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iT-AUSTRIA reduces complexity and grows its business with IBM eNetwork software solutions
Beginning in 1995, the network strategy at iT-AUSTRIA was driven by three major business imperatives:
With the emergence of IBM networking products supporting Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking® (APPN®) and High-Performance Routing (HPR), iT-AUSTRIA realized that these new technologies could provide the solutions it needed to support its major business imperatives. Thus, iT-Austria decided to gradually implement APPN/HPR into the network, starting with IBM eNetwork™ Software such as the Communications Server for OS/390™. A Solid Technology Foundation iT-AUSTRIA currently operates 12 data centers in and around Vienna, seven of which are linked with high-speed, dark-fiber connections. The data centers run IBM OS/390 on 18 production, two development, and three test systems, totaling 2,117 million instructions per second (MIPS) of central processing power and 8.64 terabytes of disk storage. The iT-AUSTRIA network includes 391 concentrators that provide data center access to about 5,000 defined SNA physical units (PUs) and 120,000 defined SNA logical units (LUs). Approximately 3,250 PUs and 106,000 LUs are active during peak time. In 1997, iT-AUSTRIA's production systems processed an average of 9.63 million transactions per day. According to Josef Killmeyer, iT-AUSTRIA team leader in charge of Network Design, Implementation, and Support, "IBM's earlier subarea networking technology had served us very well over the years, but we came to the conclusion that we could no longer afford the time and effort required to manually code and maintain static network definitions during the week, and then apply the changes on weekends." He continues, "We were, therefore, very attracted to IBM APPN/HPR technology, which introduced—among other features—a truly dynamic way of setting up highly reliable network routes at a fraction of the effort required in the past." A Full Migration to APPN and HPR All of iT-AUSTRIA's OS/390 host systems have now been fully migrated to APPN and HPR, with five network nodes and 18 end nodes connected using both IBM multipath channel (MPC) and cross-system coupling facility (XCF) technologies. There is also one extended border node connecting two of the data centers over high-speed ESCON® channel links. "We can see HPR in action with over 600 Rapid Transport Protocol (RTP) pipes operational at peak time," Killmeyer says. iT-AUSTRIA has also started rolling out 10 IBM 2216 Nways Multiaccess Connectors running Nways Multiprotocol Access Services (MAS) Version 3.1 to replace IBM 3172 Nways Interconnect Controllers and IBM 3745 Communications Controllers. This design enables a single platform to connect SNA traffic to the Communications Server for OS/390 and its application systems. Killmeyer explains, ""The IBM 2216 connectors were very easy to install: replacing an IBM 3172 with an IBM 2216, including hardware removal and installation and configuration, takes at most one hour. We are very happy and very satisfied with the capacity and performance of our new IBM 2216 connectors." Noting the many benefits resulting from iT-AUSTRIA's successful implementation of APPN/HPR, Killmeyer regards migration design as key to ensuring a smooth transition, stating, "It is important to design the migration phases (from subarea to APPN/HPR) in the correct sequence. If this is done, then the migration will be straightforward." A Wide Range of Dynamic Results With rapidly growing business volumes, iT-AUSTRIA had needed to provide host capacity on demand very quickly. "Because APPN/HPR makes it so easy to define configurations, we now have both the flexibility and scalability to add, split, or merge any number of application-owning VTAM systems as end nodes, which makes it really easy to support the group's business growth," states Killmeyer. To maintain high availability of online service, HPR now sets up RTP pipes dynamically and on a Class-of-Service basis in a way that guarantees optimal routes. "If a connectivity outage occurs somewhere along a given route, then HPR will automatically and dynamically create an alternate optimal route so that end users will not experience any session outage," Killmeyer adds. Higher capacity, resilience, and performance are provided through features such as MPC, which allocates multiple read/write subchannels within a single channel connection between APPN/HPR nodes. In addition, the Communications Server for OS/390 feature known as multiple dynamic switched major nodes performs dynamic load balancing of session traffic. This feature also enhances productivity by enabling switched devices (PUs and LUs) to be created dynamically at system startup and to be updated in-flight. As a result, iT-AUSTRIA no longer needs to take down the systems during weekends to apply configuration changes. Killmeyer states, "Today, we can apply these changes anytime, safely, and with a simple command." In addition, multiple dynamic switched major nodes have helped consolidate and simplify operational scenarios by using the same configuration design for production, backup, and disaster recovery. By combining the use of OS/390 Syscloning, XCF, and APPN/HPR features, iT-AUSTRIA can now add new APPN/HPR end nodes without any subsequent systems programming effort. A Flexible Plan for the Future iT-AUSTRIA has already implemented IBM Parallel Sysplex and geoplex, and has planned the following updates:
A Successful Relationship with IBM The networking team at iT-AUSTRIA has developed an excellent working partnership with IBM over the last few years. In addition to the local support team in Austria, iT-AUSTRIA has also worked closely with the IBM staff in Raleigh, North Carolina, who design and develop the Communications Server for OS/390 product, and with the IBM Installation Support Centre (ISC) at Hursley in the United Kingdom, which provides Product Introduction Programmes for IBM European customers. "We found the whole IBM team very committed to listening to our technical ideas and business requirements," says Killmeyer. "As a result, the Communications Server for OS/390 designers agreed to enhance their product with support for multiple dynamic switched major nodes and its feature of in-flight updates."
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COVER STORY: IT-AUSTRIA BANKS ON HPR
Located in Vienna, iT-AUSTRIA is the data processing outsourcing subsidiary of two major financial groups: the Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group and Erste Bank & the Austrian Savings Banks. The 670-person computer staff at iT-AUSTRIA designs, maintains, and operates the systems that deliver around-the-clock online services to locations all over Austria—managing approximately 13.6 million accounts. iT-AUSTRIA provides these services to the customers and combined 38,500 employees of the two financial groups.
