New Multilayer Switch Automatically Configures Routing; Start-up FlowWise Networks' IMS 1600 Offers Users Plug-and-Play Installation
Business Wire - March 03, 1998 07:16
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SAN JOSE, CA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1998--Start-up FlowWise
Networks, today introduced the IMS 1600, a multilayer hardware-based
routing switch that integrates a unique new technology called
AutoRoute(TM), an automatic configuration feature that provides network
managers with a smooth transition path to high-speed next-generation
multilayer switching.
The IMS 1600 comes with 16 Fast Ethernet ports (full-duplex or
half-duplex operation), supporting concurrent wire-speed switching and
routing on every port. The product provides up to ten times the
performance of traditional routers at a price breakthrough of only
$450 per port.
"The IMS 1600 gives customers a simple, cost-effective solution
for increasing overall performance and upgrading their existing
networks to multilayer switching," said Randy Fardal, vice president
of marketing for FlowWise Networks. "It also expands FlowWise's goal
of delivering solutions that offer the full benefits of routing
coupled with the ease-of-use, performance, and pricing of switching
solutions."
Using the IMS 1600, network managers can ease workgroup
congestion by offloading the routing of IP traffic from their existing
software-based backbone router. This leaves the router with more
processing power for other protocols and can increase IP data
throughput up to millions of packets per second.
AutoRoute Automatic Configuration: Unprecedented Ease of Use
Unlike most multilayer routing switches, the I MS 1600 requires
no manual configuration, allowing network managers to easily and
immediately deploy the switch into their existing networks. The key to
this unique ability is FlowWise's AutoRoute technology, an automatic
configuration feature that can "snoop" out the appropriate IP routing
configuration, while simultaneously imitating the operation of the
existing backbone router.
Once the configuration is discovered, the IMS 1600 automatically
takes over layer 3 routing of all local IP data, forwarding WAN and
non-IP data to the software-based router. The result is an immediate
and tenfold network performance gain -- achieved without any manual
router configuration or user intervention.
In addition, the IMS 1600 includes pre-loaded software, further
eliminating the need for any software configuration. Because AutoRoute
is protocol independent, it also works equally well in networks that
use RIP, OSPF, or Cisco's IGRP (Interior Gateway Routing Protocol).
"When you consider the effort and disruption involved, the
configuration requirements of most multilayer routing switches
represent a significant deployment barrier," said Bob Bellman,
president of Brook Trail Research, a market research firm. "A
multilayer switch with an automatic configuration capability, such as
FlowWise's AutoRoute , can increase network capacity almost
effortlessly, creating a highly attractive solution for users who want
the benefits of multilayer technologies but without all of the
hassle."
IMS 1600 Features and Benefits
The foundation of the IMS 1600 is FlowWise's Intelligent
Multilayer Switching architecture, a 4-Gbps hardware routing engine
that uses a custom-designed ASIC developed by the FlowWise technical
team. The architecture features two high-performance RISC processors
-- one for route processing and one for network management -- that
work together with the ASIC to route and switch millions of packets
per second.
The IMS architecture was specifically designed for flexibility.
By complying with all relevant networking standards and routing
protocols, the IMS 1600 ensures seamless integration into any existing
multi-vendor environment and also protects the network manager's
previous equipment investments. In addition to supporting AutoRoute,
the I MS 1600 supports standard dynamic routing protocols, including
RIP, RIPv2, and Op$51"!rQ]=-j9 I9
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