Avaya ethernet routing switch 2500 series product presentation [level 4 - tdi][1]

Editor's Notes

• #2: 17 May 2010, updated for v4.3
• #4: Avaya’s vision for the Enterprise – “Plug & Play Communications” – calls for a new level of synergy between People, the collaborative real-time Applications that they use, and the underlying, enabling Network. The goal is to deliver a consistent Enterprise-class experience, one that supports context-aware collaboration that is always-on, simplified and virtualised. A key building block for this vision is the foundational network. As real-time communications continue the evolution to IP the data network becomes totally integrated into the delivery of Communications-enabled Business Services, in addition to transporting non-real-time critical business applications. To be completely successful, the network must operate with three imperative characteristics. Let’s look how Avaya uniquely addresses these…
• #5: Avaya’s Unique Value Proposition How does Avaya uniquely address the most crucial requirements of the Enterprise? First, intelligent components and designs are at the heart of Avaya’s reputation for delivering the most distinguished resiliency model in the industry. Besides being fully scalable across the Enterprise, it has been 3 rd party tested to deliver up to 7 times better resiliency than the market share leader and provides uncompromising end-to-end availability for real-time applications such as IP Telephony.   Second, providing dependability and performance only goes so far if the network is not efficient in its service delivery. An efficient network is a better performing network. Avaya’s network is designed with architectures that maximise all resources and investments, doing away with idle or under-utilised links, equipment, and even entire “architectural tiers” delivering up to 20X better performance and 1/3 less equipment.   And, last but of course not least, a network that is deterministic and optimised also needs to have the embedded flexibility to seamlessly scale as business demands evolve and grow. Through genuine innovation Avaya provides Industry-leading solutions that maximise capacity utilization, easily accommodate incremental growth, and therefore avoid unnecessary and costly fork-lift upgrades   In summary, while Avaya addresses each characteristic uniquely, the most impressive advantage is that Avaya excels at all three simultaneously. We’ll now talk at a high level how we intend to get the message out…
• #6: Avaya’s unique product and value offering allows Avaya the ability to serve the entire Enterprise market from campus to data centre to branch. Avaya’s data networking portfolio is grouped into five broad areas: Ethernet Switching – a range of Modular & Stackable Chassis LAN Switches for Data centre, Core, Edge, and Branch applications Wireless Networking – a complete solution enabling Enterprises to deploy Wireless coverage with a secure, cost-effective and highly scalable infrastructure Unified Branch – a range of Routers and VPN Appliances that provide secure remote connectivity and application support for Branches and individuals Access Control – solutions that integrate with current network infrastructures to provide the central policy decision to enforce role-based Access Control to the network Unified Management – providing support for data and voice networks as well as heterogeneous network infrastructures, simplifying the requirements associated with managing faults, configuration, accounting, performance and security A key element of our portfolio is the ability of our products and solutions to scale across the Enterprise – delivering a consistent set of services to the business regardless of “size” or “geography”. We’ll now look at the high level product roadmap for each of the portfolio areas…
• #7: Ethernet Switching Avaya’s Ethernet Switching product line provides complete coverage, ranging from entry-level Branch Office, to high-performance Wiring closet and Data Center Server aggregation, through to Network Core applications. The range has been progressively refreshed with new hardware options and software functionality constantly developed; most recently we’ve supplemented with the ERS 5600 models that deliver the Industry’s first and only Terabit-capable Stacking solution. As mentioned earlier, a key feature is “Switch Clustering”, the capability pioneered by Avaya to virtualise the network Core and provide our unique combination of sub-second high availability with optimised performance. Despite attempts by our rivals to imitate, we continue to enjoy clear leadership due to a wealth of experience (hard-earned over the last 6 or 7 years) and our ability to cost-effectively deploy resilient solutions for small, medium and large network sizes. Complementing this is our Industry-leading range of advanced “Stackable Chassis” fixed-format Switches: delivering all of the advantages typically associated with a Modular Chassis Switch, but without the high price. Further background: Avaya’s ‘Switch Clustering’ capability is built using technology that is unique to our products (Split Multi-Link Trunking), yet it is fully interoperable with 3 rd Party Switches, Servers, Appliances, and Routers. What this delivers is a series of benefits that are genuinely differentiated; whilst it may be possible to simulate certain individual elements, there is no competitive offering that can rival the combined capabilities, particularly in terms of simplicity and efficiency. Delivers end-to-end application availability Non-proprietary solution that extends beyond Switches to Servers, etc. This means that the high-availability is not limited to only the Switching network (the Switches themselves and their direct links), but to the total network; importantly also extended to attached Servers, Appliances, and WAN Routers, etc. All competing offers are based on interaction within the Switch domain, and crucially do not extend to the application hosts themselves. Technically-speaking: almost every other rival offering is based around variations of the Spanning Tree Protocol; however this is limited to the actual Switches and is not supported by other devices (Servers, etc). By excluding Servers from the active resiliency technology, these solutions cannot extend availability to the applications themselves. Avaya’s Switch Clustering is independent of STP and extends to support any device that utilises Link Aggregation, a technology that is both basic and ubiquitous. Devices that attach to the Switch Cluster create a virtual connection using multiple physical links, this provides resiliency together with additional capacity. Solutions that scale Enterprise-wide Cost-effective solutions for every network size; Not limited to top-of-the-range product Business processes that demand high-availability are typically also deployed company-wide; therefore it is imperative to deliver consistent levels of resiliency across the entire network. Avaya is uniquely positioned in being able to offer the same capability, built using the same technology, in a broad range of platforms that scale in both price and performance matching various requirements across the network. This enables the consistent delivery of a network that is itself consistently delivering end-to-end application availability, regardless of location or size. Technically-speaking: Avaya’s Switch Clustering to built on the basis of the Split Multi-Link Trunking protocol, and with only minor implementation variations it is a available on four different product families: ERS 1600 Series fixed-format standalone Switches, ERS 5000 Series fixed-format Stackable Switches, ERS 8300 mid-tier Modular Switch, and ERS 8600 premium Modular Switch. The only technology to rival Switch Clustering (Cisco’s Virtual Switching System, which is a direct copy of the underlying philosophy) is only available on the top-of-the-range version of the top-of-the-range Modular Switch, making it economically unfeasible to deploy network-wide. Simplified solution; hardware, software, configuration, & maintenance A capability that is not easily replicated, that is simple to deploy, & does not require complex and/or expensive products The various capabilities and benefits that Switch Clustering provides are delivered without complexity, without