| LANplex Family Switches
High-performance switches for enhancing bandwidth in Ethernet, Token Ring,
FDDI, and heterogeneous LANs
3Com's LANplex 6000 (the 12-slot LANplex 6012 chassis is shown),
LANplex 2500, and LANplex 2016 use advanced switching technology to
scale bandwidth and maximize network performance. Switching options
range from 10 Mbps Ethernet or 16 Mbps Token Ring to dedicated 100 Mbps
FDDI connections, with Fast Ethernet and cell-based ATM switching
available in the future.
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Contents:
* Introduction to 3Com LANplex Switches
* Key Benefits
* Industry-Leading Performance, Flexibility, and Value
* The LANplex Family at a Glance
* Leading-Edge Chip Technology
* Virtual LANs
* Powerful System Management
* Product Descriptions
+ LANplex 6000 Series
+ LANplex 2500
+ LANplex 2016
* Specifications
* Download Adobe Acrobat File for Printing
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3Com's LANplex � switches boost performance in collapsed
backbones/data centers, departments, server farms, and workgroups
while easing migration to higher speed technologies.
The LANplex 6000 series is a powerful intelligent switch for the data
center that combines Ethernet and Token Ring LAN switching, switched
FDDI, FDDI concentration, bridging between technologies, and
intranetwork routing in one highly reliable modular unit. Both 4-slot
and 12-slot models are available.
The LANplex 2500 departmental switch offers unparalleled
price/performance in a modular, feature-rich Ethernet/FDDI platform.
The LANplex 2016 is a modular, Ethernet-only switch for improving
performance at the workgroup level. All three switches implement
3Com's powerful ISE-chip switching technology.
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Key Benefits:
* Advanced switching. The LANplex family supports rigorous
client/server bandwidth demands with high-capacity switching
architectures and leading-edge ASICs. The ISE (Intelligent
Switching Engine) chips in LANplex products speed traffic at over
562,000 packets per second, delivering peak performance at low
cost.
* Scalable performance. LANplex switches boost performance by
efficiently allocating bandwidth within LANs and seamlessly
integrating Ethernet or Token Ring LANs with high-speed FDDI
links. The LANplex 6000 and LANplex 2500 will also support
switched 100BASE-T LANs and facilitate migration to ATM.
* Full-featured functionality. Performance and configuration
features include flexible, wide-ranging media choices, virtual LAN
capability, packet filtering, Elastic Packet Buffering, and
intranetwork routing.
* Comprehensive management. The LANplex/Transcend Administration
Console offers powerful management features, include a Roving
Analysis Port for analyzing traffic on any segment from any
LANplex switch on the network. All switches support 3Com's
Transcend integrated management applications.
* Reliable operation. Hot-swappable modules, optional redundant
power, and robust, fault-tolerant design maximize uptime.
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Industry-Leading Performance, Flexibility, and Value
Whether your performance problems center on power users in workgroups,
client-to-server bottlenecks in departments, or congestion on LAN
backbones, the LANplex family provides you with prac-tical solutions.
LANplex switches offer leading-edge switching technology, a rich set
of features, modular versatility, and a smooth migration path to
higher-speed technologies.
THE LANPLEX FAMILY AT A GLANCE
The LANplex 6000 delivers top-of-the-line switching, bridging, and
routing, making it ideal as a high-speed switching and connectivity
engine in the data center.
With the LANplex 6000, you get a multitechnology, multifunction switch
that has the power to accelerate throughput across a 19.5 Gbps
backplane functioning as a high-speed collapsed backbone or
intranetwork link.
A built-in Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) connection links
the LANplex 6000 to other backbones or switching hubs, and
intranetwork IP routing lets you use switching to enhance performance
in heavily subnetted networks without complicating management.
High-speed 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
modules will be available in the future.
Powered by dual processors and equipped with one of the most advanced
networking ASIC chips in the industry, the LANplex 2500 and LANplex
2016 deliver unmatched price/performance and a full complement of
advanced switching functions.
