What are the main strengths of EcoNets?
EcoNets application can enable the networking specialist to model/design network topologies in a rapid fashion while presenting their costs and performance summaries. The designer can thus easily select an optimum network topology. The process of selecting the best network topology is described in the latest Textbook (Network Design Using EcoNets, ITCP, 1997). The optimum network topology can then be subjected to additional computer simulations only and only if one desires very detailed performance attributes. EcoNets is also very easy to learn when compared to most major network design tools.
What types of networks can be modeled/designed by EcoNets?
The author of EcoNets has yet to find a network that can't be modeled or designed by EcoNets. EcoNets can model any existing or new network for voice, data, TCP/IP, broadband, Personal Communications System (PCS), ISP backbone, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) applications. The modeling and design process for all the above types of networks is fully described in the Textbook (Network Design Using EcoNets, ITCP, 1997).
What source language is employed by EcoNets?
EcoNets employs GFA-Basic for IBM PC (or compatibles) with MS Windows and FutureBasicII for Apple Computer's Macintosh with 7.0 or 8.0 OS. The two languages yield highly structured subroutines and provide compiled executable applications that are very fast in execution times. Presently the GFA-Basic version is faster than the FBII version since the compiler doesn't make use of the floating point processor. However, when the FBII version optimized for Mac-PPC becomes available, the two versions should be equivalent in speed. The latest Textbook provides several charts that plot execution times for several topologies as a function of network nodes for IBM PC version. These plots conclusively show that EcoNets is truly an interactive tool and it allows fast optimizations through an iterative process.
How does EcoNets compute distances between two nodes?
The majority of computer time is spent on computing distances between nodes and not on synthesizing network topologies. This is really a startling fact to most networking specialists. Before 1972, EcoNets employed Longitudes and Latitudes to compute distances using a complex Gaussian formula valid for a spherical surface. When AT&T developed the Donald's Projection, it gave birth to the Vertical (V) and Horizontal (H) coordinates for each central office (CO). AT&T developed an extensive database for computing the V&H coordinates from the NPA-NNX part (or first 6 digits) of sites' telephone numbers. These V&H coordinates allow the internodal distance to be computed using an extremely simple expression shown as follows:
The NPA-NNX/V&H database always needed to be updated each time a NPA was added. Lately, the NPA-NNX/V&H database has become even more difficult to maintain due to the ever-changing/overlapping sets of NPAs. Since each updated database costs money and time, the author of EcoNets has devised a new database based on the 5-digit postal ZIP-Codes for deriving the V&H coordinates, the LATA numbers and NAMES of each site. The newly copyrighted database when integrated with the EcoNets software program should NEVER require an update. One can test this database by visiting <www.econets.com> and entering any 5-digit zipcode to obtain the V&H coordinates, associated LATA number, State Code and City Name for the either the exact or nearby location. A customized EcoNets package can also provide most of the input files for customer sites if one provides a sequetial list of all the 5-digit zipcodes.
Why do I fail to update an input file on some occasions?
When you are viewing an input file and you want to change the contents of a cell, you must first select the cell by clicking on the mouse. This will bring the contents of the cell to left, ready to be updated. After you have modified the contents, you MUST then press the "Enter" key to register the change before clicking on the "Update" button.
Why does my spreadsheet freeze when I have multiple windows open?
To avoid this strange quirk related to the GFA-Basic and Windows interface, one MUST click on the Up or Down Cursor button on the top window. The spreadsheet should then become alive. This will prevent the need to kill the application and retry. The Mac-version doesn't have this problem.
How can I enlarge the font sizes in the EcoNets spreadsheets on my screen?
In some setups, the EcoNets content window is much smaller than the computer screen. For these cases, one can enlarge the EcoNets content window by going to the Control Panel and adjusting the screen resolution to 640x480 (if permitted by the hardware). This will make it easier to read the data especially when one is viewing a recorded session for video tapes. It will be a major task to change the font sizes in the EcoNets source code. Thus far everyone who uses a PC or a MAC as a personal workstation is quite satisfied with the font sizes on EcoNets spreadsheets.
How can I print a network topology?
EcoNets always creates a network topology file, TOPF.TXT for every networking item. It can be saved under a different name to prevent an overwrite. The new name must always start with TOP. To print, one must first open the desired topology file and then execute the "Print" item of the File Menu (One cannot print the topology that appears on the screen immediately after each Networking task). In order to fit the topology to your printer page, one must select 360 dpi before going ahead with the "Portrait" or "Landscape" mode.
One can also choose an alternate method that was actually used to print many topology pictures for the recent book "Network Design Using EcoNets"ITCP, 1997. After the network topology appears on the main window, press the "Alt" and "Prt Scr" keys to save the bitmap on the Clipboard. Then start the Windows95 Accessory program called "Paint". When the program screen appears, paste the bitmap on the entire window. One can either print the bitmap immediately or save the bitmap under a desired name and print the network topology at a later time. In case another word processing program is open under multitasking, one can paste the entire screen (as saved on Clipboard) at the current curser position. The last approach allows one to prepare a formal report as effortlessly as possible using the EcoNets-produced topologies and text outputs.
Why can't I open an output file while working in a NT4 network environ?
Using the latest new Pentium II CPU in an existing NT4-Network environ one may not be able to open an EcoNets output text file until Notepad program is not resident in the EcoNets directory. A temporary solution may be to open any text file using the Notepad or any other text-reading program directly.
For additional questions on EcoNets, please send an email to: info@econets.com