HSTR Seminar

High Speed Token Ringfor the 21st Century

Seminar Series

HSTR Seminar Series 2


Agenda

Madge Networks in Token Ring The History and Future of Token Ring The HSTR Alliance HSTR Explained Token Ring for the 21st Century HSTR in Action


Madge Networks N.V.

Founded in 1986 by Robert Madge Quoted on NASDAQ (NASDAQ:MADGF) Madge Networks

Wexham Springs - UK Eatontown - USA Sales offices around the globe

Lannet Tel Aviv - Israel

Customer support without limits Financial success based on ethical standards


Token Ring

Video Networking

ISDN Carrier

VA

Rs,

Res

elle

rs,

OE

Ms

Str

ateg

ic P

artn

ers

etc.

CustomersBusiness Units

Token Ring

Video Networking

ISDN Carrier

Madge Networks Business Model


Token Ring Market Overview

$2.2bn world-wide market Large, stable market

‘98 market size will be over $2bn 4.6m adapters sold in ‘97

Huge, well defined user base Over 20m desktops now run on Token Ring

Significant growth expected in TR switching Dell’Oro forecasts 1.3m switch ports by 2000

Major Token Ring vendors still investing heavily in Token Ring technology


Madge’s Position in Token Ring

Number 1 in Backbone Switching in Europe Number 2 in Adapters World-wide Number 3 in Stackable Shared hubs Very strong brand name in Token Ring Excellent channel partners Own core Token Ring technology Continue to drive key Token Ring standards

TR LAN Emulation, High Speed Token Ring

Over 12 years experience in this market


Madge’s Continued Leadership

First vendor to launch a cut-through Token Ring switch

First to market with PCI, EISA, MC32 & CardBus adapters

First vendor to break the $200 price point for Token Ring adapters

First major Token Ring vendor after IBM to deliver its own Token Ring chipset

First vendor to deliver standards-based Token Ring LAN Emulation


High Speed Token RingThe future for Token Ring Networks

IDC Research ‘97: >46% Token Ring users voted for a higher speed

Token Ring as their preferred backbone

HSTR has both press and user attention Growing interest since the launch in August 97

HSTR is the future for Token Ring Preserves and extends Token Ring strengths

The History and Future of Token Ring

The Madge Perspective


Why Token Ring?

Historical choice for migration of transaction processing applications

Very high reliability Automatic fault detection & recovery Source routing for maximum resilience on

backbones

Manageability Highly intelligent MAC Management built into every station


Why Token Ring?

Efficiency & scalability Highly deterministic Token Ring can operate at over 99% of available

bandwidth Supports large frames

Compatibility With existing applications e.g. SNA

Future proof Token priority designed in from outset Easily scaled from 4 to 16Mbps in early ‘90s


Communications Revolution

TransactionProcessing

Client-Server Applications

Intranets & Web-basedCommunications

MultimediaCommunications

1970 1980 1990 2000

Ubiquitous Email

Office Automation

Net

wor

k D

eman

ds


Network Impact of Changes

Smaller sharedsegmentsShared

10Mbps

Switched 10Mbpsin backbone

100Mbps in backbone

Switched 10Mbpsto desktop

1Gbps inbackbone

Switched100Mbps

EthernetMajor technology change every 2 yearsUsers forced to upgrade every time


Token Ring Meeting the Challenge


10Mbps


100Mbps in backbone


1Gbps inbackbone

Switched100Mbps

Token Ring

Shared4Mbps

Shared 16Mbps


Token Ring has consistentlybeen able to meet demandsplaced on it by new applications


