IBM Corp has announced a fleet of products, enhancements and management options for campus networks, at the centre of which are new Token Ring hubs. First up is the Nways 8238 Token Ring Stackable hub, which it said will enable users to scale their networks by adding up to seven external units per stack, supporting up to 128 ports. IBM said the offering supports the longest lobe length in the industry – 300 feet over Category 3 unshielded twisted pair – eliminating the distance constraints once faced in physically setting up networks. Management options range from basic Simple Network Management Protocol to Protocol with Remote Monitoring capability, with users apparently paying only for the management they need. It is also said to include fault-tolerant features such as redundant power units and hot swappable capabilities, as well as distributed beacon recovery, which enables every unit in the stack to protect against network shutdowns caused by beaconing. Finally, it is said to be compatible with IBM’s full line of Token Ring hubs. Next up, IBM has extended its 8230 family of Nways Token Ring hubs with three, 16-slot models. These offer a range of management agent options including Simple Network Management Protocol; Common Management Information Protocols Over LAN Media, which enables Token Ring networks to communicate status information to LAN Network Manager workstations; and Remote Monitoring, said IBM. These agent options are said to work with all IBM and non-IBM Simple Network Management Protocol management systems, such as IBM SystemView for AIX. Also out is the Nways Manager for Windows, said to eliminate the need for the individual management components previously required on each campus hardware device. According to the firm, it manages hubs, bridges, routers, switches and other internetworking products from IBM and other vendors. It’s packaged with NetView for Windows version 2, and works with the Simple Network Management Protocol or Remote Monitoring management agents to report hardware and network failures. All shipping now but IBM is shy about prices.
