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Gigabit Ethernet in the metro network has been one of the "buzz" trends of the past year, but along with rapid adoption of the platform comes the question of how to manage those networks efficiently.
One answer is being offered by Aura Networks Inc., which is commercially launching new technology aimed at managing Gig-E metro-area fiber networks. In doing so, the Nashua, N.H.-based company is hoping to tap into the movement toward Gig-E MANs as a cheaper, more scalable and more rapidly deployable alternative to synchronous optical networks.
Aura's new Radiance Optical Ethernet System is designed to measure the efficiency of an Ethernet MAN as well as of boosting bandwidth in increments of 1 megabit per second to match a customer's needs. It is placed in front of routers at both the central office and at the customer end, providing a demarcation point without requiring direct access to a customer's router.
Aura's Stealth I technology makes use of gaps between frames of data packets to create a quasi in-band management channel. A packet of 12 bytes continually issues commands and gathers statistics monitoring such things as optical power levels, power supply voltage and temperature, according to Alan Brind, Aura's senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
Laser power levels degrade over time, and having that information helps carriers know ahead of time if a particular port is going to fail. The optical power level check capability currently isn't available on any other vendor's equipment, Brind says.
Other network management systems that are based on simple network management protocol (SNMP), a widely used network monitoring and control protocol, rely on using a dial-up modem to poll devices and then wait for monitoring data to be returned. That can become a lengthy, time-consuming process as networks grow, Brind says.
So-called "in-band" monitoring may consume more bandwidth than is desirable and isn't suitable for voice over IP or video applications.
Aura Networks got its start in optical networking and copper-to-fiber conversion technology in the early 1990s as Lancast Inc. It changed its name to Aura in November.
After beta tests at three sites, the company began shipping its R5000 data collection device and NetBeacon management software in mid-January. Shipments of the R1000 unit, to be installed at the customer site, are to begin in February.
Brind says Aura Networks already has a backlog of orders for the new products. Base pricing for the R5000 is $3,499; $1,129 for the R1000 and $299-$909 for NetBeacon.
The privately held company received $16 million in first round venture financing from Sierra Ventures, and is building the units at its own manufacturing facility there. The company is in the process of expanding its 120-person workforce to about 350 and will move into a new 65,000-square-foot facility later this spring, Brind says.
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