NextHop's GateD NGC 2.2 software extends platform support and network routing management capability: adds support for VRRP AND CLI.

NextHop Technologies(R) Inc., the definitive source for network routing software solutions, has unveiled the latest version of its GateD(R) NGC (Next Generation Carrier) routing and MPLS software. NGC 2.2 adds one new protocol, VRRP (virtual routing redundancy protocol), and fifteen new CLI (command line interface) products to the GateD product suite.

These new products enhance NextHop's basic value proposition to its customers--enabling them to get products to market faster, with lower development expenses, higher performance, and pre-tested quality.

NextHop's VRRP product implements the VRRP standards defined by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). Thoroughly tested by the University of New Hampshire's (UNH) InterOperability Lab (IOL) and internally at NextHop, it can be used to implement fail-over or HA (high availability) architectures both between router boxes and/or within a box or network system.

The new CLI products provide a complete set of management functions for each of the routing and switching components of the GateD software suite. In addition, the GateD CLI framework is extensible and can be used for developing CLIs for the other capabilities of a customer's product.

NextHop's NGC 2.2 routing software also provides multiple new enhancements to meet the challenging needs of network equipment manufacturers building for either the service provider or enterprise market.

NGC 2.2 has been ported to and is fully supported on the WIND RIVER(R) Platform for Network Equipment (Platform NE) 2.0. This enables those manufacturers who have chosen Wind River's proven, reliable VxWorks(R) real time operating system (RTOS) to easily integrate NextHop's GateD code--not just for basic routing, but also for complex environments including virtual routers and MPLS/2547 switches--that are ideal for use in large carrier environments.

NGC 2.2 has also enriched its BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) and MPLS features to scale and provide support for the capabilities required by the next generation, multi-service edge switches planned for the 2005 timeframe.

Lastly, NGC 2.2 enhances GateD's Advanced Management Interface (AMI) capabilities, providing increased performance and scalability while offering more sophisticated control and security capabilities.

"NextHop continues to listen to the complex needs of network equipment manufacturers, enhancing our software to meet their needs--by providing the quickest and most cost-effective way to integrate high-quality control plane software with the rest of their system. Both the PNE 2.0 implementation, a first, and the CLI interface are direct answers to requests for ease of integration and management," said Dennis Tsu, vice president, sales and marketing, NextHop Technologies. "With GateD NGC 2.2 NextHop continues to strengthen its position as the leading provider of control plane software to the network equipment space."