the need for expensive hardware or software, and without the need for complex configuration or on-going maintenance. This ensures that the business benefits are not ‘purchased at any price’; indeed Switch Clustering uniquely combines both simplicity with cost-effectiveness. While some of the individual capabilities can be simulated using other techniques and/or a myriad of additional products, this approach only adds cost and complexity. Technically-speaking: just one example, Switch Clustering delivers User pre-session load-sharing access all Uplinks from the Access Switch to the Core; this capability is automatically enabled without the need for any additional hardware, software, or configuration. To attempt to replicate this level of capability in a STP-based network, it would need to have multiple VLANs with MSTP/RSTP configured, a Layer 3-enabled Switch with Routing and ECMP configured, any even then this solution would be limited to pre-VLAN load-sharing only (not pre-session). Sub-second failover & recovery Delivers the necessary availability plus facilitates in-service maintenance and optimised performance Switch Clustering is probably best known for delivering sub-second failover and recovery, and whilst this remains an extremely important and valid feature it’s not necessarily a feature that is unique to us. What Avaya continues to deliver in this area is a degree of network recovery which also facilitates in-service maintenance. The deterministic nature of Switch Clustering empowers network operators to compartmentalise the network, making essential services even more resilient, and allowing for individual failures to be repaired in real time, without service restoration work impacting on collateral components or applications. Technically-speaking: enhancements to STP – namely Rapid Reconfiguration – can be aggressively configured to deliver similar levels of failover performance. However all flavours of STP remain tied to the concept of detecting and acting upon changes to the network topology. This makes a network extremely sensitive to the reliability and availability of particular devices (Root Bridges, etc). Avaya’s Switch Clustering is built around the concept of mirrored devices and virtualised capabilities, such that an entire Switch can be removed (through failure, or for emergence or routine maintenance) without any loss of overall application availability. Stackable Ethernet Switches have become increasingly popular in the Wiring Closet, and are often selected in preference to Chassis-based alternatives. Price will often have a significant influence on decisions, especially when the multiplying factor of numerous Closets translates into the potential for a very large delta. However not all ‘Stackable Switches’ are created equal. Not all provide a genuine alternative option to the Chassis, and not all deliver the performance, resiliency, and ease of operations crucial in an Enterprise environment; some are not even truly Stackable. Avaya’s portfolio of Stackable Switches is the result of the progressive evolution of a number of historically innovative products. A common thread that links the portfolio is a truly resilient, high-performance Stacking architecture – Flexible Advanced Stacking Technology (FAST) – this is what makes Avaya genuinely unique, and genuinely different to competitive offerings. Virtual hot-swap capability Enables in-service maintenance & restoration This crucial serviceability and operability feature ensures that any unit failure can be quickly and easily rectified. It is a hot-swap capability pioneered in Modular Switches, and now also available on Avaya’s Stackable Switches, made possible by virtue of intelligent virtualisation of the Stacking connections. Enabling immediate like-for-like unit replacement without impacting the remaining Stack functionality and traffic, and without complex engineering intervention empowers Operators to deploy our Stackable solutions just as they would a Chassis. Technically-speaking: When a failure occurs the neighbouring Switches will automatically wrap their Stack connections ensuring that collateral Users are not impacted. The failed unit is simply disconnected from the Stack and a like unit – without any pre-staging of software or configuration – can be inserted, cabled, and powered-up. The Automatic Unit Replacement (AUR) process then self-manages any necessary downloads to the new Switch and then brings it online; all of this without the need for an Engineer to configure or manage a thing. No single point-of-failure Distributed power and forwarding With a Chassis solution this has meant N+1 Power Supplies and even redundant Switching Fabrics. With our Stackables it is much the same but without the cost penalty: each unit has an independent Switching Fabric, and as each ‘Switching Module’ has an independent power supply it means that there is no one single point-of-failure. Adding a Redundant Power option further enhances the overall resiliency of the solution. Any individual element failure is equivalent to the failure of a single Module within a Chassis. Technically-speaking: Frame Forwarding decisions are distributed across each independent Switching Fabric. When a frame forwarding decision results in the need to forward the frame to another Switch in the Stack, the Stack forwarding algorithm determines whether the frame will traverse the up or down Stack link, or possibly both. More general Stack management functions are performed by a ‘Base Unit’ (BU), which selected as part of initialising the Stack. Once normal operations have been established, if the BU (Unit 1) fails or is rebooted, the next Switch (Unit 2) will take over as Temporary BU (TBU) and remain as such until either it is reset or the entire Stack is reset. If only Unit 2, as TBU, fails or is reset (but entire Stack is not reset), then the TBU status will transfer to the Unit 3, the next downstream unit in the cascade. High-capacity virtual backplane Industry-leading, pay-as-you-grow scalable capacity With a Chassis solution it’s been a given that performance comes as a natural function of design and price. With our Stackables we’ve been able to combine non-blocking internal switching fabrics with high-speed stacking architectures to deliver a truly high performance solution. The Avaya FAST architecture is not bound by the limitations and constraints facing other Vendors (such as Token Sharing/Passing systems, or basic Cascading), and has been specifically designed to scale proportionally as new member Switches are added to the Stack; as more ports are added and the requirement for more bandwidth grows. Technically-speaking: A Di-Directional Shortest-Path Traffic Forwarding capability is at the heart of our resilient Stacking architecture, ensuring that the shortest, most optimal forwarding path is selectively chosen for each unique data flow. There is none of the unwieldy logical Ring or Token technology that Competitors use, but a star-based distributed forwarding topology that allows traffic to flow either ‘upstream’ or ‘downstream’ simultaneously from every Switch in the Stack, optimising both performance and resiliency. The various implementations of FAST scale capacity according to the market positioning of the different product lines. Ranging from 4Gbps per Switch and up to 32Gbps per Stack for the entry-level ERS 2500 Series, and on up to 144Gbps / 1.152Tbps for the premium ERS 5600 Series. Avaya delivers Industry-leading Stacking capacity in all market segments. Simplified implementation & management Automatic software & configuration control, and centralised management With a Chassis solution it is simply a case of adding a new Module, adding configuration, and connecting devices. With our Stackables it is much the same: simply cable-in a new Stack member, extend the appropriate configuration – the Stack is managed as a single network entity. Technically-speaking: The Automatic Unit Replacement (AUR) feature is the process that delivers the Agent Image software, the Configuration file, and the Diagnostic Image software to any additional or replacement Switch; it self-manages any necessary downloads to the new Switches and then brings it online. The entire Stack operates, appears, and is managed as a single network entity, with specific Stack IP and MAC Addresses.
