Networking systems and equipment manufacturer Retix Inc, based in Santa Monica, California, has announced integrated network management for its RetixGate series of Ethernet Bridges based on the MAP and TOP factory automation protocols – release 3.0 in each case. The company is packaging two new bridge models -the 2244M and 2255M – and a network management tool, the Retix Network Manager, to provide a cheapo network management solution. All products are immediately available in the US. The Retix network management system has two components: the Network Management Agent and the Network Manager. The Network Management Agent is software that resides in the bridges gathering statistics and responding to control messages. The Retix Network Manager is a software module that runs on MS-DOS micros. Both of the new RetixGate bridges, the 2244M and 2255M, support AT&T’s StarLAN in addition to Ethernet. The two bridges differ only in that the 2255M further supports the Thin Ethernet for thin-wire cabling. In addition, the company asserts, the new network management software does not interfere with the operation of the network, and runs concurrently with Netware, 3+, DECnet, TCP/IP and the Xerox XNS. The company did not give prices for the low cost new products.
