General DataComm
The Apex-Advantage™ '98
The APEX-ADVANTAGETM, introduced by General DataComm
(GDC) early in 1995, was the first ATM networking architecture designed to support a full
suite of data, voice, and video capabilities based on the scaleable GDC APEX ATM® Edge
switches. The evolution of the APEX-Advantage leads GDC to be the worldwide leader in
providing real business solutions based on ATM, and continues to drive the industry by
redefining the emerging ATM edge. Built upon three tiers -- Edge Access, Edge Service
Provisioning, and Edge Concentration, the APEX-Advantage facilitates the achievement of
the most economical and flexible service provisioning and reliable and efficient traffic
management.
The APEX-Advantage '98, GDC's ATM blueprint for 1998, promises new and exciting
products and services -- the expansion of the renowned GDC APEX® ATM Edge Service and
Access portfolio. Built around the flagship -- GDC APEX® Edge Service and Access switch
family, GDC has added a high capacity Edge Concentration switch --StrobosTM,
the industry's most comprehensive network management portfolio -- ProSphereTM,
advanced traffic management architecture -- Sortium, high speed IP switching over ATM --
multimedia ATM platform - GDC APEX®-MMSTM, and GDC
APEX-VSM Standards based Variable Bit Rate (VBR) Voice over ATM. The APEX-Advantage '98
also encompasses GDC's vision of the future development of ATM products and services.
ATM Network Management & Service
Provisioning - ProSphereTM
GDC's vision starts with the configuration, administration and management of scaleable ATM
networks -- the ability to easily build, administer and provision self-healing end-to-end
ATM networks. As a suite of integrated applications running under HP OpenView, ProSphere
provides a consistent method for controlling and monitoring GDC APEX networks, to provide
Alarm and Event Management, Statistics Gathering, Diagnostics, ATM Connection Routing
Management, Circuit Provisioning and Tracking, Bandwidth Reservation and Control, and
Systems Management and Billing.
Edge Concentration - -Strobos
Strobos sets new standards for Edge Concentration facilitating the growth of ATM edge
switching -- the need for concentration of large number high speed ATM ports before
entering the extremely high capacity core switching backbones. Fully standards compliant,
Strobos will be used to concentrate clusters of GDC APEX ATM Edge Service switches and/or
other ATM edge service vehicles, and to connect large numbers of high speed ATM
end-stations into the Public and Enterprise networks.
Advanced Traffic Management - Sortium
Sortium is GDC's advanced traffic management architecture, designed from the ground up to
prevent congestion in the network, and to relieve bottlenecks when heavy traffic loads
occur. Sortium encompasses standards based flow-control mechanisms, such as the ATM
Forum's Available Bit Rate (ABR) specification, as well as leading edge, ASIC-based
queuing, buffering, and Connection Admission Control algorithms. Its mission is to
maximize the use of expensive WAN bandwidth, while at the same time guaranteeing Quality
Of Service for all network customers.
Multiservice Provisioning on GDC APEX
The original promise of ATM called for integration of voice, video and data services on a
common ATM backbone. GDC delivers on that promise through integrated support for Frame
Relay, Native LAN Interconnect, LANE 1.0, IP Switching, video, circuit emulation and voice
services. All of these services can be deployed and managed end-end on the GDC APEX family
of switches thereby offering GDC's customers unprecedented price/preformance in the WAN.
Frame Relay
GDC APEX's support for Frame Relay services includes Frame Relay switching, Frame
Relay/ATM Service Interworking and Frame Relay/ATM Network Interworking, and Frame Quality
of Service (QoS) mapping. The Frame Relay cards support channelized DS1/E1 as well as
high-speed HSSI interfaces, and, in addition to the aforementioned Frame Relay support,
also simultaneously offer GDC's customers an HDLC-transport mode for transporting any
HDLC-based protocol over the ATM network and support for Frame UNI (FUNI).
Standards-Based Voice over ATM
The GDC APEX Voice Service Module (VSM) is the first and only standards-compliant Variable
Rate (VBR) voice over ATM solution, based on ITU-T recommendation I.363.2. Voice over ATM
solutions to date have been proprietary, preventing open interworking between vendors, or
have been inefficient in managing backbone bandwidth through "nailed up" PVC
provisioning via circuit emulation. With VSM, operators can choose how to deploy
standards-based CBR circuit emulation and standards-based VBR Voice services to meet the
needs of their users.
LANE 1.0 Signaling and Enhancements
GDC offers an industry solution for LANE 1.0 network deployments. Adopters to date of ATM
Forum LANE 1.0 services have faced a single-point-of failure issue -- the specification
only defines a single network server for all address resolution. GDC provides a
much-needed solution for this issue by supporting redundant servers and even multiple
servers without any changes to any vendors' LANE 1.0 Client or Server software/hardware in
the network. This allows GDC's customers to deploy redundant servers in separate
locations, or even deploy multiple physical servers to support numerous closed user
groups. GDC also supports the necessary Pt-Pt and Pt-Mpt SVCs needed for LANE 1.0
services.
High Speed IP Switching Over ATM
In a new category of product, GDC combines the power of high speed IP Switching, Frame
Relay and ATM within a single platform to assist Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and
large corporate end users to design and build extremely high performance Switched IP
networks. The significant growth of the Internet and Corporate Intranets has accentuated
the need for scaleable backbone networks to handle the ever increasing volumes of traffic
. Utilizing GDC's proven ATM core technology, IP Switching products with superior
price/performance capacities will be delivered and continuously enhanced.
Conclusion
The APEX-Advantage '98 creates a new era of ATM Edge solutions providing Edge Access, Edge
Service Provisioning, and Edge Concentration. The enhanced GDC® APEX ATM product
portfolio enables a dramatic price/performance breakthrough for Internet and corporate
Intranet applications, advanced multimedia communications, and dynamic and cost-effective
multiservice ATM service provisioning. The APEX-Advantage '98 includes plans to implement
Private Network-to-Network Interface (PNNI), Multiprotocol over ATM (MPOA), and evolving
ATM Forum recommendations. In addition, a family of low cost ATM access multiplexer
products will be offered to cost-effectively facilitate the connection of ATM and non-ATM
devices into the backbone network.
The APEX-Advantage '98 satisfies today's ATM networking needs and provides a migration
path to the future.
Customer
Profiles
Burlington Northern Sante Fe
Railroad