LANplex 2500 is your best choice for high-traffic departmental LANs,
offering up to 16 switched Ethernet ports and two switched FDDI ports.
Modules are available with all types of media connections. In the
future, 100BASE-T Fast Ethernet or 155 Mbps ATM modules will be
available.
The LANplex 2016 is an Ethernet-only switch designed for
high-performance workgroups. Based on the same modular architecture as
the LANplex 2500 and using the same Ethernet switching modules, the
LANplex 2016 provides up to 16 switched Ethernet ports for connection
to any of the Ethernet media types.
LEADING-EDGE CHIP TECHNOLOGY
The application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology that
3Com has implemented in the LANplex family pushes switching to new
levels of price, performance, and functionality.
Combining Ethernet and FDDI switching, bridging, routing, and advanced
network management, the ISE (Intelligent Switching Engine) chip in the
LANplex 2500, LANplex 2016, and the LANplex 6000 Ethernet/FDDI
Switching Module is one of the most sophisticated network ASICs
available. It delivers an aggregate throughput in excess of 562,000
packets per second.
The result is full-wire-speed forwarding on all ports for all
configurations-no exceptions. This high degree of functional
integration on the chip also means that devices using the technology
are simpler, less costly, and more reliable. ISE technology cuts
latency to less than 25 microseconds (not including packet receive
time), while providing complete packet integrity checking and
translational bridging.
In addition, the ISE-chip provides Elastic Packet Buffering, a
technique that combines static and dynamic buffer allo-cation. Static
buffering guarantees a minimum number of buffers for every port, and
dynamically allocates additional buffers as needed to prevent packet
loss in the event of congestion.
Elastic Packet Buffering ensures that Ethernet-based clients can
accept large data bursts from FDDI, 100BASE-T, or ATM-based servers.
It also prevents a congested port from taking excessive buffer space
from other switched ports. This minimizes dropped packets, even during
periods of maximum congestion.
VIRTUAL LANS
The LANplex virtual LAN capability lets you organize nodes into
manageable groups that aren't dependent on physical location. With
this feature, you can set up workgroups composed of members from
various departments spread throughout the enterprise.
Virtual LANs simplify management by preserving subnetwork addresses
and minimizing the effort required for adds, moves, and changes. This
allows you to more easily match the network configuration to the
evolving structure of your organization.
Managers have three options when configuring virtual LANs with LANplex
products. Port grouping allows them to define broadcast domains and
control traffic by creating groups of ports. This increases
performance by limiting broadcasts, and also simplifies configuration.
MAC address grouping restricts traffic down to the workstation level,
creating secure groups without limiting access or slowing throughput.
IP routing simplifies administration by letting managers use the
existing IP subnet structure to define virtual LANs.
POWERFUL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
You can manage any LANplex switching hub using the LANplex/Transcend
Administration Console. From this console you can access comprehensive
statistics, run diagnostic self-tests, download software upgrades, and
keep track of each switch's overall status. Easy-to-use menus provide
an intuitive management interface.
For more sophisticated traffic management, the LANplex family offers a
Roving Analysis Port feature that lets you use a network analyzer to
scrutinize traffic from any switched Ethernet port on any LANplex
device anywhere on the network. There is no limit to the number of
Roving Analysis Ports per system.
Transcend Enterprise Manager simplifies network management with
task-oriented, customizable tools. Real-time views of internal and
external configurations provide you with a overview of each device's
environment. The application also includes SMT 7.3 (FDDI Station
Management) proxy MIB support.
Since they are Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management
Information Base (MIB) compliant, LANplex switches can be administered
with any SNMP based management system, including 3Com's Transcend
Enterprise Manager for UNIX � running on either Sun's SunNet � Manager
or Hewlett-Packard's HP � OpenView � management platform.
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�3Com Corporation 1995. All rights reserved. 3Com is a publicly owned
corporation (NASDAQ:COMS). 3Com, LANplex, LinkBuilder, and NETBuilder
II are registered trademarks, and CELLplex, FMS, LinkSwitch, MSH,
SuperStack, Transcend, and ZipChip are trademarks of 3Com Corporation.
