Enterprise System Connection. IBM channel architecture that specifies a pair of fiber-optic cables, with either LEDs or lasers as transmitters and a signaling rate of 200 Mbps.
IBM's "Planning for Enterprise Systems Connection Links" provides information on fiber optic cable types and environment for ESCON capable devices. ESCON is intended for use in a mainframe environment rather than for local area networking or telecommunications.
Enterprise System Connectivity. The high-speed fiber optic channel architecture (using a serial, packet-switched protocol) first available on ES/9000 and 3090-Js and many peripherals. The original ESCON used LED s and worked at 10MBps over 3km stretches (up to 9km total distance with repeaters). September 1991 IBM announced a laser version (ESCON XDF) capable of working at greater distances. The ESCON architecture also allows multiple controllers to be connected to one ESCON channel, and enables I/O devices to be connected and disconnected with the main system running. The standard fiber optic trunk cable can contain 72 pairs of fibers, giving 72 channel links. June 1992 IBM announced sharing of ESCON channels across PR/SM partitions ( EMIF). Replaced by FICON May 1998, though still available. The last version of ESCON runs at 17MBps simplex. See also Paradyne.
Enterprise System Connection (Architecture) [IBM
Enterprise System Connection. This is a set of IBM products and services that provides a dynamically connected environment within an enterprise.
Is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation.
Enterprise Systems Connection - Abbreviated ESCON. A 200 Mbps serial I/O bus used on IBM Corporation's Enterprise System 9000 data center computers. Similar to Fibre Channel in many respects, ESCON is based on redundant switches to which computers and storage subsystems connect using serial optical connections.
Mainframe channel devised by IBM that supports data rates of 200 Mbit/s over fiber. Depending on configuration, Escon can reach distances from about 3 to 10 kilometers, depending on fiber quality and product features.
IBM standard for connecting peripherals to a computer over fiber optics. Acronym for Enterprise System Connection.
Enterprise Systems Connection. The ESCON channel connection allows the RS/6000 to communicate directly with a host System/390; the host operating system views the system unit as a control unit.
Enterprise Systems Connection - developed for high speed communication between mainframes and storage devices, peripheral control units, cluster controllers and other networks. ESCON is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
A System/390 I/O architecture that uses both laser and LED fiber-optic technology and the concept of dynamic connectivity, which allows for path sharing.
Enterprise Systems Connection. A type of communications connection frequently used with IBM S/390.
Enterprise Systems Connectivity. A high-speed fiber-optic serial channel for IBM’s ES/9000 processors. Initially based in part on a fiber-optic link operating at a speed of 200 mbits per second but has been driven faster.
An IBM channel control system based on fiber optics.
(Enterprise Systems CONnection) An IBM mainframe fiber-optic channel that transfers 17 Mbytes/sec over distances up to 60 km depending on connection type. ESCON allows peripheral devices to be located across large campuses and metropolitan areas. Compared to the copper-based, parallel bus and tag channels, ESCON provides greater speeds and uses a serial interface.
(Enterprise Systems Connection) IBM's fiber optic serial channel for attaching mainframes to peripherals such as storage devices, backup units, and network interfaces. This channel incorporates fiber channel technology. The ESCON channel replaces the bus-and-tag channel.
A proprietary optical networking system.
Abbreviation for enterprise systems connection. A duplex optical connector used for computer-to-computer data exchange.
ESCON (or Enterprise Systems Connection) is an optical serial interface between IBM mainframe computers and peripheral devices such as storage and tape drives. ESCON is capable of half-duplex communication at a rate of 17 MB/second over distances of up to 43 kilometers. ESCON supplanted the older, slower, copper-based Bus & Tag channel technology introduced in 1960-1970 era mainframes.