• #8: Note for Presenters: The following ‘Differentiation’ slides are part of a series that seek to articulate Avaya's unique offerings, and why these are better/the best; where necessary additional technical information is provided as facts and figures, and supported by brief ‘Pillar’ supporting statements. A thorough reading and understanding of these Notes should provide Presenters with sufficient information to enable a knowledgeably presentation the content, striking the appropriate tone and balance.
• #9: No-compromise Edge Networking Stackable Ethernet Switches have become increasingly popular in the Wiring Closet, and are often selected in preference to Chassis-based alternatives. Price will often have a significant influence on decisions, especially when the multiplying factor of numerous Closets translates into the potential for a very large delta. However not all ‘Stackable Switches’ are created equal. Not all provide a genuine alternative option to the Chassis, and not all deliver the performance, resiliency, and ease of operations crucial in an Enterprise environment; some are not even truly Stackable. Avaya’s portfolio of Stackable Switches is the result of the progressive evolution of a number of historically innovative products. A common thread that links the portfolio is a truly resilient, high-performance Stacking architecture – Flexible Advanced Stacking Technology (FAST) – this is what makes Avaya genuinely unique, and genuinely different to competitive offerings. Virtual hot-swap capability – Enables in-service maintenance & restoration This crucial serviceability and operability feature ensures that any unit failure can be quickly and easily rectified. It is a hot-swap capability pioneered in Modular Switches, and now also available on Avaya’s Stackable Switches, made possible by virtue of intelligent virtualisation of the Stacking connections. Enabling immediate like-for-like unit replacement without impacting the remaining Stack functionality and traffic, and without complex engineering intervention empowers Operators to deploy our Stackable solutions just as they would a Chassis. Technically-speaking: When a failure occurs the neighbouring Switches will automatically wrap their Stack connections ensuring that collateral Users are not impacted. The failed unit is simply disconnected from the Stack and a like unit – without any pre-staging of software or configuration – can be inserted, cabled, and powered-up. The Automatic Unit Replacement (AUR) process then self-manages any necessary downloads to the new Switch and then brings it online; all of this without the need for an Engineer to configure or manage a thing. No single point-of-failure – Distributed power and forwarding With a Chassis solution this has meant N+1 Power Supplies and even redundant Switching Fabrics. With our Stackables it is much the same but without the cost penalty: each unit has an independent Switching Fabric, and as each ‘Switching Module’ has an independent power supply it means that there is no one single point-of-failure. Adding a Redundant Power option further enhances the overall resiliency of the solution. Any individual element failure is equivalent to the failure of a single Module within a Chassis. Technically-speaking: Frame Forwarding decisions are distributed across each independent Switching Fabric. When a frame forwarding decision results in the need to forward the frame to another Switch in the Stack, the Stack forwarding algorithm determines whether the frame will traverse the up or down Stack link, or possibly both. More general Stack management functions are performed by a ‘Base Unit’ (BU), which selected as part of initialising the Stack. Once normal operations have been established, if the BU (Unit 1) fails or is rebooted, the next Switch (Unit 2) will take over as Temporary BU (TBU) and remain as such until either it is reset or the entire Stack is reset. If only Unit 2, as TBU, fails or is reset (but entire Stack is not reset), then the TBU status will transfer to the Unit 3, the next downstream unit in the cascade. High-capacity virtual backplane – Industry-leading, pay-as-you-grow scalable capacity With a Chassis solution it’s been a given that performance comes as a natural function of design and price. With our Stackables we’ve been able to combine non-blocking internal switching fabrics with high-speed stacking architectures to deliver a truly high performance solution. The Avaya FAST architecture is not bound by the limitations and constraints facing other Vendors (such as Token Sharing/Passing systems, or basic Cascading), and has been specifically designed to scale proportionally as new member Switches are added to the Stack; as more ports are added and the requirement for more bandwidth grows. Technically-speaking: A Di-Directional Shortest-Path Traffic Forwarding capability is at the heart of our resilient Stacking architecture, ensuring that the shortest, most optimal forwarding path is selectively chosen for each unique data flow. There is none of the unwieldy logical Ring or Token technology that Competitors use, but a star-based distributed forwarding topology that allows traffic to flow either ‘upstream’ or ‘downstream’ simultaneously from every Switch in the Stack, optimising both performance and resiliency. The various implementations of FAST scale capacity according to the market positioning of the different product lines. Ranging from 4Gbps per Switch and up to 32Gbps per Stack for the entry-level ERS 2500 Series, and on up to 144Gbps / 1.152Tbps for the premium ERS 5600 Series. Avaya delivers Industry-leading Stacking capacity in all market segments. Simplified implementation & management – Automatic software & configuration control, and centralised management With a Chassis solution it is simply a case of adding a new Module, adding configuration, and connecting devices. With our Stackables it is much the same: simply cable-in a new Stack member, extend the appropriate configuration – the Stack is managed as a single network entity. Technically-speaking: The Automatic Unit Replacement (AUR) feature is the process that delivers the Agent Image software, the Configuration file, and the Diagnostic Image software to any additional or replacement Switch; it self-manages any necessary downloads to the new Switches and then brings it online. The entire Stack operates, appears, and is managed as a single network entity, with specific Stack IP and MAC Addresses. Proof-Points: Resiliency – Always-on networking for the Edge; a fault-tolerant, actively resilient ‘Stackable Chassis’ that empowers a virtual hot-swap capability. Efficiency – Highly energy-efficient Switches provide real and immediate cost-savings in every Wiring Closet. Performance – High-capacity Stacking connections create a high-speed virtual backplane. Security – Implements sophisticated, open, granular network access control. Multivendor – Once the ‘Stackable Chassis’ is created it can interwork in an open-vendor environment, utilising all common L2 and L3 protocols.