AppleTalk is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. HP and
OpenView are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. IBM is a
registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
SunNet is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered
trademark of X/Open Company Limited.
All specifications are subject to change without notice.
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| LANplex 6000 Series
Built on a high-capacity 19.5 Gbps backplane comprising three FDDI
rings, a 19.2 Gbps High-Speed Interconnect (HSI), and a dedicated
system manage-ment bus, the LANplex 6000 Series consists of the
12-slot (LANplex 6012) and 4-slot (LANplex 6004) versions. Both are
equipped with a LANplex Management Module (LMM) in slot 1. The other
slots accommodate up to 3 or up to 11 optional connectivity modules.
A LANplex 6000 switch can provide Ethernet and Token Ring LAN
switching, Ethernet/Token Ring to FDDI bridging, FDDI concentration,
and internetwork routing for data center environments. LANplex 6000
accommodates 16 to 176 switched Ethernet mixed-media ports, 8 to 88
switched Token Ring twisted-pair ports, and 22 switched FDDI fiber or
cop-per media ports.
Each module has its own processor, so performance scales directly with
the addition of each module. Additionally, a fault in one module will
not affect another. The LMM also has its own management processor.
With the LANplex 6000, you can:
* Segment Ethernet and Token Ring LANs and interconnect the segments
at full network speeds to alleviate traffic bottlenecks and
congestion
* Combine Ethernet and Token Ring switching with Ethernet-to-FDDI
bridging to configure a high-speed collapsed backbone or
high-performance intranetwork, thereby increasing throughput
between segments
* Employ Source Route Transparent (SRT) bridging capability to
integrate switched Token Ring segments with legacy Token Ring
networks
* Use intranetwork IP routing to fit Ethernet switching into heavily
subnet-ted LANs, providing multiple switched segments per subnet
and multiple sub-nets per port
* Extend 100 Mbps FDDI connections to FDDI servers and workstations
with FDDI concentration
* Aggregate bandwidth with switched FDDI by connecting the three
FDDI rings on the backplane
* Maximize uptime with redundant power and hot-swappable modules
ETHERNET/FDDI SWITCHING MODULE (EFSM)
Each LANplex 6000 Ethernet/FDDI Switching Module (EFSM) provides
high-speed intelligent switching, IEEE 802.1d bridging, and
intranetwork routing between up to 16 Ethernet segments and two FDDI
segments.
State-of-the-Art Switching
* RISC processors combined with 3Com's ISE-chip deliver
leading-edge, scalable performance enhance-ment.
High-port-density, low-latency, single-hop switching transfers
data at more than 562,000 packets per second per module
* Ethernet-to-FDDI translation bridging to the backplane or to an
external FDDI interface enables seamless connectivity between the
technologies
* Cyclic redundancy checking (CRC), alignment, and length validation
on all packets prevents data errors
* Multicast/broadcast firewalls suppress performance-slowing
broadcast storms
* User-definable packet filters can block or forward packets based
on address, protocol, or bit patterns within the packet,
optimizing traffic management
Scalable Bandwidth
* Two switched FDDI segments aggre-gate bandwidth between FDDI
client/server networks and FDDI backbone networks
* Shared or dedicated Ethernet connec-tions support a wide range of
band-width needs and segment sizes
* Integrated FDDI switching reduces latency and hop count to keep
perfor-mance high
Express Switching and Bridging Modes
* Express Switching mode optimizes switched LAN connections to
single devices by eliminating packet flooding caused by address
learning and aging
* IEEE 802.1d Bridging mode optimizes Ethernet links for larger
networks by providing full address learning
* The module can learn up to 8192 MAC addresses in either mode
