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The issues are constant. But they grow more critical with each passing day. Businesses that depend on the timely availability of information to maintain their competitive position and that includes every business today must accomplish two objectives with their telecommunications resources.
First, they must operate an effective network that keeps traffic flowing with minimal delay or interruption.
Second, they must efficiently administer the network in such a way that the network constantly improves corporate productivity.
As a leader in network management for the past decade, Infotron has assured the efficient operation and control of local, national, and global networks. Through such innovative products as the ANM-800, Advanced Network Manager, the INM Integrated Network Manager, Infotron has put their customers in total control of their networks from the T1/E1 NX Network Exchange and the NP Network Processor through to Commix 32 LAN communications servers—and even non-Infotron equipment—from a single workstation.
But that’s just the operations side. Yearly costs for network administration have to to exceed the initial costs of many networks. Infotron has responded with the StreamLine Network Management System (NMS), combining advanced operational control with sophisticated administrative functions that can streamline tasks and result in dramatic costs savings.
The StreamLine NMS is Infotron's most advanced network management system. It monitors and controls all Infotron equipment including the StreamLine 45 Intelligent T3 multiplexer and StreamLine 25 Integrated Switching System. As the StreamLine NMS collects more information than ever before, Infotron has developed graphics-based functions to display that information in a way that actually increases the productivity of network operators.
Detailed maps, menus, pop-up windows, icons, and other user-friendly features simplify operations. In fact, operator training time can be reduced by as much as 50%. And many companies have found that operators with less experience can manage the network with no loss of operational efficiency or productivity.
For monitoring operation, the StreamLine displays site and node maps, showing link and node connections. Each map display includes a color-coded alarm bar and a pending fault log bar. In the event of an alarm, or change in status of a pending problem, the operator is alerted by a change in color of the appropriate link or node of the map and on the bar display, as well as by audible cues.
The system's multi-tasking capabilities allow an operator at a single workstation to monitor a wide variety of network functions simultaneously. For example, one window can display a network topology map, another can be running network diagnostics, a third could be used to set operating parameters, while a fourth displays statistical reports.
This flexibility provides the most effective operation and management scheme for any set of circumstances. Assuring operator efficiency and maximum network availability.
The StreamLine NMS troubleshooting utilities are comprehensive, allowing your operators to quickly locate a network problem.
Perform loopbacks, display channel configurations, and check continuity and round-trip delays on an NP circuit.
Allows StreamLine NMS to act as a standard console for any NP, NX, LAN Span, or Commix, or non-Infotron product node in the network. It is also a console for the StramLine 45 and StreamLine 25 equipment.
Shows the connection status of NX channels—both individually and as a group in a node, link, or slave system (e.g., a feeder multiplexer)
With these resources at hand, the operator can not only identify and pinpoint problems, but take appropriate actions to ensure uninterrupted traffic flow or fast network restoration of service.
And, as problems are located and avoided, a comprehensive database on total network operator is developed. This data can be extremely valuable when analyzed and reported efficiently and effectively.
You can specify operating parameters for the reporting of information, such as the type of event, time, interval during which events should be gathered, and thresholds to trigger events. This flexibility allows the construction of network traffic profiles that are crucial to network planning.
With all its advancements in controlling operations, the StreamLine NMS also brings advancements to the administrative side of network operations. The dramatic improvements that affect your basic costs simply make all your network staff more efficient.
Consider:
Use a remote console to monitor and control the network from a remote location, a home, or office. This same feature lets you capture any StreamLine NMS report, upload it to a remote computer and process the data off-line.
Leave a message for a subsequent user. Access messages from previous users, and correspond via electronic mail with a user at another workstation.
Segment and control and administration functions and run them on either one or two workstations while maintaining optimum response time.
Centralize your network management function on a higher-level network management system, conserving network management resources.
Assign user names, passwords, and security levels; every StreamLine NMS function has a designated security level and users access only those functions which correspond to their assigned security level. StreamLine NMS also provides a trouble ticket system and tape backup of all database and program information.
Each function is modular, allowing you to purchase only the administrative modules your system requires.
The StreamLine NMS is compatible with the entire Infotron product line. These products provide intelligent trunking at speeds up to 45 Mbps and a broad array of access technologies, including LANs, LAN bridging, statistical multiplexing, and packet and circuit switching.
Taken together, the StreamLine products ensure your company's network maximum availability By providing network managers with pro-active control of their networks, StreamLine products also help give your company a competitive edge.
Creating a strategic advantage for your company is the core of Infotron's commitment as a total network supplier. With our depth of resources, we help you create an integrated data, voice, and image solution that will be effective and efficient today, while assuring the capacity for growth and future enhancements. Our resources cover all six key areas in global networking:
Now you can detect operational problems earlier than ever before. Through the advanced graphics features of StreamLine NMS, network operators are immediately made aware of any changes in the status of any network element. The system monitor displays the network map with site locations and superimposed network transmission links. Operational trouble spots are indicated by audible cues and a color change on the corresponding area of the map and on the alarm bar with colors indicating the severity of the alarm.
This means your operators know everything they need about a problem, when it started, where it was detected, and its impact on the entire network. The system can even suggest automatic corrective actions to be taken. When combined with the StreamLine NMS troubleshooting tools, operators have the information they need to be pro-active—instead of reactive.
Reduce Administrative costs by reporting and tracking by 50%.
The StreamLine NMS includes sophisticated fault logging that generates trouble tickets on alarms—automatically. And you can also generate tickets manually. Your maintenance team is notified immediately and the resolution of the problem is accurately prioritized and expedited.
Each trouble ticket contains all the information applicable to the equipment and problem, as well as an ongoing report of the status of the repair. What's more, there's a preventive maintenance option for scheduling and tracking routine maintenance on your network equipment.
As networks grow in size and complexity, the administrative job of trouble reporting, problem tracking, equipment repair and system maintenance becomes increasingly important. According to one customer’s experience, the StreamLine NMS cuts their network administrative costs in half.
| SNMS Capabilities: | |
| Number of Workstations Supported: | Up to 8 in a token ring configuration |
| Reporting devices: | Up to 1,250 event-generating devices per network |
| Reporting networks: | Up to 31 |
| Workstation Requirements: | |
| Base unit memory: |
— 8 Mbytes system RAM — 348 Mbytes hard disk storage — quarter-inch streaming tape backup |
| Monitor: | High-resolution color (1024 x 800 pixels) |
| Mouse: | Full analog cursor control with keys for command entry and help; optional trackball |