• #10: Comprehensive, not Complex, Security Avaya delivers proven security solutions including a second-generation network access control solution, with Standards-based support that allows Enterprises to not only securely control who uses the network, but where, when, how and with what type of device. The Avaya NAC portfolio is about providing a wide range of role-based access options that enhance the security of your network, including a Standards-based solution that integrates with existing network infrastructure, and leverages investment. It centralizes, and thus simplifies, policy decision-making throughout your network, then expresses policies in simple language, removing technology from the equation. Improve security with fully granular control – Role-based access control & compartmentalization of the network The key is to access control is in providing only as much access as each user requires, to ensure that user devices are healthy and in compliance with the chosen security policy, and to provide that access in real time. Avaya's solutions facilitate effective NAC by creating a simple-to-deploy multi-dimensional access policy; security is enhanced by the granular nature of access control flexibility. Reduced costs – Supporting existing infrastructure & identity stores, virtual appliance option Avaya's solutions allow networks to leverage their existing investment, saving costs and enable additional deployment flexibility. Providing a consistent, centralized access policy eliminates the potential for administrative errors. By putting user information and policy in a single location, policies can be created on a full network-wide basis, supporting LAN, WLAN and VPN consistently. Solutions such as Identity Engines are easy to deploy, connecting with existing identity system and switching infrastructure. It provides a central policy decision point that streamlines access management, improves security and satisfies reporting requirements. It connects to complex store environments and offers centralized editing of network access policies. It’s also a virtualized solution; no new hardware is required, especially as many organizations have already invested in VMware environments. Simplicity – Centralized policy decision, defined in plain language Avaya's NAC solutions are easy to deploy, residing in the Data Centre, providing centralized authentication and authorization for wired, wireless and VPN network devices. They provide centralized integrated security services for Avaya and also third-party Ethernet switching, WLAN and VPN products. And what clearly separates the Avaya Identity Engines solution from rivals is its ability to express policies in plain language. Enhanced Regulatory compliance – Partitioning of access, & comprehensive reporting & analytics Many environments are now seeking to apply strict governance to information access, and this can only be enforced and demonstrated through intelligent effective NAC. Avaya's solutions provide the powerful reporting that allows operators to perform in-depth analysis of network activity including ingress and usage. Reporting data is provided by the Avaya Identity Engines Ignition Server, and Ignition Analytics allows for automated data retrieval and report generation. Proof-Points: Resiliency – High-availability infrastructure, including virtualised appliances Security – Granular, multi-dimensional, role-based network access control that encompasses all access technology. Multivendor – Standards-based, open, and interoperable with existing 3rd Party infrastructure and user identity databases. Efficiency – Provides a single, centralised, simplified interface for configuration and deployment of access policy; easing administration and reducing errors.
• #11: Spanning Voice, Data & Applications Unified Communications (UC) solutions from Avaya remove the barriers between voice, email, conferencing, video and other applications, resulting in a unified communications experience for businesses. Providing a comprehensive management capability across voice, data and multimedia applications, Avaya's Unified Communications Management (UCM) utilise a set of Common Services that serve as a foundation for unifying management applications. In essence, UCM is the ‘glue’ that binds together distributed components to establish a true unified communications environment. Offers a common look & feel across applications To simplify management and improve efficiency, Avaya Unified Communications Management offers users a consistent look and feel, including a standard and easy-to-use web UI that applies to all unified communications-enabled products. Regardless of application, device or what is going on behind the scenes, the UI will always deliver a consistent experience to Users. Enables navigation to all management applications with single sign-on & centralized authentication Business scenario: Who hasn’t been frustrated by having to enter and re-enter information over and over again? By leveraging a common data repository, UCM completely eliminates the need for users to enter important user data multiple times. For customers that have their own directory, such as Microsoft Active Directory, the UCM common data repository can serve as a cache of information for the Avaya applications – and be bulk-loaded and maintained through a convenient LDAP sync utility. Provides integrated workflows for managing unified communications networks UCM offers configuration flexibility, including standalone or integrated options, enabling a unified workflow and management experience for administrators as they traverse the network’s call servers and application servers. Decreases the learning curve for IT personnel The presence of easy-to-use templates and Wizards allows UCM applications to be managed by network administrators that aren’t necessarily ‘super users’. Rules are easy to define and manage in the Unified Communications Management provisioning tools, lessening the need for expert, highly-paid personal. The implication of this simplification to your ongoing operational expenses is very compelling. Delivers simplified deployment and system administration configuration UCM accommodates multiple network management applications on a single server. This co-residency of applications reduces the number of servers required, which can lead to a significant decrease in capital expenses. Leveraging a Single Sign-On (SSO) navigation to all applications, putting an end to swivel-chair management. With SSO, Operators are no longer required to log on to separate systems to perform different management functions. Once an Operator signs on, he or she can navigate to any management functionality, whether it’s network management or management of a specific element, such as a Call Server. Offers deployment flexibility An Enterprise’s network management requirements might be simple at first, but can grow quickly as the business evolves. Through UCM, applications can be added easily as required. This means that your organization can start with one management solution, such as the Visualization Performance and Fault Manager or Subscriber Manager, and then add others as business needs change. Proof-Points: Resiliency – Enables more consistent configuration creation and execution, empowers Operators to be more proactive. Efficiency – The common look-&-feel lowers to the ‘TTM’ for new Operators and/or new management applications. Performance – Provides a toolbox for optimising network performance and delivery; enabling Operators to extract the most from what they’ve already got. Security – Adds a value of authentication and audit missing from many management solutions. Multivendor – Although optimised for Avaya ENS products UCM is open-vendor and thus provides the go-to, one-stop-shop application for many heterogeneous solutions.
