SAN JOSE, Calif., June 21, 1994 -- Cisco Systems has introduced a unique software technology that brings fast re- routing all the way to the desktop. The new technology overcomes previous limitations that host-based network software imposed on "network convergence" -- the ability of the host to adapt to changes in network topology.

Cisco's Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) allows network topology changes to be transparent to host systems. This feature, already shipping as a standard part of Cisco's Internetwork Operating System (IOS) router software, will be particularly useful in environments where critical applications are running on networks designed for fault tolerance. Existing routers covered by a Cisco software maintenance agreement can be upgraded to the new software release free of charge.

Paulina Knibbe, Cisco product line manager for routing technology, said, "Until now applications have been unable to take full advantage of the fast re-routing provided by advanced routing protocols such as OSPF, Enhanced IGRP and Integrated IS-IS. HSRP allows network designers to bring the power of fast re-routing to their mission-critical hosts in a way that is transparent to those hosts."

TCP/IP hosts usually are configured to use a default gateway. If this gateway should become unavailable due to scheduled maintenance, power failure, environmental problems or other reasons, the TCP/IP host is unable to use an alternate path without manual intervention.

HSRP allows another router to transparently assume the functionality of the router that is temporarily unavailable, thus assuring immediate re-routing without any host changes.

HSRP will work on Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI LANs and runs in conjunction with commonly used routing protocols such as OSPF, IS-IS, and IGRP.

Cisco Systems, Inc., is the leading worldwide supplier of high-performance, multimedia and multiprotocol internetworking products, including routers, bridges, workgroup systems for 10- Mbps/100-Mbps data transmission, ATM switches, communication servers, and router management software. Cisco technology is used to build enterprise-wide networks linking an unlimited number of geographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBM SNA networks. In the United States, Cisco is traded over the counter under the NASDAQ symbol CSCO.

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Posted: Jun 21 08:35:31 1994