Xylan Integrates IP Firewall into Campus Switches.

CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1997--Xylan Corporation (NASDAQ:XYLN) today announced the first IP security firewall in a campus switch. The new capability integrates into its OmniSwitch and PizzaSwitch switch families.

Xylan integrated its firewall technology into the internal routing between VLANs. Of course, physical switch ports are mapped to virtual LANs, so the capabilities of a standalone firewall are available. But the integrated firewall is much more flexible than security firewalls based on physical connections. Applications include:

-- Connecting a switched campus network to the Internet. Network managers are quite reasonably concerned about the dangers of connecting their campus networks to the Internet without a safeguard against unauthorized intrusion.

-- Shielding a critical resource, such as a finance server, while allowing easy switched access to other resources. Network managers will now be able to erect security barriers in front of critical servers and mainframes.

Specific firewall functions include protection for the network from security breaches caused by IP fragmentation, and advanced anti-spoofing capability to block unauthorized access to the system by altering a packet's IP address. Unlike most firewalls, the OmniSwitch keeps track of network flows, rather than simply looking at each packet individually, and is able to act based on that knowledge.

Network management for the firewall is integrated into Vision, Xylan's graphical SNMP-based network management system, through the Enterprise Management Console (EMC). The EMC can configure and manage multiple switches from a single, centralized workstation. And configuration is done through an intelligent user interface; there's no need to use clumsy filters and filter tables. The EMC can be installed on Windows 95/NT, Solaris, SunOS, and HP-UX.

The EMC provides detailed reporting and auditing on network security. It will alert a network administrator based on pre- selected criteria, such as an unauthorized user attempting to gain access; the alert can generate an e-mail message or ring a pager, in addition to the console display.

The IP firewall software and associated network manager are available this month. Pricing is $990 for one to 24 users; $1,990 for 25 to 50 users; $4,990 for unlimited users on the OmniSwitch; and $3,490 for unlimited users on the PizzaSwitch. This includes all client/agent software that is required on the switch. The Enterprise Management Console is $11,995.

In less than four years since its founding, Xylan Corporation has introduced a complete set of technologies for high-bandwidth campus switching systems. Each is powerful, and all are integrated into a single set of product platforms. Capabilities available now and in the next six months include:

-- LAN switching for Ethernet, Token Ring, Fast Ethernet, and FDDI, including ATM uplinks and any-to-any translation

-- 13.2 Gbps ATM switching, with OC-3, OC-12, DS-3, E3, DS-1, E1, and 25 Mbps ports, using advanced buffer management

-- Hardware-based IP and IPX routing, including RIP, OSPF, RIP II, BGP-4, and IP multicast

-- Advanced upper-layer switching protocols, including PNNI, LAN Emulation, NHRP, and MPOA 

-- Policy-based virtual LANs - the broadest in the networking industry

-- IP security firewall software, tightly coupled with the switching fabric

-- Compressed, high-speed frame relay for wide area access

-- Graphical network management, with unique tools for managing VLAN policies and members, ATM virtual circuits, network-wide traffic patterns, and hardware / software configuration

This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the timely availability of new products and other risks detailed in the Company's prospectus and report Form 10-Q for the quarter ending September 30, 1996.

CONTACT: Xylan Corporation

John Mazzaferro, 818/878-4714

[e-mail]

http://www.xylan.com

Douglas Hill, 818/878-4518

[e-mail]

or

Tony Fisch Consulting

Tony Fisch, 818/501-6608