Fore Systems introduces industry`s most advanced directory-enabled networking solution

FORE Systems has announced the introduction of the Extensible Directory Services Agent (EDSA), representing the industry`s most advanced implementation of Directory-Enabled Networking (DEN) to date. This breakthrough product is the cornerstone of FORE`s Policy-Based Network Management (PBNM) solution.

The EDSA enables FORE`s ESX family of Application Aware routing switches to be controlled by policies defined in a centralised directory. As a result, the EDSA dramatically simplifies management and enhances resource usage, creating a network infrastructure that supports the most demanding, mission-critical networked applications of today and tomorrow. This is FORE`s Intelligent Infrastructure.

"The rapid industry shift to an internet-centric computing model for business applications makes the directory service the converged point of knowledge administration for the future of computing and networking," said Milton Thorne, director of operations at FORE Systems southern Africa. "With the launch of the EDSA, we continue our tradition of empowering our customers with leading-edge networking technology that brings them a competitive business advantage ahead of the rest of the industry."

The EDSA, part of the award-winning ForeThought internetworking software, brings unparalleled functionality and flexibility to PBNM with support for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP v2/v3), Netscape`s Directory Server, Novell`s NDS and the upcoming release of Microsoft`s Active Directory. The EDSA approach also is compatible with the DEN standards initiative now under development. The EDSA architecture was uniquely developed to be directory and schema neutral, supporting a broad range of directory services and ensuring the EDSA can handle new schema and directory services from different vendors and standards efforts.

The EDSA supports advanced features unique to FORE`s DEN solution, including

• Hierarchical policy inheritance - policies can be applied at different levels within the directory tree, causing all appropriate objects beneath the applied level to inherit the specified policy. This dramatically reduces the amount of time required to apply policies across large networks.

• Global policy defaulting and overriding - a global default for a policy can be set and enforced. While specific policy definitions can override the default, the EDSA also supports a global enforce policy that cannot be overridden by specific policies. Different authorisation levels are supported for the different types of policy definitions. Users are authenticated with the directory before policies can take effect, reducing complexity and time required to apply policies across the network.

• Object extensibility via auxiliary object classes - objects can be easily extended as new requirements arise. Auxiliary objects can be used within EDSA to extend the functionality of original objects without redefining them, ensuring easy adaptability to new requirements and developments in DEN.

• Directory caching - the EDSA supports the ability to cache information from the directory and maintain the state locally, minimising the number of reads a switch performs. This also enhances the overall scalability of FORE`s solution and allows the switch to continue operation if the directory goes off-line.

• Directory resiliency - the EDSA supports the ability to find an alternative directory server if the primary directory server fails.

• Modular plug-in architecture -Agent code for different applications can be easily added or removed. FORE`s groundbreaking DEN solution already is being hailed by IT professionals.

ForeView Policy Console

Completing FORE`s solution is the ForeView Policy Console, a Java-based console developed for the ForeView network management platform. The console, which also can be a stand-alone tool, reads from and publishes information to the directory server via LDAP and displays the directory tree and associated objects. Through the EDSA`s supported schema, the console shows all directory-enabled switches with associated inventory and status records. Application Class of Service (CoS) can be controlled through the console by specifying the appropriate priority level for an application and the domain of enforcement for the particular policy. The console provides consistency checking and conflict resolution for setting policies.

Industry-Leading Switches Employ Industry-Leading Intelligence

The ESX family of routing switches, the ESX-4800 and ESX-2400, combine multi-Gigabit routing performance with Application Aware switching capabilities that classify application flows and enforce a variety of policies at wire speed on any port. The switches use Microsoft Windows NT as an extensible network services platform with support for application agent or service agent plug-ins, including the EDSA. This approach represents a dramatic improvement over the alternative approach of policy management, which takes place via a policy translator that sits between the directory and the switch or router. That increases complexity and overall network operations cost. By providing direct communication between the switch and the network directory, the EDSA creates the industry`s most advanced and complete DEN solution available today.