeoff <lgs@aiccorp.com>
                To: Midrange List (E-mail) <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
                Date: Thursday, July 02, 1998 4:03 PM
                Subject: Remote office connection


                |Hi, everyone.  I'm hoping to get some input from this
knowledgeable group.
                |
                |Consider the following scenerio.  You have a single AS/400
in a main office
                with approx. 200 local workstations and several branch
offices with no more
                than 30 users per branch.  Branch offices are located across
the country.
                (In Canada, but I think the situation would be similar in
the US.)  All
                users are all running the same green-screen application and
must share all
                files.  At present, all branch offices connect via Perle
remote controllers
                over a frame relay network.
                |
                |Now, suppose you are considering opening a new remote
office (1000's of
                miles away) with another 200 users that must also share the
same data and
                applications. What would be the preferred  method (ie.,
effective and
                relatively inexpensive) of getting them online?  A bunch
more remote
                controllers in the new office?  Another AS/400 in the remote
office using
                DDM?  Something entirely different?
                |
                |I'd be most grateful for any feedback from the list.
                |
                |Lorne Sturgeoff.
                |
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