- News Release on Cisco 3640 Dial Access Server
- More Information on Cisco 3600 Series
- More Information on Service Provider Solutions
- More Information on Cisco IOS(TM) Software
SAN JOSE, Calif.- April 28, 1997 - Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced theresults of performance testing of the modular Cisco 3640 dial access server withStrategic Network Consulting (SNCI) in association with the telecommunicationsprogram at the University of Pittsburgh. Performance results confirmed that theCisco 3640 is fully capable of transmitting data at or near ISDN wire speeds upto its maximum configuration of six Primary Rate Interface (PRI) lines.
The Cisco 3600 series also gained new software and hardware enhancements today,further improving the flexibility, modularity and price/performance of thismultiservice platform. New Cisco IOS(TM) software enhancements enable customersto deploy leading-edge dial and multiservice applications. Hardware enhancementsinclude a new, low-cost, single-port Ethernet network processor module (NPM), aswell as an integrated 56-kbps data service unit/channel service unit (DSU/CSU)WAN interface card.
SNCI Performance Testing Results
The Cisco 3640 was specifically configured by SNCI to test its aggregatepacket-per-second (PPS) throughput performance using various packet sizes andpacket per second rates with various combinations of Primary Rate Interface (PRI) and basic rate interface (BRI) configurations. The results were uniform in theCisco 3640's ability to process and forward data packets. The 3640 managed large,processor-intensive 1514-byte packets flawlessly, with results reflecting 100percent of line speed when configured with two PRI lines, 99.8 percent with fourPRI lines and 98.8 percent of line speed at its maximum configuration of six PRIlines.
"The Cisco 3640 test results show a story of consistency. The device showed anability to maximize ISDN performance regardless of how many PRI lines wereconfigured or what packet size was used," said Thomas Plaster, consultant atSNCI. "With six PRI lines configured and real-world data transmissions, we saw noreal performance degradations. This is rare for enterprise internetworkingequipment. The Cisco 3640 delivers high-performance access to branch office andInterface Service Provider (ISP) environments."
Advanced Cisco IOS Software Features
The latest enhancements of Cisco IOS software for the Cisco 3600 seriesincorporates new dial-specific features that include support for MultichassisMultilink Point-to-Point Protocol (MMP), virtual private dial networks (VPDNs)and dialer profiles.
MMP provides a software mechanism in which ISDN B channels can be aggregatedacross multiple routers and dial access servers to create a stackgroupenvironment. Any router or dial access server in the stackgroup can then answerany call coming into a single access number via a tunneling between members ofthe stackgroup using Cisco Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F). L2F enables advanced VPDNfunctionality that allows users from multiple disparate domains to gain secureaccess to their corporate home gateways via a public network or the Internet.Additionally, dialer profiles enable the creation of separate profiles fordifferent classes of users dialing in on a single ISDN PRI line, dramaticallyextending the flexibility of dialup configurations.
Hardware Enhancements An affordable, single-port Ethernet NPM is now availablefor the Cisco 3600 series, enabling customers to choose the most cost-effectivesolution for their specific application needs. The NM-1E module has an attachmentunit interface (AUI) and an RJ-45 connection with LEDs to indicate the status ofthe active port.
In addition, a four-wire DSU/CSU WAN interface card is now available combining aDSU/CSU within a single WAN interface card on either the Cisco 3620 or 3640.DSU/CSU interfaces are required when connecting routers and dial access serversto telco/post, telephone or telegraph (PTT) communication circuits. An onboardDSU/CSU eliminates the requirement for external devices and can be managedremotely through the simple network management protocol (SNMP) for rapidtroubleshooting and problem resolution. The Cisco 3620 and 3640 are the firstdial access servers in the industry to incorporate an onboard DSU/CSU WANinterface card.
"As customer performance requirements increase on both the software side with thedeployment of advanced multimedia Internet applications, and on the hardware sidewith increasing end-user data throughput requirements, Cisco continues to deliverleading-edge modular solutions to enterprise and service provider customers ataffordable price points," said Kevin Kennedy, vice president and general managerof the Access Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "The Cisco 3640 test results setnew standards in the industry in terms of price/performance and softwarefeature/functionality."
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO)is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. News and information areavailable at http://www.cisco.com.
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