Cabletron Systems Inc is making a major bid for the network management market, with news that its Spectrum system is to be interoperable with the Open Software Foundation’s Distributed Management Environment. Simultaneously in the US, the Rochester, New Hampshire company announced a strategy for managing the migration of SNA to multiprotocol local area network-based technologies. Cabletron’s plan to make Spectrum interoperable with the Distributed Management Environment framework for interoperability between management applications and systems is to be achieved through engineering Spectrum to operate in the Environment on either a departmental or enterprise-wide basis; to this end, the company says that it is working with the Foundation to evaluate Spectrum for possible inclusion in the Distributed Environment.
Non-strategic
While non-strategic components of Spectrum (such as the event management system) may be replaced by Distributed Management Environment technology, the company also says that DME services including software distribution, licensing and print services will be incorporated. Distributed Management Environment components will be available in the second half of 1993, and the company will continue to develop applications as the standard evolves. The second network management announcement, made in the US only so far – the European launch follows this month, is called BlueVision, and is said to be the industry’s first single-system for managing both SNA and SNMP devices. It is an optional module for use with Spectrum, developed with Raleigh, North Carolina-based NetTech Inc. Working in conjunction with IBM Corp’s NetView, it provides peer-to-peer connection between the two management systems and brings Spectrum’s graphical user interface, inductive modelling and artificial intelligence to NetView. Fitting in with the Spectrum price strategy, BlueVision will be sold unbundled at $15,000. Running on the RS/6000, it will be available on a limited basis from January, with full US availability in March. Alongside these, the US company announced a further range of new products, including the SNA Network Access Controller Media Interface Module, which incorporates Sync Research’s Synchronous Data Link Control conversion capabilities into Cabletron’s Multi Media Access series of intelligent hubs. It enables 3270 and 4700 controllers to participate on a Token Ring network.
Cabletron Systems Inc had a big day at the start of the year when President Bush paid the company a visit at the start of the Presidential campaign, way back in the snows of New Hampshire, and the company is approaching the end of the year with another big event as it does a deal with the Open Software Foundation. Chris Rose reports.
The Interface Module attaches controllers to the Token Ring network by terminating SDLC traffic from controllers, and converting it into the Logical Link Control format for Token Ring local networks. Shipping in the US within 90 days, it will be available in two-port or four-port configurations costing $3,500 and $5,200 respectively. Cabletron has also extended its Token Ring product line with the introduction of the Token Ring Bridging Media Interface Module, a two port SNMP-compliant local source routing bridge and management module. It provides bridging and management of Token Ring networks within a single hub, and includes an external station port supporting IBM Type 1, 2, 6 and 9 shielded twisted pair wiring. It costs $7,000 and will be available in 90 days. The TRXI is described as a series of stand-alone hubs designed to provide Token Ring management capabilities to low-communications work areas, whatever that impenetrable jargon means – work areas with the communications of a piece of string or a pencil line on a piece of paper, perhaps. It is also claimed to be the first Token Ring hub to offer a migration path to RMON, the developing standard for monitoring Token Ring traffic rates and error conditions.
Fractional T1
The hubs are SNMP-compliant, and support Cabletron’s Distributed local area network man
agement software. Shipping in 90 days and available in 12 and 24-port configurations and supporting both unshielded twisted pair and shielded twisted pair cabling, it costs $4,000 and $5,000 respectively. The 12-port version is upgradable to 24 ports for $1,000. The new Ethernet/Token Ring/Wide Area Network Media Interface Module is claimed to be the industry’s first integrated bridge in a hub for linking Ethernet, Token Ring and wide area networks. It is SNMP-compliant, and can bridge Ethernet or Token Ring to wide area network, or bridge between the local area technologies. A module for the hubs, it incorporates Source Routing and Transparent Bridging and has two wide area ports enabling users to choose T1, fractional T1 or Frame Relay for data packet transmission. While a standard port provides connection to an external line, an optional DSX-1 port provides direct connection to a T1 or fractional T1 leased line, and up to 24 channels may be multiplexed. The interface module costs ?6,600 and the optional DSX-1 interface costs ?825.
