Nortel Networks has announced availability of a new feature release of BayRS routing code that will optimise all Nortel Networks` routing platforms in the areas of scalability, reliability and security.
The new release of software, BayRS 13.10, is available to all Nortel Networks` customers immediately. Key platform features include a Multiserial Expansion Module for the Advanced Remote Node (ARN) router. Core routing feature enhancements include one of the industry`s first versions of the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) currently being standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
In the area of security and Virtual Private Networking, Nortel Networks is also shipping IPSec software for all router platforms as part of the 13.10 release. In addition, the software release includes fourteen other enhancements that further optimize the industry-proven BayRS code.
The new ARN Multiserial Expansion Module provides seven serial interfaces, each capable of supporting up to 128 Kbps per port. The new module more than doubles the previous serial port density of the ARN, enabling it to easily accommodate the needs of large branch offices connecting multiple serial devices. Enterprise customers can use the new module to deploy the ARN as a WAN concentrator, consolidating traffic from multiple small sites.
"The new Multiserial Expansion Module is key to this release because of its capacity," said Nortel systems engineer Sirshem Moodley . "At legacy branch sites, for example, size and scalability remain a critical factor. Nortel Networks remains committed to offering our customers a robust routing code that meets their advanced performance and security needs."
Nortel Networks continues to stress the importance of standards with the availability of the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol. VRRP enables a group of routers to work together to present the appearance of a single virtual router. By sharing IP addresses, two or more routers acting as one virtual router are able to seamlessly assume the routing responsibility in the event one should fail.
The IETF is currently standardising VRRP, and Nortel Networks is one of the first vendors to support the proposed standard. The initial VRRP implementation supports up to 100 Virtual Routers as backup to a single router. This permits N to 1 type configurations where multiple interfaces on a single router can be backed up by separate Virtual Routers. VRRP is supported on the following router interfaces: 10/100 Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, and ATM.
Integrated IPSec is a new Virtual Private Networking (VPN) feature for the AN, ARN, ASN, BN and System 5000 routers that install BayRS 13.10. It brings the same industry-standard IPSec features currently available on Nortel Networks` Contivity Extranet Access products to the router product line.
IPSec enables router customers to minimise WAN costs by securely using the public Internet for LAN-to-LAN connections as well as for remote connections to individual users running IPSec client software on their systems. The integrated IPSec feature coexists with other BayRS VPN features, such as Network Address Translation and the integrated Check Point FireWall-1, installed on the router.
With 13.10, Nortel Networks also introduces a feature called Route Flap Dampening for all routers. With intermittent excessive updates of certain routes commonly observed on the Internet, this phenomena known as `route flap` can have a detrimental effect on bandwidth utilisation. As an extension to BGP, Route Flap Dampening reduces unnecessary route updates on the Internet and in large enterprise networks thereby improving the efficiency of WAN links.
Version 13.10 of BayRS features a series of additional key enhancements that focus on bandwidth optimization and ease of use. The new functionality includes added capabilities to the MPOA server found on ATM-equipped routers and a tighter integration with NetID for efficient IP address management via DHCP.
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