User`s guide

DC 900-1317J 21

Chapter

Introduction

1.1 Product Overview

Protogate provides a variety of wide-area network (WAN) connectivity solutions for

real-time financial, defense, telecommunications, and process-control applications.

Protogate’s Freeway server offers flexibility and ease of programming using a variety of

LAN-based server hardware platforms. Now a consistent and compatible embedded

intelligent communications processor (ICP) product offers the same functionality as

the Freeway server, allowing individual client computers to connect directly to the

WAN.

Both Freeway and the embedded ICP use the same data link interface (DLI). Therefore,

migration between the two environments simply requires linking your client applica-

tion with the proper library. Various client operating systems are supported (for exam-

ple, UNIX, VMS, and Windows NT).

Protogate protocols that run on the ICPs are independent of the client operating system

and the hardware platform (Freeway or embedded ICP).

1.1.1 Freeway Server

Protogate’s Freeway communications servers enable client applications on a local-area

network (LAN) to access specialized WANs through the DLI. The Freeway server can be

any of several models (for example, Freeway 3100, 3200, 3400, or 3600). The Freeway

server is user programmable and communicates in real time. It provides multiple data

links and a variety of network services to LAN-based clients. Figure 1–1 shows the

Freeway configuration.