Frontier Software expands support of WAN monitoring and traffic management for enterprise networks; NETscout enhances monitoring and reporting for Frame Relay and WEB traffic; delivers high density multi-link WAN probes.

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1996--Frontier Software today announced an extensive number of RMON-based NETscout products targeted at monitoring and managing LAN-based WAN traffic.

Frontier Software delivered the industry's first RMON probes and management software for WANs and Frame Relay traffic in August, 1993 and January, 1994 respectively. To meet the increasing need for WAN traffic management, Frontier Software has further enhanced NETscout Manager to provide greater insight into Frame Relay and WEB traffic and also extended the NETscout family with a high density multi-link EnterpriseProbe for LAN/WAN and Frame Relay traffic.

The NETscout Model 7500 WAN probe utilizes Frontier's EnterpriseRMON, a superset of RMON1 and RMON2, and supports up to 4 E1/T1 channels. NETscout Manager version 4.1 gives the user unprecedented diagnostic and reporting tools for real time monitoring and troubleshooting of Frame Relay and WEB traffic. An integrated SQL database provides robust data aggregation and generates over 60 high level reports. NETscout Manager's new flexible and comprehensive Trend Reporter application supports customized reports for network trend analysis, planning, and usage-based accounting and billing.

"NETscout's enhanced WAN monitoring tools build upon our broad experience and existing capabilities for supporting wide area networks," said Nathan Kalowski, vice president of marketing for Frontier Software. "Together with the rest of the NETscout monitoring, troubleshooting, and reporting tools, Frontier Software delivers the most comprehensive and integrated family of LAN/WAN traffic management products in the industry."

Growth in WEB and Frame Relay usage requires extensive traffic management tools

The unprecedented increase in the level of WAN traffic for corporations has occurred because the continued expansion of intranets; the integration of remote sites; and the pervasive use of the Internet, especially WEB based traffic. The number of Internet and intranet servers, according to International Data Corporation, is expected to increase to nearly 5 million units by the year 2000. By 1998 IDC predicts over 80 million business users of the internet. In addition, the number of remote corporate sites being integrated into corporate networks is expanding by over 60 percent per year.

This has resulted in a dramatic increase of LAN-based traffic over wide area links and increased cost of operation. Many corporations are migrating from point-to-point links to more reliable and cost effective Frame Relay links while at the same time connecting more remote sites to their intranet. This market, according to Business Communications Review, is expected to double in service revenue between 1995 and 1997. This explosive growth has placed management demands on network administrators who require extensive tools that not only allow troubleshooting of wide area network problems but also lets them do network planning and tracking of transmission costs.

NETscout Manager 4.1 delivers enhanced support for Frame Relay networks

Frontier Software is releasing NETscout Manager 4.1 delivers unparalleled support of WAN diagnostics and reporting, all within the framework of the RMON2 standard. NETscout Manager can provide critical RMON2 statistics for each DLCI of a Frame Relay link, including vital signs (e.g. FECNs, BECNs, Discards, Bytes/sec Out, etc.), protocol distribution, hosts, conversations, and history.

Thresholds can be set on any of the Frame Relay vital signs, such as CIR (Committed Information Rate), to trigger RMON2 data collection on a particular DLCI for in depth diagnostics. Extensive reporting supports logged data for long term planning information about multiple sites and PVCs throughout the enterprise. Integrated billing and accounting applications gives the user the capability of generating timely reports by cost center and departments. The user is able to automatically format and schedule custom or fixed reports on daily, weekly, or monthly basis for all Frame Relay traffic.

"Our customers' Frame Relay networks are critical to all of their business operations," said Mark Dollar, senior network analyst at the Service Development Group of Ascom-Timeplex Inc. "NETscout gives us extensive tools to monitor key Frame Relay vital signs and to generate reports for the utilization, performance, and cost characteristics of our customers' critical WAN links."

