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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:	FDDI - The Next Generation

Moderator:	NETCAD::STEFANI

Created:	Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2259
Total number of notes:	8590

907.0. "An RFI for "multi-port" Ethernet/FDDI bridge" by GUIDUK::KANG (J.H. John Kang @SEO - DTN 545-4340) Wed Mar 24 1993 01:42

    Hello, 
    
    I have a RFI in my hand which I need to response to.  It calls for
    minimum of 4 Ethernet port and expandable to more, and expandable
    to provide ANSI FDDI Interface (DAS and SAS).
    
    So, I thought I propose DECbridge 6xx.  But I have some questions
    that I can't answer very well with DECbridge 6xx series and I would
    like to hear your suggestions or answers:
    
                                  NOTE:
    
              As long as the proposed product for this RFI is in
              "beta" level, the solution is acceptable to them.
    
    1) RFI calls for "minimum" 4 ports.  DECbridge only supports 3 
       Ethernet ports.  Are more port support coming in the near future?
    
    2) Any "hot" swappable design of Ethernet port cards?
    
    3) RFI asks for 10Base-FL (FOIRL) Interface support.  DECbridge 6xx
       doesn't support this.  Any suggestion?
    
    4) Provisions for Console Port, In-band (IP) and Out-of-band (9.6 kps)
       access. 
    
    5) Per inteface LED indications for current port status.
      
    6) Bridging software is modular via Flash EEPROMS for local storage
       (TFTP)
    
    7) Minimum capacity of 4000 addresses per port and expandable.  
       Including both auto and programmable address table aging.
    
    8) CDDI support plan?
    
    9) SMT 7.2 support plan?
    
    Are the DECbridge 6xx series stil the solution for the RFI?  
    Any suggestion will be much appreciated.  In addition, if someone 
    points to the latest PID for multi-port Ethernet/FDDI bridge, 
    I will appreciate it.
    
    Thanks.
    
    J.H. John

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
907.1		QUIVER::WALTER		`Wed Mar 24 1993 14:10`	54
	1) RFI calls for "minimum" 4 ports. DECbridge only supports 3 Ethernet ports. Are more port support coming in the near future? -- No, not on the DECbridge series. But I think multiport bridges are planned for the DEChub product. 2) Any "hot" swappable design of Ethernet port cards? -- No, not on the DECbridge series. However, DEChub modules are hot swappable. 3) RFI asks for 10Base-FL (FOIRL) Interface support. DECbridge 6xx doesn't support this. Any suggestion? -- DECbridges only support thinwire and AUI interfaces. Maybe there's an adapter out there for Ethernet fiber? DECbridge90FL handles fiber, but it isn't multiport. 4) Provisions for Console Port, In-band (IP) and Out-of-band (9.6 kps) access. -- Current DECbridges support in-band management through RBMS (DEC) or SNMP (IP) protocols. A console port and out-of-band management via SLIP (up to 19.2 kbs) will be offered in the near future in an upgrade kit. 5) Per inteface LED indications for current port status. -- Yes. 6) Bridging software is modular via Flash EEPROMS for local storage (TFTP) -- Yes, although DECbridges use the DECndu utility (MOP) to download software, rather than TFTP. 7) Minimum capacity of 4000 addresses per port and expandable. Including both auto and programmable address table aging. -- Address table up to 14,000 entries. Filtering on a per port basis for each entry. 8) CDDI support plan? -- ??? What's CDDI? 9) SMT 7.2 support plan? -- Current firmware (V1.2B) supports SMT 6.2; SMT 7.2 will be supported in a new release V1.3, due shortly. Dave
907.2	Follow-up questions	GUIDUK::KANG	J.H. John Kang @SEO - DTN 545-4340	`Wed Mar 24 1993 15:11`	38
	Thanks for your reply. 4) Provisions for Console Port, In-band (IP) and Out-of-band (9.6 kps) access. -- Current DECbridges support in-band management through RBMS (DEC) or SNMP (IP) protocols. A console port and out-of-band management via SLIP (up to 19.2 kbs) will be offered in the near future in an upgrade kit. >> I think what they are looking for here is a Console capability >> for example, in-band Telnet and remote dial-in modem. 8) CDDI support plan? -- ??? What's CDDI? >> Copper Distributed Data Interface (FDDI over Copper) 9) SMT 7.2 support plan? -- Current firmware (V1.2B) supports SMT 6.2; SMT 7.2 will be supported in a new release V1.3, due shortly. 10) The RFI also asks for performance at or near a maximum Frame Latency of 100 microseconds. Since Ethernet Byte time is .8 microseconds, we are talking about "more than 100 bytes of reading time" delay in the Bridge itself. Does DECbridge 6xx meet this requirement? In addition, anyone has a pointer to the technical description of V1.3? Thanks. JHk
907.3	Re: CDDI	JUMP4::JOY	Perception is reality	`Wed Mar 24 1993 16:19`	11
	re: CDDI - Copper Distributed Data Interface CDDI is a trademarked term from Synoptics (?) I believe. It indicates their proprietary implementation of FDDI over copper. If the customer requires this implementation, then we won't be supporting it. If they are interested in support of the evolving TP-PMD for UTP and STP FDDI, then that's another story(which I haven't heard any plans for except maybe in the DEChub version of the DECbridge). Debbie
907.4		KONING::KONING	Paul Koning, A-13683	`Wed Mar 24 1993 17:47`	5
	CDDI is a trademark of Crescendo. Lots of people use it, sloppily, to refer to any FDDI over any copper, standard or not, but that is incorrect and should be avoided. paul
907.5	More on DECbridge 900-11 please	GUIDUK::KANG	J.H. John Kang @SEO - DTN 545-4340	`Thu Mar 25 1993 10:17`	13
	Does anyone have more information about DECbridge 900-11? The latest PID I've got off the EASYnet had a single slide devoted to it. I am wondering where it stands. Accroding to the lastest LENAC PID, it has multiple (6?) and more Ethernet ports. Do we know when to see this (beta level)? A pointer or contact name will be appreciated. Thanks. JHK
907.6		QUIVER::WALTER		`Thu Mar 25 1993 11:27`	11
	10) The RFI also asks for performance at or near a maximum Frame Latency of 100 microseconds. Since Ethernet Byte time is .8 microseconds, we are talking about "more than 100 bytes of reading time" delay in the Bridge itself. Does DECbridge 6xx meet this requirement? -- It meets this requirement. It can process more than 20,000 packets per second, so the forwarding engine takes less than 50 microseconds per packet.
907.7		KONING::KONING	Paul Koning, A-13683	`Thu Mar 25 1993 14:06`	8
	Re .6: I'll believe that it meets the latency requirement, but your reasoning is not correct in general. There is no direct relationship between latency and throughput -- it's possible to have very high throughput yet also high latency. True, high throughput devices usually have lower latency than low throughput devices, but not always, and usually not in proportion to the increased throughput. paul