Short for Enterprise Systems Connection, or Enterprise Systems Connectivity, an IBM fiber optic connection technology that interconnects S/390 mainframe computers, workstations and network-attached storage devices across a single channel and supports half duplex data transfers. One of the key elements of ESCON is the ESCON Director, an I/Oswitch capable of providing dynamic, nonblocking, any-to-any connectivity for up to 60 fiber optic links operating at 200 Mb/s. The links can be up to 36 miles (60 kilometers) apart. ESCON is useful in CANs and MANs.
ESCON Implementation Guide This redbook describes ESCON architecture, and provides information on ESCON
configuration planning, migration, and coexistence with conventional channel (OEMI) architecture. (pdf)
The IBM ESCON Director: A Dynamic Switch for 200Mb/s Fiber Optic Links This paper describes the function and hardware structure of the ESCON Director, an I/O switch capable of providing dynamic, nonblocking, any-to-any connectivity for up to 60 fiber optic links operating at 200 Mb/s. (pdf)