• #12: Stackable Product Positioning To ensure that we’re starting from the same level of understanding it’s a good idea to correctly position each of the product lines within the Stackable part of the portfolio. The 5000 Series, featuring the new 5600 models. These products can be used in a number of demanding applications: The Wiring Closet – for high-performance Gigabit-to-the-Desktop As fibre aggregation Switch when there’s a need for the Distribution Layer To be the cost-effective option for the Core Switch in smaller networks And as a high-performance 1GbE/10GbE Top-of-Rack Switch in the Data Centre, integrating into a Horizontal Stacking/Switch Cluster solution The 4500 Series is the primary focus of the Stackable portfolio in terms of the Wiring Closet role – the default option that should satisfy 80% of the typical Enterprise requirements. It’s an extremely versatile product line, with a total of 10 different models available with options for Fast Ethernet – both Copper and Fibre, and Gigabit Ethernet, with additional options for 10GbE Uplinks, and of course a full PoE capability to support the high-intensity Convergence requirement. And to the 2500 Series are really focussed on the Branch Office or smaller Enterprise requirement where only Fast Ethernet if required and if PoE is needed it’s a fairly simple, low-intensity deployment scenario.
• #14: The ERS 2500 Series is the new addition to the Stackable solutions currently available from Avaya; slotting in above the 425 and below the 470. It offering entry-level performance for Convergence networking, a rich feature-set, and the good flexibility in terms of hardware form-factor. The fail-safe Stacking capabilities have always provided the greatest degree of protection at the Edge, and this will be introduced onto the 2500 via a future software update (no hardware change or addition required).
• #15: The ERS 2500 is a flexible platform ideally suited to entry-level Stackable Network Edge requirement. It supports a high-density of 10 and 100 Ethernet Copper interfaces, and Standards-based Power-over-Ethernet on 50% of the Desktop ports. With regards to Traffic Marking & Re-Marking, please note: the 2500 can remark the incoming 802.1p bit, to the p-bit configuration for port. DSCP re-marking is planned for a future release. DSCP recognition supported, as is the strict priority queue for real time applications. The (future-enabled) Stacking architecture is a variation of the tried & tested FAST (Flexible Advance Stacking Architecture) of the ERS 5000 Series. This is an Industry-leading solution for performance and reliability at the Edge; failed Units can be hot-swapped, and the Stack Master will automatically manage any update to operating software and then download the appropriate configuration file. During this time all other traffic operating over the Stack is totally unaffected and only the directly impacted user will be aware of any network problem. The zero-configuration feature of ARU means that units can be sourced and replaced by anyone capable of operating a screwdriver without the need for a specialist network engineer.
• #16: Currently available in four variations of two types: the 2526 – non-PWR and PWR, and the 2650 – non-PWR and PWR. All are essentially 10/100 Ethernet Routing Switches with variations in terms of PoE and port density. All Switch have two dedicated 1000BASE-T ports on the rear which will be used for the future Stacking function, and two sets of dual-personality ports on the front. These are dual 1000BASE-x SFP and dual 10/100/1000BASE-T and either set are active (but not both).
• #18: 1000BASE-BX SFP support Adds support for the pair of 1000BASE-BX Small Form-factor Pluggable transceivers for bi-directional Gigabit traffic transmission over a single fibre optic strand/core. SFP type information will be displayed as per the implementation in the ERS 5000 Series and consistency must be maintained in NNCLI. SFP information will be displayed in EM-Lite/EDM, adapted from the JDM implementation. These two SFPs are a pair consisting of: 1000BASE-BX, 1310nm (LC connector) AA1419069-E5 1000BASE-BX, 1490nm (LC connector) AA1419070-E5 When present in an ERS 2500 Series SFP slot, 1000BASE-BX SFPs shall be recognised and displayed within NNCLI and EM-Lite interfaces. 1000BASE-CWDM DDI SFP support This release also adds support for support CWDM “DDI” (Digital Diagnostic Interface) type SFPs, as per the ERS 4500 v5.2 release. This support is required to allow the transition away from non-DDI CWDM SFPs (40km and 70km range SFPs. The CWDM DDI SFPs consist of the following types: 1000BASE-CWDM 1470nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419053-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1490nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419054-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1510nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419055-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1530nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419056-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1550nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419057-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1570nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419058-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1590nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419059-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1610nm DDI (LC Connector, 40km) AA1419060-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1470nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419061-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1490nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419062-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1510nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419063-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1530nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419064-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1550nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419065-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1570nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419066-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1590nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419067-E6 1000BASE-CWDM 1610nm DDI (LC Connector, 70km) AA1419068-E6 802.1X / NEAP VLAN Names Delivers support for Non-EAP with a VLAN Name recognition as per planned implementation on the ERS 4500 v5.3 software