Replace Channel Extender

Replace Channel Extender:  Overview

IBM zSeries mainframes connect to major peripherals using the S/390 Channel; originally with thick cumbersome Bus & Tag cables, more recently with ESCON optical cables. The channel is very much a local technology - Bus & Tag had distance limits of only 200 or 400 feet, so a means was needed to allow devices (especially printers) to be placed elsewhere in the building, or at a totally different location. Traditional channel extension from the 1980s used dedicated communications boxes to enable IBM mainframes to drive channel-attached peripherals, such as fast printers, at a location remote from the mainframe. This used high-speed network links, carrying proprietary protocols, enabling the mainframe to treat the printers as if they were local. But they were high cost, both initial and maintenance, and inflexible.

Replace Channel Extender:  Challenges  

Your existing channel extenders might be over 20 years old.  You are perhaps frustrated with the cost of maintaining these extenders.  You might also like to have more flexibility in leveraging your existing investment in the printing hardware.  You are looking for a way to improve all this, without having to make any major changes to your host or printer.

Replace Channel Extender:  Barr Systems' Solution

We offer two ways to replace tour channel extenders that support high-speed production printers in remote locations. In many cases, a solution from Barr Systems can replace channel extenders and even local host systems for a fraction of the cost, making it easy to consolidate regional data and print centers.

Channel Extender Replacement for 3211 Printers

Our first solution replaces your channel extenders by using the combination of BARR/PRINT CHANNEL at the host, and BEPS-PP at the remote end.  The latter drives your channel printer(s) via the BARR/PRINT390 module.

This easy-to-configure solution involves channel-attaching a Barr Server to the host using either Bus & Tag or ESCON and configuring it as a 3211 printer. That Barr Server routes the print jobs from the host location via TCP/IP connections to the remote Barr Server. The first Barr Server encrypts and compresses the print files to provide a high level of security. When the print jobs reach the second Barr Server, the print files are decrypted and made ready to print.

The remote Barr Server uses BARR/PRINT TCP/IP to receive the print files and attaches to the channel printers via BARR/PRINT390. This provides remote printing of host print jobs, eliminating the expense of channel extenders and cluster controllers.

Channel Extender Replacement for IPDS Printers

Our second solution replaces channel extenders and supports IPDS printers. Here, we use a combination of BARR/PRINT CHANNEL for IPDS and BARR/PRINT390 for IPDS.

In this scenario, BARR/PRINT CHANNEL for IPDS directly connects to your mainframe via Bus & Tag or ESCON and appears as a channel-attached IPDS printer. BARR/PRINT390 for IPDS is installed at the remote site and connects your channel-attached IPDS printers directly to a PC. Using this combination of Barr products, your host’s PSF will convert the AFP data stream to IPDS and communicate with your channel attached IPDS printer over your IP network. This setup enables your mainframe to communicate with printers without changing your host configuration.