Olicom has announced that is it the first networking vendor to market High-Speed Token-Ring (HSTR) networking solutions.These are a 100 Mbps Token-Ring file server full duplex adapter and a two-port HSTR uplink module designed for Olicom`s CrossFire 8600 Token-Ring Switch.
According to Nick Muller, Olicom Africa country manager, Olicom`s new standards-based HSTR solutions provide a significant throughput to servers and are critical to the ongoing strategic evolution of the enterprise Token-Ring network.
"Olicom`s HSTR solutions give network users the ability to link multiple switches and seamlessly increase bandwidth from 16 Mbps to 100 Mbps, and eventually to 1 Gbps, with little or no change to the surrounding Token-Ring infrastructure," says Muller.
"What`s more, native support for large frame sizes (up to 18K) and Source Route Bridging (SRB) make it an ideal performance upgrade option for many Token-Ring users today.
"High-Speed Token-Ring also serves to protect and extend Token-Ring investments while ensuring minimal disruption to the existing LAN and applications."
Olicom says that its long-standing expertise and significant R&D investment in Token-Ring technology has enabled it to deliver its HSTR solutions ahead of the competition.
"High-Speed Token-Ring delivers exactly what today`s Token-Ring users need to continue making strategic investments in their existing Token-Ring networks," adds Muller.
"High-Speed Token-Ring is the safest and easiest way to upgrade an existing Token-Ring network and will play a pivotal role in protecting the significant investments in Token-Ring technology among the top companies while allowing them to meet their growing need for bandwidth.
"This will extend the working life of current Token-Ring equipment by 5 years or more."
Evaluation products are available for testing from Olicom or its network of dealers and VARs. Contact Nick Muller on (011) 784-8990.
Editors Note
Olicom`s new HSTR server adapter, the RapidFire 3530 High-Speed Token-Ring 100 PCI Adapter, is a plug-and-play network interface card (NIC) that enables network managers to seamlessly boost file server bandwidth to 100 Mbps (200 Mbps full duplex).
As enterprises increasingly employ Token-Ring switching to alleviate congestion in the workgroup, many will find that a dedicated 16 Mbps connection to corporate file servers simply no longer suffices.
The RapidFire 3530, with a dedicated 100 Mbps connection to Olicom`s HSTR Uplink module in the CrossFire 8600 Token-Ring Switch, represents a seamless, non-disruptive and risk-free solution for upgrading Token-Ring file server throughput.
Olicom`s CrossFire 8650 High-Speed Token-Ring Uplink UEM (UTP) and CrossFire 8651 High-Speed Token-Ring Uplink UEM (Multimode Fibre) enable 100 Mbps Token-Ring connections to and from the CrossFire 8600 Token-Ring Switch.
Each module is outfitted with two 100 Mbps HSTR ports, which can be used for server connections or for high-speed switch-to-switch connections.
Again, as Token-Ring enterprises deploy switching as a means to segment workgroups and deliver greater bandwidth to individual workstations, there arises a pressing need for high-speed connections between the switches themselves.
Using HSTR to interconnect switches on the backbone introduces none of the complexities, translation issues, or learning curves typically involved with deploying alternative technologies at the backbone.
In addition, Olicom has also undertaken an aggressive development effort to deliver a High-Speed Token-Ring switch, which Olicom expects will be available in the first quarter 1999. Olicom will also be delivering a 4/16/100 HSTR Adapter to ensure a future-proof solution for the desktop.
Olicom`s stackable CrossFire 8600 switching solution, outfitted with the Company`s new HSTR Uplink modules, enables the highest port density of any HSTR solution in the industry. By adding Olicom HSTR Uplinks to a stack of CrossFire 8600s, customers can configure a solution with up to 32 100 Mbps HSTR switch ports in a single stack (in addition to 160 standard 16 Mbps switch ports).
No other High-Speed Token-Ring solution scheduled for delivery will match Olicom`s ability to meet Token-Ring customer needs in terms of expandability or port density. This degree of scalability in a single switch stack also ensures simplified management, as all ports in the stack - both 16 Mbps and 100 Mbps - can be managed together from a single management console.
Olicom`s High-Speed Token-Ring solutions have been developed in accordance with the industry-standard specifications outlined by the High-Speed Token-Ring Alliance and the IEEE 802.5 committee, ensuring compatibility and interoperability with other vendors` High-Speed Token-Ring equipment.
Comprehensive interoperability was confirmed in independent testing at University of New Hampshire (UNH) testing labs in July 1998.
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