release. This enhancement is to use the string sent by Radius in the standard Tunnel Private Group Id Attribute as a VLAN_Name. In existing code, we convert it to an integer, representing a VLAN_Id. The following restriction will be added to make things simple. If the first character in the attribute is a number, the Switch will process it as we do now and process it as a VLAN number. If the first character starts with a string however, we will treat it as a VLAN_Name and a look up will be performed in the Switch, to convert it to a numeric VLAN_Id for further use. Advanced QoS The Advanced Quality of Service feature consists of Layer 2, 3 and 4 traffic classification capabilities, (identification of traffic flows using filters) with user defined actions that can be applied to those flows. When traffic matches specific flows, these actions can be applied and usually consist of the following functions: Drop, Forward, Mark or Re-mark (the DiffServ Code Point), Meter / Police (ingress rate limiting) and Shape (egress flow control). The subset of functions that this advanced QoS delivers provides a greater level of traffic control for traffic traversing an ERS 2500 Series Switch. Automatic QoS Provides the ability to identify and prioritize Avaya voice/convergence application traffic. When enabled, Automatic QoS support augments default interface class processing based on role type using filtering logic to identify traffic based on defined DSCP values. Identified traffic is given preferential treatment and is marked for downstream processing. ADAC & 802.1AB MED Interoperability Implements support for an ADAC and 802.1AB LLDP-MED interoperability enhancement, which is also planned for ERS 4500 v5.4. If Automatic QoS is enabled on a port, when 802.1AB MED is configured, the Switch should publish the private “Automatic QoS” DSCP value to the end device rather than the default as defined by the network policy. ASCII Config Generator support for RSTP & MSTP Supports the Rapid Spanning Tree and Multiple Spanning Tree configuration parameters in the ASCII Configuration file (ACG). This is required to remove the gap of NNCLI support of configurable functions on the ERS 2500 and is required so Customers can download an ASCII configuration with parameters for RSTP & MSTP. DHCP Client (for Switch or Stack Addresses) Provides support for a DHCP capability on the Switch, allowing it to obtain an IP Address, NetMask, and Gateway IP Address. This feature was introduced in the ERS 5500 v5.1 software release. The DHCP Client will be available on equipment that is connected to a DHCP Server or a DHCP relay. The Server must be available in the management VLAN and must have an IP Address pool available for leasing. The port to which you connect the DHCP Server must reside in the management VLAN. In a Stacked configuration, the DHCP Server can be connected to any unit, but the port must reside in the Management VLAN. DHCP is provided as an option in the v4.3 software, and existing Switch defaults are preserved. The DHCP Client feature shall be disabled by default, and a user must select this option to activate it. EDM-Lite The v4.3 release will lead the support for the new enterprise management tool - Enterprise Device Manager (EDM or EM-Lite) for device configuration and management. This feature is not yet implemented on the other Stackable Switching platforms for production environments or being used by customers prior to this release. Provides an “on-box” implementation of the EDM/ EM-Lite application and GUI configuration using EDM will be supported with the following Web browsers: MS Internet Explorer (v7.0 and 8.0) Mozilla Firefox Extended IP Manager This release supports the Extended IP Manager feature. The IP Manager enables Customers to restrict access to network services such as Web and Telnet and this is now extended to provide support for SSH with IPv4. In addition with the introduction of IPv6 Management, IP Manager is enhanced to support restriction for IPv6 Addresses. The IP Manager can limit access to the different Switch functions (Telnet, Web, snmp, ssh) for both IPv4 and IPv6. IGMP Multicast no-flood command Provides support for the IGMP Unknown Multicast no-flood function and CLI command, as implemented in the ERS 5000 v5.0 release. This IGMP command, when enabled, prevents unknown IGMP Multicasts from being flooded out Switch ports within a VLAN. This provides further control of flooding unknown packets to end stations not querying or requesting to join a multicast group. IPv6 Management Provides support for an IP Version 6 Management capability, which is as per the implemented for the ERS 4500 v5.2 and ERS 5000 v6.0.0 releases. Additionally from a network management perspective, the IPv6 MIBs to be supported are listed below: RFC 1981 Path MTU Discovery for IPv6 RFC 2460 Internet Protocol v6 (IPv6) Specification RFC 2461 Neighbour Discovery for IPv6 RFC 2462 Auto-configuration of link local addresses (The switch must also support manual configuration and MUST support disabling auto-configuration) RFC 4443 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMPv6).  This adds a few additional ICMP error codes to the earlier version of the RFC (2463). RFC 4301 Security Architecture for the Internet Protocol (Support transport mode (i.e. encrypt traffic we originate) but not the IPsec security-gateway (encryption of data traffic)) RFC 4291 IPv6 Addressing Architecture RFC 4007 Scoped Address Architecture (Infinity supports some behaviour such as source address selection when transmitting packets to a specific scope, but there is not a 'zone' concept in the code). RFC 4193 Unique Local IPv6 Unicast Addresses (Replaces the site-local address with a new type of address that is private to an organization, yet unique across all of the sites of the organization. The unique local addresses may be able to be configured on Infinity just as other addresses with no change to existing API/CLI.  