Challenges of the New Millennium

Ubiquity of the desktop PC in corporations Microsoft dominance at the desktop & server Wide-scale deployment of web-based

applications in corporate Intranets IP becoming the dominant network protocol

New desktop multimedia applications enrich business communications

Video starting to emerge as a real business tool

Rising network traffic Greater inter-connection between networks


Problems to be Addressed

Scalability Scaling network performance in congested areas of

the network e.g. backbone, servers & workgroups

Affordability Driving down the total cost of Token Ring networking

Applications Enhancing the network with new applications

Integration Integration between Token Ring and Ethernet,

allowing information to be shared freely


Token Ring: Likes and Concerns

Fault tolerance Manageability Compatibility with business applications

Congested inter-switch links Inadequate server I/O speeds

. . . and in the future

Desktop bandwidth for power users Support for multi-services


For existing Token Ring

installations, incremental

upgrades will almost always be

easier to implement and cost less

than attempting a change of

network technology at every

desktop

For existing Token Ring

installations, incremental

upgrades will almost always be

easier to implement and cost less

than attempting a change of

network technology at every

desktop

The ROPE Fallacy

Rip

Out Token Ring

Put in

Ethernet


Token Ring Performance

16 + 16 100

Switch

DTR is the same or faster than 100BaseT for server backups

Switch

TR Workstations run significantly faster into TR based servers compared with those 100BaseT based

DTRDTR


Backbone Alternatives

FDDIFDDI FastEthernet

FastEthernet ATMATM

FaultTolerance

FaultTolerance

ScalabilityScalability

CompatibilityCompatibility

SimplicitySimplicity

PerformancePerformance

EthernetCo-existence


CostCost


ATM in the Backbone

Used by many companies around the world Many benefits:

Seamless connectivity if ATM used in the WAN Great for consolidating PBX voice traffic and

LAN traffic on same infrastructure Guaranteed QoS Currently only way to consolidate TR & Ethernet

traffic on same wire

But large proportion of Token Ring users looking for a simple, frame-based backbone solution


What TR Users Need Tomorrow

High SpeedLAN Backbone

High speedserver

connections

High speedinter-switchconnections

Power Userdesktop

connections

AccommodateEthernet

workgroups

High Speed Token Ring Alliance


Who is the HSTRA

The industry’s leading Token Ring vendors joining forces to ensure rapid delivery of high-speed Token Ring to customers.

Madge Networks 3Com Olicom Bay Networks UNH Interoperability Lab IBM Xylan


High-Speed Token Ring Alliance Roadmap

March - European Press Summit, NetEvents April - HSTR Technical Tolly Town Meetings May - InterOp, Multiple vendor HSTR

technology demonstrations July - UNH Interoperability Testing July - Progress Standards to Sponsor level

ballot Fall 98 Product introductions


HSTR Alliance


www.hstra.com

More Information on HSTRA

High Speed Token Ring Explained


What is High Speed Token Ring?

Initially defined for speeds of 100 Mbps Scaleable to 1 Gbps and beyond Part of the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring standard

Native High Speed Token Ring standard Not based on proprietary technology Makes use of existing cabling systems

Defined for Dedicated Token Ring initially Important in backbone application Shared HSTR being evaluated as a desktop

technology


Targets for the IEEE

Development of standards by Q4 98 <1 year - conception to ratification

Use current Token Ring cabling STP - Type 1 UTP - Cat 5

Reusing tried & test technology 100 Mbps Phy from 100BaseT MAC developed from DTR


IEEE 802.5 Standards schedule

Aggressive standards development schedule in the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring Working Group:

Straw-man circulated for comment 21st Nov. 97Straw-man 2.0 circulated for comment 28th Jan. 98Committee ballot to approve standard 27th Mar. 98Confirmation ballot following ballot resolution Jun. 98Forward to LMSC and ISO for ballot 9th July 98


HSTR End Stations

16/4 - Manchester Encoding

Token Ring ISO Layer

PHY Physical

Data Link

Network

MAC

Interface

Protocol

LLC - I & II

Driver - NDIS/ODI

TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI

100 Mbps - 4b/5b (as used in Fast Ethernet & FDDI MLT-3)

16/4100

Token Ring Network


Why not ISL?

