3Com Corporation has announced the first of a series of DynamicAccess software feature enhancements to its Fast EtherLink Server network interface card (NIC).
Following the company`s March introduction of a broad line of Server NICs for all key networking topologies, 3Com is building on its commitment to Server Networking with the addition of switch-independent load balancing and VLAN support based on the final IEEE 802.1Q standard, explains 3Com SA`s pre sales manager, Paul Ruinaard.
With previously announced fault tolerance and link monitoring features, Ruinaard says that 3Com`s enhanced Fast Ethernet server NIC helps customers keep up with increased server access demand, while helping control cost of ownership.
"The Fast EtherLink Server NIC`s new functionality reinforces 3Com`s belief that networking in PC server environments should focus on maintaining highly available, highly scalable server links," says Tom Werner, vice president and general manager, 3Com`s LAN Connectivity Division. "In addition, 3Com`s open, standards-based approach to server networking allows customers to make smart buying decisions that help combine yesterday`s networking investments with tomorrow`s needs."
Keeping Up With Demand for Server Access
3Com introduced the Server Networking category in March, fuelled by customer demand for NICs that are specifically designed to meet the increased traffic patterns and availability requirements of PC server environments.
As this trend evolves, network administrators continue to connect more users to information and applications housed in the server, says 3Com SA`s Ruinaard. "The resulting increase of client/server traffic is causing network performance to decline, leading to link degradation and failure. In addition, the growing number of client PCs running at 100Mbps is contributing to increased network bottlenecks, attempting to move information to and from the server faster than the server can process requests."
Load Balancing Offers Cost-Effective Solution to Eliminate Server Bottlenecks
He points out that with the arrival of 100Mbps NICs at the desktop, 3Com is helping network administrators realise higher bandwidth with existing technologies between servers and switches to accommodate the increased bandwidth push from client PCs.
By allowing multiple parallel links to be used simultaneously, 3Com`s load balancing feature distributes server requests between all available server links and helps network administrators take full advantage of available bandwidth. Unlike alternative load balancing technologies, 3Com`s new DynamicAccess Load Balancing feature is switch independent, allowing customers to leverage existing multi-vendor switch environments to inexpensively eliminate server bottlenecks and increase performance.
Standards-based Multiple VLAN Support Simplifies Network Management
Offering customers support for up to 64 virtual LAN connections over a single NIC or an aggregated group of NICs, 3Com`s new DynamicAccess multiple VLAN feature is based on the final IEEE 802.1Q standard and works with all IEEE 802.1Q-compliant switches, regardless of vendor. As traffic patterns increase with more users, VLANs allow network administrators to avoid physical network segmentation by allowing multiple groups of users to access the same server.
"Reducing the need for additional routing requirements to accommodate user moves and changes, 3Com`s DynamicAccess multiple VLAN support offers customers increased network flexibility, while enhancing security through simplified network planning and management," Ruinaard says.
Existing DynamicAccess Server Features Increase Availability and Uptime
In a continued move to help manage network traffic at the desktop and server, 3Com`s DynamicAccess software optimises network performance, management and control, utilising existing and emerging network standards. 3Com`s Fast EtherLink Server NIC includes the existing DynamicAccess software Self-Healing Drivers (SHD) feature, which continuously monitors the network server link to maximise server performance and uptime. Maintaining an active server link at all times, 3Com`s SHDs automatically take corrective actions if excessive error conditions arise in the server.
In addition, 3Com`s DynamicAccess software Resilient Server Links (RSL) feature guarantees users maximum server availability and link redundancy across multiple NICs, enabling network traffic to be redistributed across the remaining NICs, if a connection to the server fails.
3Com`s Complete Line of Server NICs
With a broad array of protocol support and network management capabilities, Ruinaard says that 3Com`s server NICs give IS managers a one-vendor solution to support a variety of networking connections at the server.
The 3Com server networking family of NICs includes the following products:
- Fast EtherLink Server NIC
- Gigabit EtherLink Server NIC
- Token Ring-in-Fast Ethernet Server NIC
- ATMLink Server NIC
- FDDILink Server NIC
Pricing and Availability
3Com`s new Fast EtherLink Server NICs with DynamicAccess Load Balancing and standards-based multiple VLAN features are scheduled to be available in December through traditional 3Com channels. For existing Fast EtherLink Server NIC customers, 3Com`s new DynamicAccess features are fully compatible and will be available as a free download from 3Com`s World Wide Web site: http://www.3Com.com
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