This is assuming that the network operator is responsible for generating the 'global id' and provisioning the subnet appropriately. MAC Flush The MAC Flush feature was originally implemented with ERS 5500 v5.1, and then ported to the ERS 4500 with the v5.3 release. The MAC Flush feature is a direct way to flush out MAC Addresses from MAC Address Table. Before this feature was implemented, there was no direct way to flush out addresses from MAC Address Table. Some indirect ways where possible such as unplugging ports, but these were all ineffective for troubleshooting. MAC Flush shall allow users to flush the following from the MAC Address Table: a single MAC Address all Addresses in the MAC Address Table a port or a list of ports a trunk (MLT/LAG) a VLAN MAC Flush deletes only dynamically-learned Addresses. The Addresses marked with AGELOCK, SECRET, or STATIC, and inserted in the MAC Address Table by applications such as MAC Security, or Port Mirroring, are not flushed out. RADIUS support for Interim Accounting Updates Provides supports for RADIUS Interim Accounting Update support, related to RFC 2866 (RADIUS Accounting) & RFC 2869 RADIUS Extensions) as per planned implementation on the ERS 4500 v5.4 software release and other Stackable Switches. The purpose of this feature is to enhance the current RADIUS Accounting feature in ERS switches with Interim Accounting Updates. This will allow the RADIUS Server to make policy decisions based on real-time networks attributes sent from NAS. Of particular interest is the Framed-IP-Address attribute. It would help correlate L2/L3 Addresses in RADIUS Server’s session database and together with support for Dynamic Authorization Extensions to RADIUS (RFC 5176) allow integration with applications that operate with L3 addresses only. One example use case would be a Threat Protection System (TPS) alerting the Dynamic Authorization Client, in this case the RADIUS Server, about abnormal traffic pattern from a certain IP Address on the network. The RADIUS Server will be able to correlate IP Address to MAC Address in its internal session database, locate the device access point on the network and issue a Change-Of-Authorization message to NAS. RADIUS-use-Management IP Address Supports the use of the Management IP Address for use with RADIUS authentication for user and administrators. This is an additional feature ported from the ERS 5000 v6.1 codebase. RADIUS requests from a Switch typically have the source IP being the Switch Management VLAN Address. However when Routing is enabled, the current behaviour is that RADIUS requests can be derived from any Routing instance on the Switch, which can cause problems for some applications which tie a Switch identity to a single IP Address. As this is a change to operational behaviour which could impact the way in which Customers have typically configured Switches, it is provides as a Customer configuration option; the default operation mode is for RADIUS requests to use the Management VLAN IP. SNMP MIB Web Page in EDM Allow Customers to see and walk through the device MIB objects, as per implementation on the ERS 5500 v5.1 & 4500 v5.2 releases. SNMP Trap Web page in EDM Allows Customers to selectively configure the desired SNMP Traps and Trap Receivers. STP Command enhancements adds support for two additional functions and NNCLI commands to set additional Spanning Tree parameters. These functions are supported in the ERS 5000 v5.1 release. 802.1d Compliance Mode: The objective of this enhancement is to make sure that the Spanning Tree software conforms to the IEEE 802.1d standard. Currently, when a port link is down the STP state of that port stays in Forwarding instead of Disabled (as specified in the IEEE 802.1d Standard). This implementation provides fast recovery mechanism for a port that goes down and then goes up frequently. However under a complex environment, the STP software occasionally causes broadcast storm at the customer sides. To address this issue, a runtime user configuration option is provided to the user to select their desire behaviour (namely non-compliant mode and compliant mode). To maintain backwards compatibility, BayStack implementation will be in non-compliant mode by default. STP Port Mode The purpose of this enhancement is to enable the STP participation of a port when that port is moved in another VLAN. The current behaviour is to disable STP learning when a port is moved in a VLAN. The most common configuration in which this enhancement is useful is the following: a port is moved from a VLAN which belongs to a STP group to another VLAN which belongs to another STP group. In this case the STP participation of the port will be disabled in the new STP group. This is done automatically so the user might not be aware of the fact that a port has the learning disabled. If STP port mode is set to auto, the STP participation of the port in the new STP group is automatically enabled. ‘ show running config’ enhancement This NNCLI option shows the running configuration of the Switch without displaying the factory default configuration settings in the output of the command. This feature is consistent with the implementation on other Stackable (ERS 4500 & 5000), plus ERS8000 Series Modular Switches.
• #19: The Advanced Quality of Service feature consists of Layer 2, 3 and 4 traffic classification capabilities, (i.e.: identification traffic flows using filters) with user defined actions that can be applied to those flows. When traffic matches specific flows, these actions can be applied and usually consist of the following functions: Drop, Forward, Mark or Re-mark (the DiffServ Code Point), Meter / Police (Ingress rate limiting) and Shape (Egress flow control). The subset of functions that this advanced QoS delivers provides a greater level of traffic control for traffic traversing an ERS 2500 Series Switch. The ERS 2500 v4.3 release Advanced QoS feature implementation conforms - as close as possible - to the implementation of advanced QoS traffic classification functions on the ERS 4500 v5.0 & ERS 5500 Series software releases. In doing so, there may be hardware limitations within the ERS 2500 that do not allow it to scale to the level of the ERS 4500 or 5500. However, the functional configuration and operation shall be the same from an administrative perspective. The ERS 2500 shall support layer 2 to 4 Traffic Classification via filtering, with actions to drop or forward, mark or re-mark the DSCP, police/meter a flow and perform traffic shaping on Gigabit Ethernet ports. Configuration options for these functions shall be supported in CLI and Web-based management only (as per ERS 4500 & 5000 series). The general function of Advanced QoS on the ERS 2500 in the v4.3 release shall follow the implementation on the ERS 4500 v5.1 release. The Advanced QoS function shall provide the ability to group switch ports into Interface Groups (role combinations) and set the port classifications to Trusted, Un-trusted, or Unrestricted, in the same way as configured on the ERS 4500 & 5000 Series switches.
