Communications News articles from September 2003

Communications News archives from September 2003

Read and respond.(Editor's Note)
September 1, 2003... Twenty-two years ago, I was involved in a reader service card effort that was extraordinarily successful, and demonstrated the value of putting the interests of readers first when considering editorial coverage. The small statewide monthly...

iSCSI adoption to aid storage.(Trends)
September 1, 2003... The long march toward IP-based network storage is hitting its stride. Recent developments and milestones--both technical and vendor-specific--indicate that IP-based storage, in general, and iSCSI in particular, have nothing but green lights on...

Events.(Trends)(Calendar)
September 1, 2003... [check] Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, Oct. 19-24, Orlando, will feature keynote speakers from Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Intel, private sessions with Gartner analysts, and educational programs for senior IT and business strategists, symposium....

Correction.(Trends)(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2003... The August article, "Startup outsources backups," should have been credited to Elizabeth M. Ferrarini, a freelance writer in Boston.

All aboard the bandwagon.(Trends)
September 1, 2003... Hacking, internal security issues, intrusion detection/protection, e-mail viruses and worms, security of WAN transmissions--everywhere you look, network security is getting top billing. Seemingly, every trade magazine addressing enterprise...

Intruder Alert: the choice between intrusion prevention or detection solutions for your network is not always black or white.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2003... Securing networks from known and unknown attacks has become increasingly challenging as networks have become more porous, intruders more sophisticated and threats more prevalent. Firewalls alone, however, are not the solution, as they are not...

The threat from within.
September 1, 2003... Network security is at the top of every enterprise network manager's mind these days. Many of the top security concerns, however, may have less to do with high-profile worms and viruses than they do with the careless practices of internal...

IPS, with IDS, is the best choice.(intrusion detection systems)
September 1, 2003... Administrators have learned that an intrusion-detection system (IDS) may not be the final answer in protecting an enterprise network's critical resources. Some of today's intrusion-detection and prevention technologies, however, can overcome...

Security ROI: know what to measure.
September 1, 2003... Too many enterprise managers spend money on security without taking the time to assess the risks and consequences of an attack on the core business value of the enterprise. Enterprise asset security should be the driving force behind...

Buyers guide.(Special Focus: Network Security)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2003... The first portion of this Network Security Buyers Guide, the Product Guide, lists the various products in this category, and the companies that make those products. The second section, the Company Guide, provides phone and fax numbers and Web...

Access security.(New products)(Top Layer Networks Secure Controller family )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Designed for core and edge authentication in wired and wireless networks, the Secure Controller family of high-performance ASIC-based access control security switches forces users to authenticate themselves prior to gaining any network access...

Peer-to-peer blocking.(New products)(Akonix K7 Enterprise)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Intended to protect enterprise networks against the dangers of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, public instant messaging (IM) and other rogue protocols, Akonix L7 Enterprise effectively blocks unsanctioned file transfers from entering or...

SIP security.(New products)(Ingate Firewall 3.2.0 and Ingate SIParator 3.2.0)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Ingate Firewall 3.2.0 and Ingate SIParator 3.2.0 are new software versions for the company's SIP-capable enterprise firewalls and SIParators-devices that connect to an existing network firewall to seamlessly enable the traversal of SIP...

Stackable security switch.(New products; Crossbeam Systems Crossbeam C30)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Gain enterprise-strength security for midsized businesses and divisional offices with the Crossbeam C30. The stackable security-services switch compresses the functions of multiple appliances, load balancers, switches and cables into a single-...

Honeypot analysis.(New products; Symantec Decoy Server )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Symantec Decoy Server is a "honeypot" intrusion-detection system (IDS) that detects, contains and monitors unauthorized access and system misuse as it happens. As a complement to host- and network-based IDS, the system diverts attacks from...

Corporate security router.(New products; Enterasys Networks XSR-4000 )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Designed for large branch and regional offices, the XSR-4000 security router offers IP routing and WAN interfaces to provide high-availability wide area networking, with the quality-of-service and policy routing features for priority-sensitive...

Perimeter protection solution.(New products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The RealSecure 7.0 for Nokia solution tightly integrates Nokia's purpose-built, dedicated and easy-to-manage network security appliance with Internet Security Systems' network intrusion-protection technology. Improved capabilities for...

