Comprehensive Virtual LAN Solution from Cisco Encompasses Switches, Routers, ATM Products and Switched Network Management Applications.LAS VEGAS Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. , Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 28, 1995--Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in LAN switching, today introduced a virtual LAN (VLAN See virtual LAN. VLAN - Virtual Local Area Network ) solution that will give users unprecedented flexibility in designing, modifying and configuring their networks. Cisco will be the first networking vendor to offer VLAN support across its router, switch and ATM product lines. There are three key elements of this solution that Cisco will deliver over the next three to six months: First, Cisco is introducing a complete family of switching platforms that support embedded VLAN capabilities. These capabilities will be supported on the new Catalyst 5000 and Kalpana ProStack switching systems when they begin shipping in June (see accompanying releases), and on Cisco routers this summer. Second, Cisco is supporting the development of VLAN communication standards to facilitate VLAN interoperability across different LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. technologies, its routers and switches, and other vendors' equipment. These standards include the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. 802.10 standards for transporting VLANs across common shared-media LAN technologies such as FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) Often pronounced "fiddy," it was a LAN and MAN access method that had its heyday in the mid-1990s. FDDI was an ANSI standard token passing network that transmitted 100 Mbps over optical fiber up to 10 kilometers. . Cisco also supports ATM Forum-defined LAN Emulation for communicating through ATM fabrics and is leading development at the Forum of the Common Native Mode ATM Protocol (CNAP CNAP Cisco Networking Academy Program CNAP Calling Name Presentation CNAP Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific ), a distributed method for routing between VLANs. Cisco is incorporating these VLAN communication standards within the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) and will provide full routing functionality across VLANs in the third quarter. Third, Cisco will continue to deliver on a series of switched network management applications. In July, the company will introduce VLAN View, a graphically-based VLAN configuration and management tool. Virtual LANs, administratively-defined groupings based on logical function rather than physical location, are in growing demand for the efficiencies they can bring to large switched internetworks. Containing traffic with a VLAN reduces broadcast activity across the network, increases workgroup security and minimizes costs associated with moves, adds and changes. Early VLAN implementations created broadcast domains within a local group of switched-media devices. But users of large switched internetworks now are seeking enterprise-wide VLAN communications. "Cisco is the only networking vendor that can provide standards-based, end-to-end VLAN communications across the entire enterprise," said Jayshree Ullal, director of marketing for Cisco's Workgroup Business Unit. "And our advanced switched network management tools enable users to greatly reduce the complexities associated with VLAN configuration, administration and management." Extending VLANs From the Workgroup to the Enterprise The Cisco Catalyst 5000 switching system delivers enterprise- wide VLAN communications by handling up to 1,024 switched virtual LANs without any switching performance degradation. These VLANs can be interconnected between switches and routers using three high-speed backbone technologies: 100Base-T Fast Ethernet, Fiber Distributed Data Interface See FDDI. Fiber Distributed Data Interface - (FDDI) A 100 Mbit/s ANSI standard local area network architecture, defined in X3T9.5. The underlying medium is optical fibre (though it can be copper cable, in which case it may be called CDDI) and the topology is a (FDDI) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode See ATM. (communications) Asynchronous Transfer Mode - (ATM, or "fast packet") A method for the dynamic allocation of bandwidth using a fixed-size packet (called a cell). See also ATM Forum, Wideband ATM. ATM acronyms. Indiana acronyms. (ATM). Standards-Based VLANs Facilitate Interoperability To transport VLAN traffic across a routed infrastructure or shared media, Cisco has implemented the standard IEEE 802.10 protocol, which connects VLANs across shared media LAN A local area network (LAN) that shares its total available bandwidth with all transmitting stations at any given time. Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI are examples. When shared media LANs run out of capacity to serve their users effectively, they can often be upgraded by replacing the hub technologies such as FDDI. VLAN communication over ATM uses ATM Forum-defined LAN Emulation, a protocol standardized by the Forum to extend VLANs from switched LANs across an ATM fabric. Optionally, VLAN communication over Fast Ethernet is achieved using Cisco's Inter-Switch Link (ISL ISL - Interface Specification Language. Xerox PARC. Interface description language used by the ILU (Inter-Language Unification) system. Includes descriptions of multiple inheritance, exceptions and garbage collection. E-mail: Bill Janssen <janssen@parc.xerox.com>. ) protocol operating at full- duplex speed over copper and fiber connections. This option provides a high-speed, low-investment mechanism for transporting virtual LANs across Fast Ethernet. Retaining the advantages of scalability, stability and security associated with routed internetworks requires a distributed method for routing between VLANs that avoids central points of congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. and failure. Toward this end, Cisco is working with the ATM Forum to drive the development of the Common Native Mode ATM Protocol, which will facilitate routing between VLANs across a switched internetwork that supports distributed routing. Switched Network Management Applications Existing network management platforms do not provide the ability to easily create, check the status of, and manage VLANs across the enterprise. Cisco's new VLAN View application manages widely distributed VLANs by assigning physical switching ports to predefined logical groups. Users attached to switched ports can be added or moved using a simple drag-and-drop interface. Network managers may assign a user to a VLAN simply by dragging a port out of a graphical view of the switch and dropping it into VLAN View's graphical configurator. VLAN View provides a graphical view of VLAN "memberships" (all devices and ports in the VLAN) and link types (e.g., ATM, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet). Port status is identified by the user-assigned VLAN type. VLAN configuration can be accomplished within the wiring closet using console commands. Or, it can be done from the centralized management platform running VLAN View, using a graphical user interface graphical user interface (GUI) Computer display format that allows the user to select commands, call up files, start programs, and do other routine tasks by using a mouse to point to pictorial symbols (icons) or lists of menu choices on the screen as opposed to having to . In either case, these changes are updated by VLAN View and can be reported by screen captures and printed reports. Pricing and Availability VLAN View will be available in July for $2,995 as a stand-alone application, or integrated with the CiscoWorks application suite for $10,000. Cisco's VLAN agent software also will be available in July as a standard part of the Catalyst 5000 system software, and for routers as part of the Cisco IOS. Cisco Systems, Inc. is the leading global supplier of enterprise networks, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up access servers and network management software. These products, integrated by Cisco's Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) link geographically dispersed LANs, WANs, and IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) networks. Cisco is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and in the U.S. is traded under the NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on symbol CSCO CSCO Cisco Systems Incorporated (stock symbol) CSCO Chief Supply Chain Officer . CONTACT: Cisco Systems, Inc. Amanda Jaramillo, 408/526-7391 Steve Bauer, 408/526-4433 or Ulevich & Orrange, Inc. William Orrange or Janis Ulevich, 415/329-1590 |
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