* Express Switching and Bridging modes can be mixed within the
switching hub or network to accommodate various configurations
* Spanning Tree support ensures that only one active path exists
between LANs in redundant configurations
Intranetwork IP Routing
* With the support of intranetwork rout-ing, switching can be easily
imple-mented in existing subnet structures and router
architectures
* User-configured IP routing with Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
supports multiple switched segments per subnet and multiple
subnets per port. Ethernet switching is used within subnets and
intranetwork routing is used between subnets to optimize
throughput
* Router administration is simplified because you don't have to
create new subnets to handle growth, or reassign IP addresses for
each move or change
* Traffic to subnets may be routed on a per-port basis
Media Flexibility
The EFSM supports a range of media connections for optimum
flexibility:
* 16 ports 10BASE-T (RJ-45)
* 16 ports 10BASE-T (RJ-21, 50-pin telco)
* 16 ports 10BASE-FL (FOIRL)
* 16 ports 10BASE2 (BNC)
* 8 ports 10BASE5 (AUI)
ETHERNET SWITCHING MODULE (ESM)
The LANplex 6000 Ethernet Switching Module (ESM) provides intelligent
switching, IEEE 802.1d bridging, and intranetwork routing between up
to eight Ethernet LANs and one of the FDDI backplane paths. The ESM
transfers data at 50,000 packets per second, which provides line-speed
throughput for frame sizes up to 1192 bytes. The ESM accom-modates the
same range of media con-nections as the EFSM, and offers many of the
same features, including scalable bandwidth, Express Switching and
Bridging Modes, and IP routing between subnets.
TOKEN RING SWITCHING MODULE (TRSM)
The LANplex 6000 Token Ring Switching Module (TRSM) provides
high-speed, high-density switching for up to eight Token Ring ports,
as well as one FDDI ring connection. With this module, you can segment
your Token Ring LANs cost-effectively and boost bandwidth for enhanced
performance.
Support for SRT bridging allows the TRSM to be used in SNA
environments that include dual Token Ring connections and multiple
redundant paths for fault tolerance and load balancing.
The module represents a full featured, low-cost alternative to
traditional Token Ring/LAN internetworking options such as two port
bridges, or routers.
Scalable Bandwidth
* The module lets you scale bandwidth in both shared and dedicated
Token Ring segments of various sizes
* The Token Ring FDDI connection alleviates traffic bottlenecks
between Token Ring LANs and an FDDI backbone
* Two of the ports can be configured for direct station attachment,
providing a dedicated high-speed link to an individual file
server, minicomputer, or mainframe
Standards-Compliant Bridging and Routing
* SRT functionality-including both source routing and transparent
bridging- ensures seamless integration into existing Token Ring
networks
* Support for IEEE 802.1d and IBM �
* Spanning Tree preserves Token Ring integrity
Fault Tolerance
* CRC alignment and length validation on all packets prevents data
errors
FDDI CONCENTRATOR MODULE (FCM)
The LANplex 6000 FDDI Concentrator Module (FCM) integrates FDDI
workgroup and server concentration with LAN switching. The module
provides six multimode fiber Master ports (M-ports) with
ANSI-compliant SC connectors, or 12 Category 5 unshielded twisted-
pair (UTP) master ports with RJ-45 connectors.
Port-Level Configurability
* Any port on an FCM can be connected to any of the three FDDI
backplane rings, or the ports may be disabled
* Single-attach stations (SAS) can be connected to FCM ports, or
dual-attach stations (DAS) can be dual-homed to FCM ports to
provide fault-tolerance in case of failure
LANPLEX MANAGEMENT MODULE (LMM)
All LANplex 6000 switches come equipped with a LANplex Management
Module (LMM). This module has a processor devoted entirely to system
management. System software is stored in flash EPROM and may be
updated over the network without interrupting LANplex 6000 operation.