• #20: A Case for Positive Discrimination Traditionally, the ease way of supporting grow in applications is to simply throw more bandwidth at the network – increasing port speeds and uplink capacity. Indeed, this can work for old style data-centric applications, however modern latency-sensitive applications are a more sophisticated approach: a combination of suitable bandwidth and intelligent Quality of Service. When considering in the typical Wiring Closet, the reality is that there is more network bandwidth connecting the User PCs then there is in the uplink capacity to the Core. This can often translate into a degree of congestion that will severely impact the performance of Unified Communications and other convergence applications. This simply truth is that additional bandwidth – even assuming that we can afford it, and/or effectively integrate it into the network design – will not always solve the issue. We need a solution which ensures that important application get priority. Through embedding functionality within its converged networking solutions, Avaya is creating a new operational paradigm built around synergistic, communication-enabled networking and simplicity of design. The ‘Avaya Edge’ focuses on ensuring that the network is easy to deploy and adds an intelligence to reduce the burden of on-going manageability, delivering additional benefits to businesses. Performance is placed at risk by the chaos of self-regulation – Business-critical applications are forced to contend with everything else Dependence of new IP-based applications on QoS. The growing need to prioritize new traffic types, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and real-time video – which require very short latency – in addition to other applications on the WAN is the second key factor shaping consolidation in the application acceleration & QoS technologies market. (Avaya Automatic) QoS optimises application performance, end-to-end Real-time application environments require network intelligence and Quality-of-Service (QoS) which allows the network to understand what to do with high priority traffic in times of network congestion. Configuration is simplified – 3rd Party applications are handled as default The configuration of QoS across the network can be time consuming and if incorrectly executed, leads to a sub-standard solution for high-priority traffic. Avaya data, voice, and application products can be enabled for optimised QoS across the network though the Avaya Automatic QoS feature. Gives tangible benefits to Avaya Customers – Avaya Applications & Avaya Networks are synchronised Enabling the Automatic QoS functionality seamlessly configures QoS on Avaya IP Phones, Call Servers and Applications, and Ethernet Switches. This allows network managers to easily configure QoS across an Avaya converged infrastructure through a few simple commands or a single click of the mouse, delivering a consistent and optimised QoS configuration. Simple and effective delivery of optimised end-to-end application performance; a tangible manifestation of genuine business benefits of Avaya. Technically-speaking: A Avaya Automatic QoS-enabled Ethernet switch can identify Avaya applications traffic and dynamically provide the required differentiated services. An Automatic QoS-enabled Ethernet Switch can operate in two modes: Pure Mode or Mixed Mode. In Pure Mode the Ethernet Switch does not remark the Avaya Private QoS settings (the DiffServ Code Point – DSCP) for Egress. It is used when the Customer network ONLY uses Automatic QoS-enabled Switches end-to-end. In Mixed Mode the Ethernet Switch remarks Avaya application traffic for Egress to replace the Private QoS with standard QoS settings. Mixed Mode is used when the Customer network has a mix of Automatic QoS-enabled Switches: other Avaya Switches and/or 3rd Party Switches (e.g. Cisco, etc). Pure and Mixed Modes only impact QoS remarking of Avaya application traffic regardless of the type of Ingress port (e.g. trusted, un-trusted), and other types of traffic will be handled by Automatic QoS-enabled Switches the same way it is currently handled by Avaya Ethernet switches. In both modes, the Automatic QoS-enabled Switches will recognise the Private QoS used by Avaya applications. The Switch will map the Private QoS to the corresponding 802.1p/CoS – optimised for Pure, and standard for Mixed – this being used by Switches internally to prioritize traffic. Proof-Points: Performance – Guarantees that real-time communications automatically receive optimised performance, all without complex configuration Multivendor – Supports all existing Applications without modification; interoperates 3rd Party Switches; is extensible for inclusion of other 3rd Party applications. Efficiency – Provides a ‘one-click’ solution for immediately creating a fully optimised QoS environment for quality-sensitive convergence applications.
• #22: Note for Presenters: Please ensure that this information is actually up-to-date, as Product/Release schedules to change. Refer to the latest version of this presentation, and or check with the Product Primes. The intent of this slide is to simply to reinforce establish the fact that we contain to develop our strategic Product lines even in the face of the global, and our own, financial difficulties.
• #23: Investment Strategy for Ethernet Switching Avaya’s award winning Ethernet Switching product line has been progressively refreshed with new hardware and software functionality and most recently introduced the ERS 5600 series that delivers the Industry’s first and only Terabit-capable Stacking solution. This is an important industry inflection point at the network edge where customers can realize the performance of a Modular Switch, but enjoy the pay-as-you-grow benefits of the Stackable form-factor. Avaya calls this solution a ‘Stackable Chassis’. Avaya will complement this investment direction by embedding PoE+ into its edge portfolio.   You’ll see an exciting new product release during 2010, the brand new Virtual Service Platform 9000: providing both Industry-leading Switching scalability and 10 Gigabit Ethernet port densities. Importantly, although the hardware is new (and takes advantage of the latest developments in terms of silicon, etc) the software is firmly based on the tried and tested ERS 8600 platform. The hardware will deployment-ready for 40G and 100G capacities supporting the largest of Enterprise deployments. Today: PoE for IP Phones & WLAN Access Points – this utilise the normal 802.3af PoE Standard, and we typically see new deployments configured as an IP Phone directly connected to the PoE-capable Wiring Closet Switch, and a PC connecting downstream ‘ Stackable Chassis’ model for edge – this is an Avaya key differentiator: our FAST (Flexible Advanced Stacking Technology) Switches offer the advantages typically associated with higher-priced Modular Switches Tomorrow: Introduction of PoE+ Standard – the new 802.3at PoE+ Standard will provide the additional power required for devices such as 802.11n Wireless Access Points Continued shift of R&D to Stackable Chassis at the Edge – we’ll see further transition away from Modular Chassis; it simply makes much more sense to leverage our FAST-enabled Stackable Chassis solution rather than a classic Modular Switch Introduction of next generation core platform: VSP 9000 – the new VSP 9000 will redefine capacity and scalability for the high-end Data Center: up to 27Tbps and 240 10GbE ports per Chassis (up to 720 per Rack) Beyond: PoE+ at the Edge – there could be further use made of PoE+ at the edge – beyond just 802.11n Access Points – and we’ll have the power budget to support this increase Application VPN and integrated Wireless Services into VSP 9000 – the VSP (the Virtual Service Platform) will provide a highly-efficient platform for advanced services. Introduction 40G & 100G – the next evolution of Ethernet will be 40G and 100G interfaces, and this is the rationale behind the huge scalability that has been built into the VSP (as 240 x 10GbE only requires 2.4Tbps, but 240 x 100GbE requires 24Tbps) Interface with Security, CCTV, & Environmental systems - there is a drive to port Security and Facilities systems from proprietary infrastructure to IP/Ethernet, and therefore these will increasingly be directly connected to the Wiring Closet Switch; there's obvious advantages in this, but also certain responsibilities that we will take on.
• #25: Avaya appreciates that End Users are often bombarded with the market claims of all the different Vendors, hence we have concentrated on independent testing of all of our key differentiators and technical claims-to-fame. This way, End Users do not have to take our word for it, they can go and see for themselves how we stack-up against the opposition (and their marketing machines). Note: these Tolly Reports are freely available from the Tolly Website - www.tolly.com.
• #27: Customer testimonials taken directly from published Case Studies (available at www.nortel.com/casestudies)
• #28: Avaya has a clear and established vision for the Enterprise; it’s convergence and it’s business-class. We continue to lead the way in terms of developing and delivering solution that meet and exceed End Users expectation for performance and even more importantly for end-to-end Application-level reliability.