XML firewall.(New products; Datapower's XS40 XML Security Gateway )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The XS40 XML Security Gateway provides XML security in a network device with the wire-speed performance necessary for real-world applications. The gateway is an XML/SOAP firewall and can parse, filter, validate schema, decrypt, verify...

Data and voice gateway.(New products; Avaya's SG208)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Created for use in businesses supporting multiple locations worldwide, the SG208 security gateway integrates virtual private network functionality, firewall coverage and IP telephony support. The device provides a secure perimeter firewall that...

Content filtering.(New products; St. Bernard Software iPrism 3.4 Web-filtering appliance )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The iPrism 3.4 Web-filtering appliance features improved autologin capabilities, a hotfix manager and increased screen customization capabilities. The solution utilizes a database of individually checked Web sites to ensure that...

Hardened firewall appliance.(New products; Cyberguard'sS L 3200 )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Designed to be ultra-secure and deliver multigigabit throughput, the SL 3200 firewall/VPN appliance eliminates the performance barriers imposed by traditional firewalls and virtual private network encryption. Multilevel security features treat...

A cure for bandwidth bottlenecks: healthcare group installs 50-micron, gigabit fiber in new IT facility: using the switch as the backbone reduced network blocking and provided more bandwidth for applications.(Infrastructure)
September 1, 2003... With, hospitals, medical groups, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities and research centers in more than 100 Northern California communities, Sutter Health is one of the nation's leading not-for-profit networks of community-based...

Cable enclosure.(Cabling and enclosures; APW IMnet)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The IMnet cabling enclosure is designed to help network managers maintain proper cable management, ensuring that high-bandwidth systems can perform to their design parameters. The solution allows cables to be laid into the cabinet through three...

Analog telephone over fiber.(Cabling and enclosures)(Transition Networks POTS Media Converter )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Voice signals can now be connected to distant equipment using standard telephone signaling over the fiber infrastructure. The POTS Media Converter converts voice-grade electrical signals from copper to fiber, allowing low-cost integration of...

Cabling access option.(Cabling and enclosures)(Ortronics Clarity JakPak )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Providing an additional Field-termination option for delivering CAT 6 or CAT 5e systems, the Clarity JakPak provides a compact, flexible multi-user solution that can be structurally mounted or used in more temporary environments. They are...

5e patch panels.(Cabling and enclosures)(Hubbell Premise Wiring Speedgain 5e Series)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The white Speedgain 5e Series patch panels offer an additional way to separate and identify voice and data applications or differentiate cross-connects that are rack mounted side-by-side. The panels provide technicians a visual alternative for...

Gigabit Ethernet transceiver.(Cabling and enclosures)
September 1, 2003... Transmit Gigabit Ethernet data with 1000Base-T the SFP R J-45 Transceiver Adapter Module. The adapter provides an integrated, high-performance, full-duplex data link for communication over unshielded twisted-pair CAT 5 copper cable. It is hot...

User-centric LAN testing--the new IT imperative: today's far more complex LAN environments require a different approach to measurement.(Testing & Monitoring)
September 1, 2003... Not so long ago, LAN testing consisted of a technician, with a time domain reflectometer device, checking physical-connection quality across all the LAN links. That rapidly evolved into Layer 2 performance testing using packet and bit blasters...

How to design a wireless LAN: key issues: RF coverage sufficient capacity and accounting for RF signal-loss factors.(Wireless)
September 1, 2003... Designing enterprise wireless LANs (WLANs) is a new craft, even for many experienced network architects. When designing a wired network, most IT managers are familiar with the steps to ensure sufficient capacity for the users and applications....

VoIP keeps firm on the road to success: auto parts manufacturer realizes quick ROI, better communications with telephony solution.(Voice Networks)
September 1, 2003... In the complex, hyper-competitive world of automobile production, dine can be a company's greatest friend or foe. Automobile manufacturers constantly assess and reassess their production processes to improve time-to-market, reduce inventory,...

SONET aids business continuance: without a plan, unexpected disasters can ruin an enterprise.(Network Services)
September 1, 2003... As enterprise LAN and storage traffic continues to double yearly, unprecedented storage bandwidth requirements and simultaneous escalating costs of network downtime find IT executives rethinking and implementing network contingency plans around...

Power distribution.(Power protection and management)(Pulizzi Engineering 982 Series)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The T982 Series are multiple-configuration power-distribution units with current monitoring. The units have circuit-breaker protection and surge suppression included, and feature 12 NEMA-style receptacles to distribute power to many devices....

