GNB eliminates parallel networks for LAN, legacy traffic - GNB Technologies

Communications News, Feb, 1995

GNB Technologies is merging legacy and LAN traffic onto one backbone in a way that eliminates the need for parallel networks while assuring delay-sensitive routing and network redundancy.

GNB, the largest battery manufacturer in North America and the third largest in the world, is accomplishing this by employing Motorola Codex's 6520 Multimedia Periphery MPRouters. These routers enable GNB, which is also the world's second largest recycler of lead-acid batteries, to effectively and cost-efficiently route diverse traffic types, including async, SDLC with remote spoofing, and LAN over frame relay connections.

In addition, they provide flexible dial back-up when coupled with 326i Fast-SDC modems with synchronous data compression, which transmit data at speeds up to 1 15 kb/s asynchronously and 72 kb/s synchronously on voice-grade analog lines.

Making these changes to the network will allow a smooth and cost-efficient migration from legacy systems and assure the flexibility to accommodate future systems as the applications base evolves, says Bob Bradford, GNB's telecomm manager.

"What we do in Information Technologies/Telecomm is really driven by the business. Our No. 1 objective is giving users the tools they need to do their jobs well," Bradford says.

Merging LAN, legacy traffic

The move to update GNB's network began about a year ago. On the network at the time were DSU/CSUs, time division multiplexers and statistical multiplexers.

"For quite some time, we've had PCs on the desktops, but, overall, they hadn't been networked," Bradford says. "We had islands of information, and the old network structure just couldn't accommodate the new applications."

Traditional network applications at GNB include terminal to IBM host, batch transfers, support for remote S/36s and terminal to HP host. However, applications for file sharing, remote LAN printing, and electronic information exchange were some of the client/server applications sought by GNB's management to streamline the flow of information. IBM AS/400s are now supporting new applications to streamline other processes.

In early 1993, Bradford and his group analyzed GNB's existing network structure, determined where the business was going in terms of new applications, and developed a network strategy outlining key areas to address.

Adrienne Bodor, GNB's vice president of information technologies, says, "Our challenge was to bring in new applications, continue support for legacy applications, contain costs and provide a path for international communications.

"As fast as technology changes today, it's a constant challenge to keep up with the latest developments and how they apply to your business. We wanted to do everything we could to reduce obsolescence in our equipment, and we wanted a network that could easily accommodate changes within the company, could be easily managed; one that was built with international communications in mind."

GNB bought the routers, which support Ethernet and token ring interfaces, multiprotocol LAN routing and bridging and more serial protocols than any other router in the industry.

"It is flexible and easy to set up," Bradford says. IP addressing is transparent to the actual physical port, which provides additional flexibility. You can have any location on the network dial into any other location and the traffic will be rerouted to the proper destination."

The modems also facilitate dial backup enabling high throughput and good response time and typically running at speeds as high as 56 kb/s.

Bradford now can prioritize backbone traffic. "That's important because we have multiple protocols on the same network. We have some batch, some interactive, some SNA and some non-sna traffic. We need to be able to prioritize the traffic so that we can squeeze the most out of our backbone."

After the lab tests were completed, the routers were placed into the field in Columbus, Ga., Atlanta, Los Angeles and Frisco, Texas. They have been rolled out into a network used by hundreds of employees in different departments throughout the company. Today they support Novell LAN IPX traffic, TCP/IP applications and source route bridge functions for IBM AS/400s and SDLC capability for remote System 36s to an IBM 4381 mainframe and async terminal traffic to the HP3000.