SAN JOSE, Calif. -- November 27, 1995 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. todayannounced the LightStream(tm) 1010, a next-generation workgroup/campusAsynchronous Transfer Mode(ATM) switch that is the first to deploy key ATMForum standard software for ATM routing and traffic management. These newcapabilities will enable users to build production ATM networks that arereliable and scalable.
Building on
Additionally, the LightStream 1010 sets new standards for ease-of-usebecause it is the first ATM switch to offer standards-compliant,plug-and-play capability.
The LightStream 1010 will be the first in a family of next-generation,workgroup/campus ATM switching solutions from Cisco Systems. This familywill include products ranging from low-cost, stackable ATM switches tohighly redundant campus backbone switches with capacities of 10 gigabitsper second (Gbps) and more.
According to Joseph Baylock, vice president and research area director forGartner Group, Inc., "The development and deployment of next-generation ATMswitches will enable the ATM market to accelerate. These switches shouldgive users more confidence to move ATM into production networks, becausethey will provide higher performance and greater port density, ensure thatquality of service parameters work and interoperate with existing LANs andWANs."
Network managers say a new generation of workgroup/campus ATM switches isneeded because few current-generation ATM switches can be upgraded tosupport the key new ATM Forum specifications or the demands of productionenvironments. "The current crop of ATM switches basically gives us thehigh-speed pipes we need, but they don't allow us to take advantage of theunique properties of ATM," said Marc Albert, senior software engineer atMarket Vision, a New York provider of real-time information management anddistribution software for the financial community.
According to John Chambers, president and CEO of Cisco Systems, "The ATMindustry as a whole must step up to the challenge of educating the marketabout the need for a new generation of switches that will truly enableproduction ATM."
Cisco's LightStream 1010 is a non-blocking 5-Gbps, 32-port ATM switch thatsupports a wide range of port types, ranging from 25-Mbps "desktop" ATM and45-Mbps DS-3, to 155-Mbps SONET OC-3 and 622-Mbps SONET OC-12.
First to Support ATM Forum's P-NNI and ABR Standards
This next-generation switch is the first to support the ATM Forum's PrivateNetwork-to-Network Interface (P-NNI) and Available Bit Rate (ABR) service-- key ATM routing and traffic management standards that will provide forscalable, multivendor ATM networks.P-NNI includes a routing information protocol that allows differentvendors' ATM switches to be integrated in the same network. P-NNIdistributes routing information automatically and dynamically, enabling anyswitch to determine a path to any other switch. It also ensures that theeventual connection will support the intended traffic flow and meet thedesired quality-of-service guarantees.
The P-NNI protocol has been designed to scale across all sizes of ATMnetworks, from small campus networks of a few switches to global networkswith thousands of switches. This level of scalability is greater than thatof any existing routing protocol. Cisco is implementing P-NNI in phases tofacilitate interoperability with other systems.
ABR is critical for the support of existing applications over ATM networks.It specifies the use of congestion control mechanisms that ATM switches canuse to indicate the presence of congestion. This forces end systems toreduce the amount of data sent into the network, thus alleviatingcongestion while minimizing the probability of cell loss.
With its ability to throttle back traffic and effectively buffer cells inmemory, the LightStream 1010 will bring new levels of availability to ATMnetworks. When loads become such that the 1010 cannot immediately pass alltraffic through the switch, it begins buffering, or storing, "backed up"cells in a common memory pool that is shared across all ports. Thisshared-memory architecture allows the switch to maximize its bufferingcapabilities, minimizing the cell loss that could lead to network crashes.Switches based on pure output-buffered, bus fabrics can only store cells inthe physical buffers associated with each port and are thus moresusceptible to congestion collapse.
Easy to Use and Upgrade
Shared-memory switches such as the LightStream 1010 are easier to upgradethan bus-based ones because all control hardware is centralized. Users canadd complex features to the switch without having to purchase additionalinterface cards, as they would with bus-based switches.The LightStream 1010's switching engine contains a field-upgradable featurecard and a high-performance, 100MHz MIPS R4600 RISC processor that providescentral intelligence for the switch. All advanced switch mechanisms arecentralized on the feature card, so deployed switches can be upgradedeasily to match evolving standards and functional enhancements.
While offering a highly flexible switch architecture, the LightStream 1010sets new standards for ease-of-use. It is the first to offerstandards-compliant, plug-and-play capability. Network managers can "bringup" a network of LightStream 1010 switches automatically, using theswitches' pre-configured ATM addresses. The switches use ATM Forum-standardP-NNI routing protocols to discover switch locations and standard ILMI(Interim Local Management Interface) protocols to configure the addressesof ATM end-systems.
Comprehensive ATM Switch/Network Management
The LightStream 1010 provides users with a high degree of manageability.Advanced port snooping and connection steering capabilities allow for theconnections on any port to be directed to a monitor port for analysis by anexternal ATM analyzer. This capability is critical for the monitoring andtroubleshooting of ATM switching systems, because, unlike currentshared-medium LANs, network traffic flows cannot be monitored easily withexternal devices.
"This product should maintain Cisco's strong position in the workgroup andcampus ATM switch market," said Gartner Group's Baylock. "Combined with itsenterprise backbone ATM switch, ATM interface cards for routers and LANswitches and ATM adapters for desktop systems and servers, Cisco has acomprehensive end-to-end ATM solution."
Availability
The LightStream 1010 is expected to be generally available in the secondcalendar quarter of 1996."Cisco is being very proactive in telling customers about the LightStream1010," said Chambers. "They will have to move beyond our current-generationworkgroup and campus ATM switch, the LightStream 100, to take fulladvantage of ATM," he added. "We will also offer generous upgrades from theLightStream 100, because we recognize our obligation to work closely withcustomers to protect their investments."
Cisco is announcing the LightStream 1010 prior to first shipment to make iteasier for customers to plan and budget for their ATM network strategies.The company will also offer credits toward the purchase of the LightStream1010 or LightStream 2020 to customers with the LightStream 100. Thesecredits will be 50 percent of the purchase price of the LightStream 100.
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