Hi Paul,

To answer your question:

Yes, you can configure your TCP/IP to run across the Escon channel
between your AIX and OS390 mainframe.
We are currently backing up our SP/2 datawarehouse and SAP/R3
databases to OS/390 via Escon channels.
Your Escon channel is defined in the  MVS TCP/IP started task.
We are getting very good performance this way. For others benefit
on the list that have not worked with Escon channels - you can push
17.5 Megabytes per second through an Escon channel. It's not
like the other network topologies that is measured in megabits per
second. With an Escon channel you will quickly see how fast your
disks can read and write data - you'll have to run multiple streams
to push the channel utilization up.

Hope this helps - let me know if you need additional info.

Regards
Christo Heuer
ABSA Bank
Johannesburg
South Africa




>Hi:
>
>We are interested in setting up server to server and virtual volumes. An
>RS/6000 would become the source server and the OS/390 mainframe would
>become the target server.
>
>For speed considerations we were investigating the purchase of an ESCON
>adapter for the RS/6000. However, the reference guide states that a comm
>method of TCP/IP is currently the only allowable method (pg. 199). Do any
>of you know if the ESCON card can run TCP/IP or will we have to make due
>with Ethernet adapters and not be able to take advantag of a high-speed
>pipe?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Paul Deveau
>Computer Centre
>University of Ottawa