Gateway Communications Inc of Irvine, California, supplier of networking and communications products for the IBM personal computer market is very proud of a whole string of networking products for IBM 3270, X25 and local area network system integrators and users. Top of the list, the company has introduced its own new high-performance, Ethernet-compatible local area network. G/Ethernet complies to the IEEE 802.3 specification, and features 32KbRAM, which the company claims offers enhanced network capacity and performance over other Ethernet networks. The initial release of G/Ethernet supports the NetWare file server operating system from Novell, giving users access to over 4,000 multi-user local area network applications and also single-user PC-DOS applications. The product also supports the TCP/IP transmission control protocol/internet protocol, used widely in government and universities to connect Unix machines. It uses the carrier sense, multiple access with collision detection, CSMA/CD, access protocol and supports use of 75Ohm, RG-59, and 93Ohm, IBM 3270 style, coaxial cables as well as conventional Ethernet 50Ohm cables. Maximum cable length is 1,000 feet per segment with Ethernet data transmission at 10Mbps. The product is priced at $395 for individual network adaptor cards and will be available from September 1 in the US. A full line of Ethernet copper and fibre optic transceivers and repeaters, are also available. NetWare-based gateways Gateway has also introduced new universal NetWare-based versions of its G/SNA Gateway, G/Async Gateway and G/X25 Gateway & Bridge wide area networking products. The new G/SNA Gateway for wide area communications with 3270 and 3770 emulation, supports up to four simultaneous host sessions on any personal computer, with hot key access to local PC-DOS applications, for a total of up to 32 sessions per G/SNA Gateway module. Tasks such as file transfer are done with pull-down menus, with redefinable function keys. S/GNA Gateway is a single slot-in interface card that operates at up to 56Kbps. All SNA gateway tasks are processed by the on-board 80186 processor and 512Kb RAM so that the server node is non-dedicated and may be used as a network workstation while carrying out the gateway function in background mode. It provides networked users with shared access to modems and asynchronous devices connected to the G/Async Gateway server, the workstation designated the asynch-ronous communications server, thereby eliminating the need for extra phone lines and modems. It gives each workstation features such as terminal emulation, file transfer, automatic dial directories, Personalike remote-control and a script language to customise communications applications. G/Async Gateway is made up of both hardware and software components. Up to four four-port controllers may be installed per G/Async Gateway communications server allowing up to 16 asynchronous ports. These ports can be used for remote communications via modems or direct connections to asynchronous hosts. Gateway & Bridge The new G/X25 Gateway & Bridge allows high-speed multi-user X25 synchronous communications for all NetWare-based local area network users. It features a variety of terminal emulators including VT100, IBM 3101, TeleVideo 950 and TTY. The terminals are combined with a built-in user interface, which enables the user to implement a set of pre-defined communications configurations at a keystroke. It supports up to 32 virtual circuits over a single telephone line at speeds of up to 19.2Kbps using error-free synchronous communications. The product is claimed to be compatible with the CCITT X25 international remote communications. It also includes a transparent bridge capability for remote local area networks, when two or more G/X25 Gateway & Bridge-equipped networks are linked. Users can access servers and other resources on remote local area networks through public or private data networks, trunk lines or dial up lines as though they were locally attached. Again, G/X25 Gateway & Bridge is made up of hardware and software,

including a two port microprocessor-based communications controller card that plugs into an expansion slot in a networked or stand-alone workstation. Communications tasks are processed by the on-board microprocessor, which has 64Kb of RAM. The company has also added a series of intelligent network cards for any NetBIOS-based local area network, including NetWare-based networks supporting NetBIOS emulation. The G/Server Engine is claimed to be the industry’s first high-speed file server-on-a-card and the G/Database Engine increases database performance. An Engine supports a total of 280Mb per Engine. Dynamic bad sector remapping is a standard feature with both Engines and users have the option of configuring them to support disk mirroring, which provides continuous disk backup. Because the Engines operate completely independent of the host workstation, it is free to run its own applications. They also support concurrent access to local PC-DOS disk `artitions for applications executing in the node in which they are installed. In benchmark tests using Cosmos’ Reve-lation Pickalike in an IBM XT on an IBM Personal Network, G/Database Engine is claimed to have increased Revelation performance 1,400% to 4,000% depending on the task performed. This increase in database processing power gives network users enhanced overall network performance, declares the company. Benchmark The G/Database Engine uses the NetBIOS protocol to maximise the performance of popular database products. Once installed in a non-dedicated workstation on a network, the G/Database Engine acts as a dedicated database manager, transparently intercepting database calls, and performing file handling on the hard disk so that the node does not require direct disk access. By taking advantage of the high-level command database operating system built into the G/Database Engine, database vendors can optimise their products, limiting the vast amount of raw data that is moved by traditional database managers on the network, thus reducing network traffic and increasing the overall speed of the network. Innovative Software ran benchmark tests of its Smart software, which when run on a three-node G/Net local area network with an AT server installed with G/Server Engine, showed a 380% increase in server throughput. Improvement jumped to 700% on a seven-node network. G/Server has a core based around the International Standards Organisation, ISO, seven layer model for networking between different protocols. Once installed on a non-dedicated node, the G/Server Engine uses its on-board 80186 CPU to process all network file management calls and features high-speed disk caching capabilities. It can be installed in existing IBM PC LAN Program or Microsoft MS-Net 3.1-based networks to increase performance, as an alternative file server operating system along with full fault-tolerant disk processing.