Georgia State University Deploys 3Com Systems for Advanced 23,000-User Multimedia Network.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 1999--

Internet2 Pioneer Uses 3Com Solutions to Support Converged

Networking, Multicast Video Streams and Telephony over ATM

Metropolitan Area Network for Education and Advanced Research

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today announced that Georgia State University (GSU), one of the South's premier academic and research institutions, is deploying a massive network based on 3Com(R) high-speed ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) Fast Ethernet switches, wide-area routers, remote access concentrators and network management software. The 3Com network supports advanced educational services and research. It also is driving GSU's participation in the Internet2 Project, a consortium of 112 universities working with government and industry to develop next-generation Internet technologies for research and education.

Anchored by a 622 megabits per second (Mbps) OC-12 ATM backbone, GSU's network provides connectivity for 23,000 students, faculty members and researchers over a 20 mile radius spanning six Atlanta campuses. The network delivers such sophisticated applications as voice, video and data traffic, IP multicast video streams and, soon, an enterprise-wide PBX for voice-over-data networking.

"Using the extraordinary bandwidth and control offered by our 3Com infrastructure, we can quickly and reliably deliver virtually any application to any user anywhere at our facilities," said Tom Lamb, GSU's director of university communication and computing services. "We can implement advanced technologies like a PBX to reduce our telephony costs and Multiprotocol Over ATM (MPOA), which will provide more efficient links between Ethernet segments over our ATM backbone."

Developing 21st Applications and Technologies for Internet2

Deployed this year, GSU's network enables researchers to build high-speed, broadband Internet2 technologies for academic research and instruction. The network, for example, is a critical asset for the Architectures for Gigabit Multimedia Delivery project, which researches the delivery of multimedia applications at the gigabit speeds of emerging Internet2 networks. The network also enables the Simulations of Astrophysical Hydrodynamical Flows initiative to utilize remote computing resources at the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center to develop 3-dimensional visualization applications for extremely sophisticated studies of galaxies.

GSU's bandwidth-rich network supports the university's participation in the Cineon Project, which studies digital video imaging. Using Kodak compositing software and other sophisticated technologies like IP multicast video streams, investigators at the school's Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory are exploring how Internet2 technologies can support the retrieval, use and storage of full-motion digital video for film and video production.

Researchers depend on the network to build the Geographic Information System Decision Support System, an Internet2-based application to support environmental decision-making. When completed, participants at GSU and other universities will rely on high-resolution images, animation, video conferencing and real-time collaboration tools to scientifically address environmental issues.

In addition to these Internet2 efforts, users at GSU deploy multicast video streams to retrieve video library resources. Learners remotely access a powerful telescope at Mt. Wilson, CA, and rapidly view its images. The network also supports the converged communications required for Classroom 2000, a federal initiative to develop technology-rich classrooms of the future.

A Cutting-Edge ATM Infrastructure

GSU's new network is replacing a Token-Ring/FDDI architecture that lacked the scalability and performance to satisfy the university's growing student body and expanding research facilities. With its previous network saturated from increasing traffic, the school sought a more powerful and scalable architecture to maintain its academic standards and support ongoing research. After examining competing systems from Cabletron, Cisco and Bay Networks, GSU standardized on a 3Com infrastructure for its superior performance and costs.

"3Com's switching systems offered us the most powerful and cost-effective enterprise solution," said Lamb. "They provide the throughput needed for the most demanding multimedia services and applications while ensuring the highest availability possible."

The network's backbone is comprised of four 3Com CoreBuilder(R) 7000HD (High Density) ATM switches that link via 622 Mbps OC-12 connections. These systems connect to an additional eight CoreBuilder 7000HD switches in campus buildings via dual 155 Mbps OC-3 links. The CoreBuilder 7000HD switches distribute OC-3 or 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet links to 400 of 3Com's new SuperStack(R) II Switch 1100 switches and SuperStack II Switch 3300 switches. These devices distribute OC-3 and Fast Ethernet to the university's desktops. The network eventually will support 10,000 desktops. To ensure users with fast access to large data files and applications, GSU links many of its high-performance servers at OC-3 speeds.

GSU will further bolster its network by installing three of 3Com's new high-end ATM-based CoreBuilder 9000 enterprise switches. Ultimately, GSU will have 30 CoreBuilder 7000HD ATM switches deployed throughout its campus - all with redundant OC-3 links to the CoreBuilder 9000 platforms.

"The CoreBuilder 9000 switches offer the highest core switching speeds on the market," added Lamb. "Their extraordinary port density will let us increase our VLANs from 30 to 120, permitting us to more effectively segment user traffic."

To connect its six campuses, GSU created an OC-3 ATM metropolitan area network (MAN) using 3Com NETBuilder II(R) routers. The MAN enables users to access resources quickly and easily from any desktop. It additionally will provide the infrastructure for the university's PBX. A 3Com Total Control(tm) platform linked to a CoreBuilder 7000 switch provides ISDN connectivity for dial-in remote users.

Advanced Management Tools Optimize Network Performance

GSU relies on powerful management tools to enhance the performance of its network. The university deploys 3Com's Transcend(R) Enterprise Manager for UNIX networking application to configure and manage its 3Com networking systems and to create VLANs (virtual local area networks). GSU's VLANs group users into logical network domains, simplifying management and providing for the most effective traffic patterns. Transcend Enterprise Manager software provides graphical displays of the status of network traffic and devices based on RMON/RMON2 (Remote Monitoring) data and notifies administrators when certain thresholds are exceeded.

The university also is implementing InfoVista, 3Com's service-level agreement (SLA) conformance and management application for enterprise-wide monitoring of network availability and performance. GSU plans to use InfoVista to establish SLAs with its networking community, ensuring users of the networking performance they require.

"Given our large, geographically-distributed student body and sophisticated services, network management is absolutely critical," said Lamb. "Using 3Com's management tools, we now have the bandwidth control to support the most advanced research applications. We also can maintain this extraordinary level of service with only half the IT staff we normally would need, which is saving us significant time and money. With 3Com's support, we're entering the new millennium knowing that GSU will effectively sustain the highest educational standards and provide the most advanced academic research available."

About 3Com Corporation

With more than 200 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to large, medium, and small enterprises; carriers and network service providers; PC OEMs; and consumers. 3Com. More connected(tm). For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, Transcend, NETBuilder II, SuperStack and CoreBuilder are registered trademarks and Total Control and More connected. are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other brands and company names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.