Cisco routers link POS to HQ
Migrating to Linux at the point of sale (POS) is just one facet of Burlington Coat Factory's modernization of the company's communications infrastructure.
Today, internal company communication takes many forms. Older, DOS-based POS systems communicate with an in-store server via an Ethernet card installed in the PC and plugged into the store's local area network. Terminals that have been upgraded to the Wincor Nixdorf BEETLE/S POS client running Red Hat Linux 7.1 communicate with the server via 802.11b wireless communications by way of a Cisco Aironet 350 series adapter. In-store servers are in the process of being upgraded from Sun Sparc-class systems running SunOS to Dell Optiplex GX110 or later servers running Linux.
In-store servers communicate with IBM NUMA-Q servers running Dynix (a version of Unix) at headquarters through two methods, depending on the type of transmission. Daily sales data from individual POS systems is aggregated on an in-store file server and e-mailed to headquarters via SMTP mail for processing. For other types of communications, such as credit authorizations and access to information stored on various Oracle databases, the in-store server communicates with an in-store Cisco MC3810 series access router, which enables frame-relay and data and voice traffic to run between stores and corporate headquarters.
The Cisco IOS operating system helps configure, prioritize, and monitor the voice and data traffic for each router. By using a private frame-relay network, the company doesn't require virtual private network hardware or software. Burlington CIO Mike Prince says frame relay gives the company an appropriate level of performance at a comfortable price.
Has your company migrated mission-critical applications to Linux? Why or why not? Tell us in TalkBack below.