Do You Use a 3705, 3720, 3725?

By Tim Geiss (tcgeiss@us.ibm.com) and John Conway (jhconway@us.ibm.com)

The original members of the 37xx Communication Controller family have had a 20-year history. Commonly known as the 3705, 3720, and 3725, these products have far exceeded expectations on reliability and availability. They have been critical components of many corporate networks. Did you know the 3725 was replaced by the 3745 in 1988? Ten years later, numerous machines are still in use. Applications that require a SNA access method that only NCP and the 37xx products can provide have extended the life of these products.

Serviceability is the issue we face today. IBM Service periodically reviews the machines that are under maintenance agreements. Several issues have been identified on the 3705, 3720, and 3725. The most important are availability, declining parts inventories, and lack of manufacturing support. These factors have made it increasingly difficult to maintain expected service levels -- a goal that you have come to rely on from the 37xx family of products.

Based on these factors, on January 20, 1998 IBM announced the withdrawal of maintenance service on the 3705, 3720, and 3725 in North America. The effective date of maintenance withdrawal is January 1999, allowing customers time to consider migration plans on these communication controllers. Currently, maintenance has not been withdrawn in Europe and only selectively in Asia Pacific and Latin America.

IBM realizes that many customers are using their 3705, 3720, and 3725 Communication Controllers to carry both SNA and non-SNA traffic. SNA traffic is normally supported by the NCP and can include other applications such as SNI and X.25. Non-SNA traffic is normally controlled by the Emulation Program (EP) and handles older protocols such as BSC. The 3745 is the follow-on product to the 3720 and 3725 and supports all the NCP and other non-SNA applications like EP. In addition, the 3745 supports functions that are not available on the 372x platforms, such as Frame Relay and IP.

With the introduction of the 3745, IBM changed its policy on NCP pricing from a "flat rate" per box, to "tier" pricing. Tier pricing aligns the price that you pay for the NCP based on the number of connectivity adapters installed (Channel, Token-Ring, and Communication adapters). With many small and medium-sized networks, the cost of the NCP is reduced from what you are paying on the 3705, 3720, and 3725.

Additional IBM products like the 2216 offer solutions to installed 3705, 3720, and 3725 users. To aid customers in this migration process, IBM is offering, in the U.S. and Canada only, a no-charge assessment to installed 3705, 3720, and 3725 users. A team of IBM network specialists is available to review your network requirements and make recommendations. You can take advantage of this no-charge assessment in one of the following ways:

Call IBM at 1 800 426-7777 and ask for priority code 6N8BX009, or Visit our Web site at http://www.networking.ibm.com/37xx

Another offering IBM has available is a 3705, 3720, and 3725 Migration White Paper. Many factors are considered in the White Paper. These include your network environment, applications used, and connectivity required. Based on your answer to these considerations, solution recommendations are presented. A copy of the 3705, 3720, and 3725 Migration White Paper can be obtained at http://www.networking.ibm.com/37xx

IBM is committed to providing a smooth migration from the 3705, 3720, and 3725 to new IBM platforms. Our goal is to allow you to migrate with the minimal amount of disruption to your network and maintain the availability that you have come to expect.

Tim Geiss joined IBM in 1977. He is the Worldwide 3745/3746 Brand Manager in the Networking Hardware Division. He is responsible for interfacing with Manufacturing, Development, and the field in determining new product requirements, producing field deliverables and developing marketing programs.