The DIAL Module in E-INOS DATA

The DIAL Module in E-INOS DATA provides a near-optimal dial- up network design so that terminals can access front-end-processors on host computers that comprise an established backbone network, thereby providing cost- efficient dial-up connectivity for host-based applications. The access may be obtained by dial-up to a host or by dial-up to a time division multiplexer that is connected by a private line to a host specified by the design. We discuss the heuristic algorithm that creates the above design. It assigns to each user-defined cluster of terminals (1) a fixed dial-up service, such as Long Distance, Private Line, or AT&T 800 and (2) a fixed target (a host or multiplexer) for dial-up via that service.