Comprehensive Management Features
* Virtual LAN capability allows you to create workgroups independent
of physical connections
* FDDI SNMP capabilities include FDDI SMT (Station Management)
Revision 7.3 and an SNMP/FDDI SMT proxy that allows management of
all the FDDI stations. Beacon filtering facilitates FDDI fault
isolation
* The module supports an extensive set of MIBs: MIB II, Ethernet
MIB, FDDI SMT 7.3 MIB, Bridge MIB, and LANplex management MIBs
* The module offers Ethernet and FDDI in-band management from any
station and three out-of-band management ports: one Ethernet port
and two serial ports
* Software updates can be downloaded via the in-band or out-of-band
networks using ftp
Built-in FDDI Backbone Connection
* The module incorporates an FDDI DAS backbone connection that
fea-tures standard multimode or optional Category 1 single-mode
fiber interfaces
* The LMM offers a choice of one or three FDDI Media Access
Controllers (MACs) for FDDI management. These come with A/B ports
for standard Media Interface Connections (MICs)
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| LANplex 2500
The LANplex 2500 Ethernet/FDDI switch offers unparalleled
price/performance with ISE-chip technology that can speed throughput
to more than 562,000 packets per second. The switch accommodates one
or two 8-port Ethernet modules and up to two single-port FDDI/CDDI
modules. Modules are available with all types of media connections.
High-speed modules for 100BASE-T Fast Ethernet and ATM will be
available in the future.
With the LANplex 2500, you can:
* Boost performance where it's needed with full-wire-speed
forwarding on all switched ports for all configurations- no
exceptions
* Set up high-speed connections to eliminate traffic bottlenecks to
file servers and the backbone
* Prepare the way for migration to higher-speed technologies with a
future-proof platform
* Maximize uptime with redundant power and hot-swappable modules
Full-Featured Intelligent Switching
* Elastic Packet Buffering prevents port congestion and minimizes
dropped packets when traffic is heavy
* Packet filtering lets you control traffic flow based on
characteristics you define, including multicast traffic, protocol
type, or MAC address
* You can configure thresholds to control multicast/broadcast
storms, with the filters based on any packet attribute
* IP Fragmentation allows FDDI packets greater than 1518 bytes to be
forwarded to stations on an Ethernet segment. This technique also
lets FDDI stations communicate most efficiently with each other
using maximum size (4500-byte) packets
Express Switching, Bridging, and Intranetwork Routing
* Express Switching simplifies address learning and reduces packet
flooding
* IEEE 802.1d Bridging mode optimizes Ethernet links for larger
networks by providing full address learning
* Intranetwork IP routing supports multi-ple switched segments per
subnet and multiple subnets per port. Routing may be enabled on a
per-port basis
High-Speed Server and Backbone Links
* The switch can be equipped with up to two switched FDDI ports,
delivering high-bandwidth connections to file servers and/or an
FDDI backbone
* The switch's ASIC-based ISE-chip architecture will support other
high-performance technologies implemented on future modules
Media Flexibility
The LANplex 2500 supports a wide range of media connections:
* 10BASE-T (RJ-45)
* 10BASE-T (RJ-21, 50-pin telco)
* 10BASE-FL (FOIRL)
* 10BASE2 (BNC)
* 10BASE5 (AUI)
* FDDI Fiber DAS
* FDDI twisted-pair DAS (TP-DDI)
The dual-attach (DAS) connectors allow you to add resiliency in case
of FDDI ring failure. Also, DAS ports may be used for 2
single-attached connections.
Powerful System Management
* Virtual LAN capability gives you more flexibility in designing and
managing your network, allowing you to define virtual workgroups
independent of physical connections
* FDDI SNMP support include FDDI SMT (Station Management) Revision
7.3 and an SNMP/FDDI SMT proxy that allows management of all the
FDDI stations
* The switch supports MIB II, Ethernet MIB, FDDI SMT 7.3 MIB, Bridge
MIB, SNMP/FDDI MIB, and LANplex management MIBs
* Software updates can be downloaded via in-band and out-of-band
networks using ftp
Uptime Assurance
* The ASIC-based switching architecture reduces component count and
opera-tional complexity, increasing reliability
* An optional redundant power supply provides a complete backup for
the power unit in each switch
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