Power distribution plus.(Power protection and management)(Server Technology Power Tower XL )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Power Tower XL combines power distribution, remote power control and power measurement into one zero-U or rack-mount enclosure. The unit features a new HTML GUI that allows any or all connected equipment to be rebooted with one click,...

Remote power monitoring.(Power protection and management)(Liebert SiteScan)
September 1, 2003... SiteScan Web is an open-standards, Web-based global-monitoring and alarm-management system for computer support systems in business-critical facilities. The solution minimizes the effects of unforeseen temperature changes and power...

Data center UPS.(Power protection and management)(Invensys Powerware 9320 )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Powerware 9320 uninterruptible power system is available in the 10 kVA to 60 kVA range, and offers reliability, flexibility and power density for critical applications. The system features distributed parallel architecture for redundancy...

Enterprise UPS.(Power protection and management)(Minuteman UPS PRO-E Series )
September 1, 2003... The PRO-E Series protects connected equipment from utility AC blackouts, brownouts, spikes and surges. In the event of an AC power surge or lightning strike, the UPS will provide up to 500 Joules of surge protection. A double-boost and...

Compact DC power.(Power protection and management)(from Valare Power)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Compact DC Power System is an expandable DC power-distribution system that can cut power-related costs in enterprise or remote-terminal telecommunications applications. The system converts AC power into either 24 VDC or 48 VDC at up to 300...

UPS solution.(Power protection and management)(American Power Conversion 2200VA and 3000VA)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... As a solution for rack-optimized servers, server blades and storage devices, the 2200VA and 3000VA rack-mount uninterruptible power supplies occupy only 2-U of rack space, while providing up to 2,700 W of power. The models feature more than 20%...

Battery-free UPS.(Power protection and management)
September 1, 2003... The CleanSource UPS is a battery-free power-supply system for critical operations. Integrated with flywheel technology, the UPS provides power-conditioning features, including voltage regulation and harmonics cancellation. When coupled with a...

Modular power protection.(Power protection and management)(from HP)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The HP Modular Power Distribution Units (PDU) offer power protection and distribution for rackmounted servers and server options. Designed for dense data center environments, the PDUs can be mounted in a zero-U/1U configuration, and have a...

Portable power conversion.(Power protection and management)
September 1, 2003... Harness a vehicle's battery to efficiently power office equipment on the road. The PV375 inverter converts DC power to 120-V AC power to provide a safe, clean and reliable power source with modified sine wave output. The metallic-blue unit has...

Compact gigabit switch.(Routers and switches)(Asante Technologies riendly NET GX5-500 )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... For small workgroups, the Friendly NET GX5-500 Gigabit Ethernet workgroup switch features five ports of 10/100/1000-Mbps Gigabit Ethernet. With auto-uplink on every port, users can connect legacy 10/100Mbps computers with newer gigabit-equipped...

Remote office router.(Routers and switches)(NEC America BlueFire IX2200)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The BlueFire IX2200 router helps enterprises deliver secure converged voice and data networking from the main office to branch facilities requiring connectivity back to the central site. The device supports IP security for packet-by-packet...

Application router.(Routers and switches)(Cast Iron Systems Application Router 1000)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Application Router 1000 simplifies the process with which business applications share information, regardless of protocols and data formats. This special-purpose hardware device handles all the protocol conversion, data format conversion...

Intelligent gigabit switch.(Routers and switches)(Nortel Networks BayStack 5510-48T )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... To meet the requirements of enterprises implementing an adaptive network, the BayStack 5510-48T has the intelligence, resilience and performance to accommodate distributed applications. The switch has 48 ports, and provides Ethernet, Fast...

High-speed and managed.(Routers and switches)(from SMC Networks)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... For smaller enterprise workgroup or backbone swithching applications, the SMC8612T 10/100/1000 Managed Switch has 12 fixed 10/100/1000-Mbps ports and four mini-GBIC expansion slots for optional fiber gigabit connections, in demanding,...

Has convergence innovation been stifled? Interoperability issues--and IP telephony growth--can be addressed with session initiation protocol.(Guest Column)
September 1, 2003... The standardization of IP telephony within the enterprise is expected to lower equipment prices, provide more choice in equipment suppliers and accelerate the innovation for convergence. Unfortunately, enterprise usage of IP telephony has not...