Midnight Networks Delivers Innovative Remote Access Performance Test Tool.

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1997--

Avalanche/RA is First Product Designed to Test Performance,

Reliability of Remote Access Devices and Services

Midnight Networks today introduced Avalanche/RA, its new remote access test tool that provides detailed information about the performance, reliability, and availability of remote access devices and services. This information can be used by network managers, data service providers such as ISPs and telecommunications companies, equipment vendors, and anyone else who needs to evaluate the performance and quality of remote access systems and services.

The first commercially-available, automated tool designed specifically for remote access performance testing, Avalanche/RA can establish PPP connections with a device or service on up to 64 ports and send data traffic in both directions. It measures vital performance characteristics such as data traffic latency and throughput, PPP connection establishment and teardown time, and packets dropped.

Avalanche/RA is ideally suited for situations where the performance characteristics of a remote access system or service are needed. For instance, Avalanche/RA can be used by enterprise network managers setting up an extranet or Virtual Private Network (VPN) to determine the comparative performance offered by several different data service providers. In addition, Internet Service Providers can use Avalanche/RA during expansion planning to determine exactly how many connections a particular remote access server can handle.

"We're excited about this product because Avalanche/RA is a must-have product for anyone concerned with large numbers of PPP dial-ins -- remote access vendors, service providers, and large enterprises alike," says Peter H. Schmidt, division manager of Midnight Networks. "Using Avalanche/RA is the only feasible way to tell whether the access required from a device or service is consistently available."

Remote Access Testing Features

Midnight Networks' goals in providing Avalanche/RA are to simplify, automate, and speed up the process of testing the performance of remote access systems. Key features of Avalanche/RA include:

-- Remote access performance measurements: Avalanche/RA provides over 60 different metrics and measurements for each port used during a test. These measurements include, among others:

-- Data traffic latency and throughput

-- Total packets sent and received

-- Number of attempts required to bring up a connection

-- Time required to bring up and tear down a connection

-- Options negotiated during PPP setup

-- 64 asynchronous serial ports: Avalanche/RA comes with 64 asynchronous serial ports using DB25 connectors. These ports can be configured to send traffic at speeds of up to 115K bits per second. Two 10/100 Mb Ethernet ports are also included to enable both closed-loop data traffic transmission and remote control of Avalanche/RA from a networked workstation.

-- Built-in scripts: Included with Avalanche/RA are a number of pre-written test scripts to help the user obtain performance results quickly. Among other things, these scripts determine the latency and throughput of a device. Users can also write their own scripts to create customized tests.

-- Full control over test events: Avalanche/RA's scripting capability allows users to specify different actions on each port individually, meeting users' needs to emulate specific situations. Conversely, users may also initiate the same activity on all ports at once.

-- Flexible data traffic transmission: Avalanche/RA can send IP data streams in both directions over open connections. Users can vary and control several aspects of these data streams, such as packet size, rate (in packets per second), direction, and packet content.

-- Support for LCP, IPCP, PAP and CHAP: In addition to negotiating the fundamental elements of a PPP connection through the Link Control Protocol (LCP), Avalanche/RA can also negotiate IPCP (Internet Protocol Control Protocol), PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) and CHAP (Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol). Avalanche/RA reports the results of the negotiation on each port.

-- Modem dialing control: Avalanche/RA is able to dial up to the device or service being tested, and can even log in using a sequence of ASCII commands and responses, including a password. Avalanche/RA can also log modem responses and configuration data.

Enterprise Network Managers and Data Service Providers Improve Service Levels with Avalanche/RA

With Avalanche/RA, network managers responsible for remote access can test new or reconfigured remote access devices before deploying them, reducing service outages and support demands. Avalanche/RA can be used when buying new remote access equipment to evaluate the performance and reliability of different vendors' products.

In addition, network managers who are outsourcing their remote access to service providers or setting up Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can use Avalanche/RA to thoroughly test the performance and availability of services from different providers.

ISPs and other service providers can use Avalanche/RA to evaluate the performance of remote access equipment and make sure that their services meet or exceed their customers' expectations. "Avalanche/RA is proving to be an excellent test platform which will help us to validate the quality of service and operation of our existing and future Internet access systems," says Fred Skaggs, Software Designer for the Network Services Network Development department of CompuServe, based in Columbus, Ohio. "Avalanche/RA has been very useful, allowing us to stress-test PPP servers, authentication systems, and dialup access by creating numerous simultaneous connects and simulated Internet traffic."

Avalanche/RA also allows ISPs who offer service level agreements to thoroughly validate their services. "The Midnight Networks technology provides extensive performance statistics for remote access devices that network service providers can use to determine what kinds of performance guarantees they can realistically offer, measure performance against those guarantees, and offer something in return when the guarantees are not met," states Rebecca Wetzel, Director of Internet Consulting of Telechoice Inc. based in Verona, New Jersey.

Remote Access Vendors Benefit from Avalanche/RA's Automated Testing Capabilities

Manufacturers of remote access products now have a compact test system for checking the performance of their products and determining how they will perform in real-world situations.

"Purchasing, configuring and maintaining PCs for testing is an enormous task -- and we've never been able to control them from one interface. Avalanche/RA replaces those PCs and allows us to have complete and centralized control on each port," states Normand Goyette, Lead Integration Test Engineer with 3Com in Westborough, Mass. "We now have testing capability we've never had before. With Avalanche/RA we can push the protocols to the limit and simulate different types of clients dialing in."

Pricing and Specifications

The price of an Avalanche/RA system is $39,995. Avalanche/RA's hardware platform is a custom-built Pentium-based workstation with 64 asynchronous serial ports and two 10/100 Mbit Ethernet ports. Avalanche/RA can be connected directly with the device or system being tested, or via modems or ISDN terminal adapters connected with a phone switch or the public telephone system. Avalanche/RA can be run through a Java-based graphical user interface or a command-line interface that enables integration with automated test tools.

Midnight Networks, a division of Teradyne, Inc., of Boston, Mass., provides software for network product development and network management. The company also offers customized software development and test system design and implementation to networking vendors and users. Midnight Networks' products include Avalanche/RA, a remote access performance test tool, Avalanche/LW, a network emulation product for stress testing of LAN/WAN products, and ANVL, an automated system for validating protocol interoperability in network devices. The company can be reached via phone at 617/890-1001 or 888/809-TEST (8378), or via email at [e-mail]. Information about Midnight Networks can also be obtained from its Web site at http://www.midnight.com . -0-

Midnight Networks, Avalanche, ANVL and Recon/Map are trademarks, and the Midnight Networks logo is a registered trademark of Teradyne Midnight Networks Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Midnight Networks

Hollie K. Schmidt, 617-890-1001

[e-mail]

http://www.midnight.com