Cisco LightStream 1010 next-generation workgroup campus ATM switch first to offer standard ATM routing and traffic management.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 27, 1995--Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced the LightStream(TM) 1010, a next-generation workgroup/campus Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch that is the first to deploy key ATM Forum standard software for ATM routing and traffic management.

These new capabilities will enable users to build production ATM networks that are reliable and scalable.

Building on Cisco's Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS(TM)) software, the LightStream 1010 offers the most complete feature set of any switch in its class. At the same time, it is designed to let customers easily and inexpensively add new features and upgrade the switch to keep pace with evolving standards.

Additionally, the LightStream 1010 sets new standards for ease-of-use because 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 family will include products ranging from low-cost, stackable ATM switches to highly redundant campus backbone switches with capacities of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) and more.

According to Joseph Baylock, vice president and research area director for Gartner Group, Inc., "The development and deployment of next-generation ATM switches will enable the ATM market to accelerate. These switches should give users more confidence to move ATM into production networks, because they will provide higher performance and greater port density, ensure that quality of service parameters work and interoperate with existing LANs and WANs."

Network managers say a new generation of workgroup/campus ATM switches is needed because few current-generation ATM switches can be upgraded to support the key new ATM Forum specifications or the demands of production environments. "The current crop of ATM switches basically gives us the high-speed pipes we need, but they don't allow us to take advantage of the unique properties of ATM," said Marc Albert, senior software engineer at Market Vision, a New York provider of real-time information management and distribution software for the financial community.

According to John Chambers, president and CEO of Cisco Systems, "The ATM industry as a whole must step up to the challenge of educating the market about the need for a new generation of switches that will truly enable production ATM."

Cisco's LightStream 1010 is a non-blocking 5-Gbps, 32-port ATM switch that supports a wide range of port types, ranging from 25-Mbps "desktop" ATM and 45-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 Private Network-to-Network Interface (P-NNI) and Available Bit Rate (ABR) service -- key ATM routing and traffic management standards that will provide for scalable, multivendor ATM networks.

P-NNI includes a routing information protocol that allows different vendors' ATM switches to be integrated in the same network. P-NNI distributes routing information automatically and dynamically, enabling any switch to determine a path to any other switch. It also ensures that the eventual connection will support the intended traffic flow and meet the desired quality-of-service guarantees.

The P-NNI protocol has been designed to scale across all sizes of ATM networks, from small campus networks of a few switches to global networks with thousands of switches. This level of scalability is greater than that of any existing routing protocol. Cisco is implementing P-NNI in phases to facilitate 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 can use to indicate the presence of congestion. This forces end systems to reduce the amount of data sent into the network, thus alleviating congestion while minimizing the probability of cell loss.

With its ability to throttle back traffic and effectively buffer cells in memory, the LightStream 1010 will bring new levels of availability to ATM networks.

When loads become such that the 1010 cannot immediately pass all traffic through the switch, it begins buffering, or storing, "backed up" cells in a common memory pool that is shared across all ports. This shared-memory architecture allows the switch to maximize its buffering capabilities, minimizing the cell loss that could lead to network crashes. Switches based on pure output-buffered, bus fabrics can only store cells in the physical buffers associated with each port and are thus more susceptible to congestion collapse.

Easy to use and upgrade

Shared-memory switches such as the LightStream 1010 are easier to upgrade than bus-based ones because all control hardware is centralized. Users can add complex features to the switch without having to purchase additional interface cards, as they would with bus-based switches.

The LightStream 1010's switching engine contains a field- upgradable feature card and a high-performance, 100MHz MIPS R4600 RISC processor that provides central intelligence for the switch. All advanced switch mechanisms are centralized on the feature card, so deployed switches can be upgraded easily to match evolving standards and functional enhancements.

While offering a highly flexible switch architecture, the LightStream 1010 sets new standards for ease-of-use. It is the first to offer standards-compliant, plug-and-play capability. Network managers can "bring up" a network of LightStream 1010 switches automatically, using the switches' pre-configured ATM addresses. The switches use ATM Forum-standard P-NNI routing protocols to discover switch locations and standard ILMI (Interim Local Management Interface) protocols to configure the addresses of 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 the connections on any port to be directed to a monitor port for analysis by an external ATM analyzer. This capability is critical for the monitoring and troubleshooting of ATM switching systems, because, unlike current shared-medium LANs, network traffic flows cannot be monitored easily with external devices.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) monitoring and configuration -- invoked through the CiscoView graphical user interface (GUI) device configuration applications and the ATMDirector(TM) CiscoWorks ATM system management application -- allow for comprehensive network management. The LightStream 1010 also offers the same, familiar user interface found on Cisco routers, easing its deployment by current Cisco users.

"This product should maintain Cisco's strong position in the workgroup and campus ATM switch market," said Gartner Group's Baylock. "Combined with its enterprise backbone ATM switch, ATM interface cards for routers and LAN switches and ATM adapters for desktop systems and servers, Cisco has a comprehensive end-to-end ATM solution."

Pricing and availability

The LightStream 1010 is expected to be generally available in the second calendar quarter of 1996 at a base price of $19,000, with per-port prices starting at $1,195.

"Cisco is being very proactive in telling customers about the LightStream 1010," said Chambers. "They will have to move beyond our current-generation workgroup and campus ATM switch, the LightStream 100, to take full advantage of ATM," he added. "We will also offer generous upgrades from the LightStream 100, because we recognize our obligation to work closely with customers to protect their investments."

Cisco is announcing the LightStream 1010 prior to first shipment to make it easier for customers to plan and budget for their ATM network strategies. The company will also offer credits toward the purchase of the LightStream 1010 or LightStream 2020 to customers with the LightStream 100. These credits will be 50 percent of the purchase price of the LightStream 100.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the leading global supplier of internetworking solutions, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up access servers and network management software. These products, integrated by the Cisco IOS software, link geographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBM networks. Cisco news and product/service information are available at World Wide Web site http://www.cisco.com. Cisco is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. -0-

Note to Editors: LightStream and Cisco IOS are trademarks and Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. All other trademarks, registered or otherwise, are the property of their respective holders.

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