Madge Networks High Speed Token Ring Server Kit offers faster and resilient Token Ring network connections

Madge Networks, a worldwide supplier of data, video and voice networking solutions, and IP Metrics, a leading developer of availability management software for PC networks, have teamed up to offer Token Ring network managers a simple and cost effective solution to upgrade their server network connections. Designed for mission critical server applications, the Madge HSTR (High Speed Token Ring) Server Kit provides increased network availability, scalability, manageability, resilience and improved server response time.

To help Token Ring network administrators meet the demands of increasingly sophisticated business critical applications for reliable high speed network server connections, Madge is offering a bundle of products to upgrade network server connections to 100 Mbps. Priced at R 1248.00. (Ex VAT.), Madge's HSTR

Server Kit includes two Madge Smart 100/16/4 PCI-HS Ringnode High Speed Token Ring server adaptors, Madge LAN Support Software 6.1 (HSTR) and a trial version of IP Metrics NIC Express TR load balancing and failover software for Windows NT.

"High Speed Token Ring is a natural migration technology for mission-critical Token Ring networks," said Esmeralda Silva, research manager with International Data Corporation, an industry research firm based in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA. "Load balancing functionality has become a necessary requirement for high availability server environments. The Server Kit provides Madge with a competitive solution to help customers alleviate server access problems."

Scaling the bandwidth of the server network interface to 100 Mbps offers significant advantages by increasing the effectiveness and responsiveness of the network and accelerating the exchange of information with the server. Compared to a 16 Mbps or 4 Mbps Token Ring interface card, installing a Madge Smart 100/16/4 PCI-HS Ringnode server adaptor provides 100 Mbps full duplex HSTR operation on the network.

For high availability systems, the Smart 100/16/4 PCI-HS Ringnode interface card features server adaptor mirroring, PCI Hot Plug support and load balancing for Novell NetWare environments. In addition, combining Madge^1s HSTR adaptors with IP Metrics^1 software gives Token Ring users with Windows NT improved network performance, resilience and further increased bandwidth by balancing network traffic across two or more adaptors in a server.

"We are pleased Madge has chosen to include our NIC Express TR software within their HSTR Server Kit," said David Wilbanks, president and CEO of IP Metrics. "With the combination of our software and Madge^1s HSTR adaptors, Token Ring customers will be able to reap the benefits of enhanced performance and resiliency in their Token Ring networks."

"High Speed Token Ring is ideally suited to meet the needs of today^1s mission critical network server environments," said Graham Carter, business manager for desktop and server products at Madge Networks. "Meeting the high demands placed on networks, the HSTR Server Kit will provide Token Ring users with significantly increased levels of network performance. In addition, it offers users an easy route to upgrade their Token Ring servers and scale to 100 Mbps."

The Madge HSTR Server Kit is available at a recommended list price of R 1248.00 (Ex VAT.) from March 15, 1999 until June 30, 1999. The kit provides a 30 day evaluation version of IP Metrics NIC Express TRsoftware for Windows NT, and as part of the promotion, IP Metrics will offer NIC Express TR at a discount of 20 per cent to customers purchasing the Madge HSTR Server Kit.