RAD launches Resilient Fast Ethernet Ring technology

14 November 2002 -- RAD Data Communications has developed a new technology incorporated in its Megaplex data/voice multiplexer that provides self-healing capabilities on 100Mbit/s Fast Ethernet fibre or copper rings.

The Resilient Fast Ethernet Ring (RFER) carrier-class technology can re-route traffic within 50ms in case of link failure on any segment of the ring. This enables enterprises, campuses, power companies, transportation companies and utilities to create a highly reliable network using dark fibre or dry copper in a ring topology.

Survivability is further enhanced by RFER?s modular, scalable support for multiple rings, which eliminates the risk of a single point of failure.

Resilient Fast Ethernet Ring uses VLANs to overcome the storming problems that occur when attempting to broadcast over Ethernet rings or when a packet is assigned an incorrect address.

RFER is implemented in the new ML-IP module for RAD's Megaplex family of modular integrated access multiplexers. The ML-IP is an Ethernet uplink module with up to 8Mbit/s uplink capacity that can be ordered with either 10/100BaseT or 100BaseFx interfaces with 50-millisecond protection, and serves as the main link to the IP network. The Megaplex-based network can support up to 40 E1 lines in a ring or daisy-chain topology.

As is the case with SDH, RFER allows a total separation between rings, ensuring that a failure in one particular point will not bring down the entire network. "This topology functions like a backbone solution," explains Ami Sofer, Megaplex Product Line Manager at RAD Data Communications, "but is available at access network costs."