Conference azur::mcc

1329.0. "DECmcc and the Czechoslovakian Wide Area network" by BSYBEE::EGOLF (John C. Egolf LKG2-2/T02 x226-7874) Sat Aug 10 1991 13:34

          DIGITAL TO SET UP A WIDE AREA NETWORK IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA



    Digital Equipment Germany has won a $7.5 million contract to create the 
    network infrastructure for an information system that will play an 
    important role in Czechoslovakia's project to privatize its economy. 
    The contract was awarded by Software AG, Darmstadt, General Contractor 
    for the $10.4 million project on behalf of the Czech Ministry of 
    Finance. 

    As part of Czechoslovakia's privatization plans, every citizen may 
    acquire coupons which will guarantee the right to buy shares in former 
    state enterprises. The country-wide information system will assist with 
    this process by managing multi-level networks set up in various 
    districts as well as in Prague and Bratislavia. One of the prime 
    factors in selecting the team of SAG and Digital to supply the system 
    was the fact that Digital already maintains a wide area network service 
    in Czechoslovakia.

    Digital's part of the project covers the planning of the network, 
    supplying all of its hardware - comprising 80 VAX computers, supplying 
    the system software including the relevant communications products, 
    installing the network across the country and supervising its start-up.  
    
    The multi-level modular network will run under DECnet/OSI networking 
    software.  At each installation site, a local area network (LAN) will 
    be accessible to personal computers on a client/server basis. Thanks to 
    PATHWORKS, Digital's family of network integration software, Intel 
    processors and Apple Macintosh PCs will be able to access the network 
    servers which run under VMS, OS/2 or ULTRIX. Thereafter, the individual 
    site computers will be linked via leased lines into a wide area network 
    (WAN).

    The subsequent monitoring and management of the country-wide network 
    will be via a network management centre equipped with DECmcc and 
    relevant modules at each of the installation sites. DECmcc (Management 
    Control Centre) software is winning widespread acceptance throughout 
    the market and is currently under consideration by the Open Software 
    Foundation as a basis for its Distributed Management Environment (DME).

    The planned start date for Czechoslovakia's new information system is 
    November 1, 1991, when the first 250 DECnet nodes will be functioning.  
    Subsequently, the network will be expanded to 1,500 nodes.  With future 
    developments in mind, Digital's ADVANTAGE-NETWORKS products are already 
    being included in the network planning.  ADVANTAGE-NETWORKS provides 
    for the coexistance and integration of Digital's three basic network 
    protocols: OSI, TCP/IP and DECnet as well as Personal Computer and SNA 
    networks.

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26July91
[ends]

    


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