Frontier's EnterpriseRMON allows monitoring and reporting of all WEB traffic

The explosion of internet traffic by users in corporations has put new stress levels on the ability of WAN links to deliver the performance levels required for low latency network response and network availability. NETscout WAN probes such as the Model 6040 and the new multi-link Model 7500, with Frontier's EnterpriseRMON, allow the monitoring of all WEB traffic. NETscout Manager delivers extensive custom and preconfigured reports, including utilization statistics, for all WEB site traffic and the users of each WAN link. This capability gives the network manager policy-based management tools to assist in the decision making of upgrades to WAN links and user privileges to outside WAN services. These tools let the administrator optimize WAN costs without degrading network availability.

NETscout's enhanced reporting permits flexible usage-based billing and accounting

NETscout's integrated SQL database permits aggregation of individual network or MAC network addresses into billing entities such as cost centers or departments. NETscout Manager's new Trend Reporter application allows extensive and flexible reporting of network usage data for any LAN or WAN traffic. MIS managers and service providers can use these reporting tools to generate accurate usage-based billing reports. These reports can be used, for example, to justify network upgrades, generate information about WEB server usage, allow chargeback reports of WAN utilization by department, or measure the effectivity of WAN services.

NETscout Model 7500 EnterpriseProbe supports monitoring up to 4 E1/T1 links

The new NETscout Model 7500 EnterpriseProbe allows concurrent monitoring of up to 4 WAN links from a single probe. This not only reduces the number of discrete devices needed to monitor enterprise network WANs but also delivers unprecedented price performance for enterprise network deployment. The NETscout Model 7500 supports speeds up to E1 rates and delivers powerful RMON based statistics for HDLC, Frame Relay, PPP, and SMDS WAN interfaces.

Frontier will support DS3 and HSSI in the fall, 1996. As in all NETscout Probes, EnterpriseRMON allows full seven-layer monitoring and the ability to easily support the custom monitoring of any unique application traffic regardless of protocol suite or protocol layer. The Model 7500 is available with a standard Ethernet or Token Ring interface for side-band/in-band communications and LAN monitoring.

Memory can be upgraded from the standard 8MB to 64MB. In addition, the Model 7500 includes flash memory for easy field upgrades and is accessible for configurability and maintenance from a central site via TFTP, configuration MIB, and BootP support. The Model 7500 joins the other members of the NETscout family which support Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, Fast Ethernet, and Switched LANs. The NETscout Manager supports the entire family of probes with a comprehensive suite of integrated diagnostic applications and reporting tools that run on UNIX, Windows, and soon, NT management platforms.

Pricing and Availability

The NETscout model 7500 EnterpriseProbe with multi-link WAN support is available in July and is priced at $11,945 for 4 E1/T1 interfaces (the NETscout model 6040 single WAN link probe is available at $4,995/unit). The Frame Relay Monitor application, enhanced reporting, billing and accounting, and WEB monitoring is included in NETscout Manager 4.1. NETscout Manager 4.1 is available in July and priced at $3,495 for the Windows version and $5,995 for the UNIX version.

Your RMON2 Headquarters

Frontier Software is the technology leader in the development of the RMON standard and RMON-based distributed diagnostic systems. The company is an original member of the IETF RMON committee and has been an active contributor to establishing this new management standard (RFC 1757) for distributed LAN diagnostics and for the new RMON2 standard. Frontier's products include the NETscout family of intelligent SNMP/RMON LAN/WAN Probes and management console analysis software tools.

Introduced in 1992, NETscout was the first RMON based distributed diagnostic product line available in the industry and the first to offer 7 layer monitoring through its unique EnterpriseRMON technology. In 1993 Frontier was the first to deliver RMON based probes and management for WANs and received Data Communications "Hot Product" award for Network Management.

At Spring NetWorld+Interop '94, NETscout's Resource Manager was selected as a finalist for "Best of Show". In 1995, NETscout was awarded the "Application Excellence Award for Network Management" from Faulkner Communications and the "Tester's Choice" from Data Communications Magazine. Frontier delivered the industry's first RMON probes for CDDI/FDDI in 1995. Recently, Frontier announced the industry's first RMON-based probe for Fast Ethernet. Frontier markets the NETscout family on a world-wide basis through VARs, system integrators, and OEMs as well as directly to major end users.

CONTACT: Frontier Software, Chelmsford

Nathan Kalowski, 508/244-4000

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