| Question: Key questions on Legacy products:
a. How do we do the self healing so fast?
b. Asked about the proprietary SHR feature
c. How do we handle multiple failures?
Answer: TC has extensive experience from implementing self healing schemes in its multi-drop muxes and modems since the mid 1990s. The JumboSwitch utilizes two methods of fast recovery:
- TC proprietary Flash Ring Technology. Flash Ring works very similarly to the SONET/SDH self healing rings. TC has implemented this on numerous other platforms deployed over the past ten years.
- Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP or 802.1w and Multiple Spanning Tree 802.1s). These two IEEE standards are evolutions of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP 802.1D). The newer standards are designed to provide recovery at a much faster rate (sub second). The RSTP was created in order to avoid loops in Ethernet networks. It is based on assigning a root and disabling links to make sure there is only one unique way to get from any source to a valid destination. Upon failure, RSTP automatically assigns a different root and the connections are reestablished.
Question: Do we have WDM and what is the Max distance we can handle on WDM?
Answer: Yes! The JumboSwitch supports WDM capability and maximum distance can be between 80km to 100km depending on quality of fiber. This distance can be extended by using repeaters.
Question: The reason we have been using JungleMux in the past is because of its deterministic nature of TDM circuits. TDM offers low delay real-time reliable connections for tele-protection and SCADA applications. Our impression of Ethernet is that it is not deterministic and it is based on best effort. Can the JumboSwitch handle tele-protection and other delay sensitive applications?
Answer: The JumboSwitch is designed with the latest IEEE Ethernet standards including 802.1Q (Virtual LANs), 802.1p (Traffic Prioritization) and Rate Limiting technologies. These new technologies provide traffic segregation, prioritization to address delay sensitivity and protection against saturation of the backbone due to extra unwarranted traffic. Additionally, The JumboSwitch offers the fastest serial interface modules in the industry specifically designed for tele-protection applications. These modules are able to provide connectivity in less than 3ms delay which has been certified under 99% traffic saturation on the backbone.
Question: Is the tele-protection delay (<3ms) claim by TC dependent on number of JumboSwitch nodes in the ring? Our experience with Alcatel-Lucent DMX (ADM) showed total delay was heavily dependent on the number of nodes in the ring.
Answer: Unlike TDM SONET/SDH Add-Drop Muxes (ADMs), JumboSwitch is an Ethernet based solution that introduces no packet processing delay in the transit nodes (only store and forward). This introduces around 5-12micro-second delay per node depending on frame size. This amount of delay is typically negligible in the tele-protection delay tolerance which is in the order of 10ms.
Question:Is the <3ms consistent even with other traffic?
Answer: All other modules support roughly the same delay.
Question: Is the control bus virtual or hardwired?
Answer: The control bus is a dedicated hardwired bus that connects the main and NMS modules to every other module in the chassis. A dedicated connection ensures control plane connectivity regardless of data plane activity.
Question: on the TC3848, is the dialing fixed to 3 digits or is it configurable?
Answer: The TC3848 can utilize up to a maximum of 35 digits.
Question: Is the tone generated on the card?
Answer: The TC3848 is completely self sufficient and all functions including tone generation is natively supported on the module.
Question: Explain the priority & rate limiting on the Traffic Slide
Answer: The prioritization of traffic on the JumboSwitch is per 802.1p which delivers up to eight priorities for a variety of traffic classes on the JumboSwitch. For example, control traffic or delay sensitive voice applications would be assigned a priority of 5 or 6. Regular Ethernet traffic can be set to a lower priority.
The rate limiting function applies to either a port or the whole card on the JumboSwitch. A threshold is set and data rates beyond the threshold will not be allowed. This potential loss of packets under severe conditions should not be a concern for low priority data applications where higher layer applications (TCP/IP) retransmit packet if packets are not acknowledged within a certain time. In most cases, with proper traffic engineering, the thresholds would be set to accommodate occasional traffic bursts. A 1GigE backbone provides ample bandwidth to satisfy any industrial application.
TC View Related Questions:
Question: Is there extra cost for TCView software for the end user?
Answer: Yes! It is priced according to the size of the network.
Question: Can they use a 3rd party SNMP Manager other than TC View?
Answer: Yes! TC View communicates with the JumboSwitch which implements a standards based MIB using SNMP. Therefore, any other SNMP managers can interact with it with proper use of SNMP messages. These messages include: “SET”, “GET” and ALARM”. However, the graphical user is only supported on TCView.
Other Questions:
Question: Can the JSW be deployed over the following:
- Microwave
- DS-3
- T1/T3
- OC-3
Answer: Yes! The JumboSwitch supports Ethernet over TDM modules including Ethernet over T1/E1, Ethernet over T3/E3 and Ethernet over OC-3 (in the near future). These modules provide connectivity between islands of JumboSwitches through an existing SONET/SDH ring, microwave radios, or through the public leased circuits.
Question: We have been told the technology that is primed to replace TDM is MPLS. Since the JumboSwitch is an Ethernet based layer 2 device how do you see the JumboSwitch addressing this trend?
Answer: MPLS has been promoted by Cisco and other telecom venders as a solution in the metro service provider space. Its popularity has been mostly based on its promise of more efficient utilization of bandwidth for data applications. Therefore, it is deemed as the de facto technology for service provider’ backbones in Metro Area Networks (MAN) where bandwidth is at a premium.
In contrast, Industrial applications are confined mostly to a single end customer over a campus type environment where the applications and bandwidth can easily be engineered according to a customer’s specific needs. In this type of network, a MPLS based solution is somewhat overkill due to its complexity CAPEX and OPEX costs.
For industrial or single user networks, a multi-service GigE modular solution such as JumboSwitch provides the best flexibility and scaleability at a fraction of the cost of MPLS based solutions. Moreover, migration to MPLS is part of the JumboSwitch future roadmap. When the market is ready for the technology we will deliver.
Question: Does the JumboSwitch support wireless solutions?
Answer: The JumboSwitch nodes can be connected via T3/E3 microwave radios. However, we currently do not support native wireless connectivity on the JumboSwitch.
Question: Who are your competitors?
Answer: Currently, there are no comparable products that can compete with all that the JumboSwitch has to offer. However, on various applications and solutions and based on our target markets we compete with Ruggedcom, Hirschmann and few other companies.
Question: How do you connect the JumboSwitch nodes if there is no fiber?
Answer: The JumboSwitch can be connected by Ethernet over T1/E1 links, Ethernet over T3/E3 and soon Ethernet over OC-3 circuits. These circuits can easily be established over microwave connections, existing SONET/SDH networks, or through public leased circuits.
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