Proprietary Single choice for backbone equipment Not compatible with Fast Ethernet switches

Inefficient Encapsulation forces more frame processing on

PCs Adapters have no ability to process frames


Why is HSTR a dedicated link?

Switch port prices are eroding quickly Hub port prices are stable Price parity by mid 1999

Easier upgrade path for users One node at a time

The early need Servers & inter-switch links

Shared standard More complex New hubs will be needed


What cabling types and standards will HSTR use?

Considerations Higher speed - more susceptible to emissions Dedicated links - active re-timing at each station Token Ring’s unique lobe test - reassuring cable

quality

STP - type 1 100m Large older installations Better immunity - shielded cable

UTP - Cat 5 100m Newer installations Certainly been adequate for Fast Ethernet


What cabling types and standards will HSTR use?

Fibre

Standard still needs some definition

Cannot use 802.5j

Physical specification is IEEE 802.3u

re-use of FDDI signalling

different laser wavelengths to 16/4Token Ring

Fibre runs of up to 2 Km


What VLAN standards will be supported on HSTR?

VLANs - Virtual LANs Definition:

Stations grouped together as if on the same LAN

Each group has unique identifying Tag Standardised under 802.1Q

VLANs to support Ethernet Tagged Ethernet frames can travel over HSTR HSTR can be used as common backbone for

mixed Ethernet & Token Ring networks


What about HSTR Network Management?

HSTR will support the same management functions that Token Ring supports today

Error reporting, link error analysis, force remove, adapter status removal

RMON support extended to HSTR HSTR switch ports can be managed in the same

way 4/16Mbps ports

Seamless network management with application support


How much will HSTR cost?

First products will be highly integrated

Adaptation of existing Token Ring silicon solutions

Cost effective solutions in first products

Initial target: 25% above traditional Token Ring

Expected fast price reduction as components become even more integrated


HSTR Delivers

FaultTolerance

FaultTolerance

ScalabilityScalability

CompatibilityCompatibility

SimplicitySimplicity

PerformancePerformance



SR support enables multiple redundant paths, and duplicate MAC addressesSR support enables multiple redundant paths, and duplicate MAC addresses

Scales to 100 Mbps and 1 GbpsScales to 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps

Uses native Token Ring frame formats and packet sizesUses native Token Ring frame formats and packet sizes

No new protocols to learnNo new protocols to learn

Native TR: Good client server performance4.5K bytes frame size: faster backupsNative TR: Good client server performance4.5K bytes frame size: faster backups

Supports 802.1Q VLAN tagging enabling Ethernet packet transport over HSTRSupports 802.1Q VLAN tagging enabling Ethernet packet transport over HSTR

High SpeedToken RingHigh SpeedToken Ring

CostCost Leverages low cost high volume components for best valueLeverages low cost high volume components for best value


HSTR: Key Milestones

Alliance launch Oct. 97 NetWorld & Interop, Atlanta

Madge hosts Alliance meeting in UK Oct. 97

Technology demonstrations First product: CeBit, Germany Mar. 98 Live demonstrations: N& I, Las Vegas May 98

Networks 98,UK Jun. 98 Multi-vendor interoperability testing Jul. 98

University of New Hampshire

First products Sep. 98


Where will HSTR be used?

Initially as a backbone technology Server to switch connections Switch to switch connections Workgroup switch to backbone switch

connection

Later as a workgroup technology Workgroup switching will be deployed first to

resolve performance bottlenecks HSTR in the workgroup will further enhance

workgroup performance Not expected to occur for 2-5 years


HSTR networking example

4/16/100 MbpsServer NICs

4/16/100 MbpsServer NICs

HSTR used forinter-switch

links

HSTR used forinter-switch

links

HSTR Power-usersconnected into

Ringswitch

HSTR Power-usersconnected into

Ringswitch

HSTR up-linkfor workgroupsHSTR up-link

for workgroups

4/16/100 MbpsNICs

4/16/100 MbpsNICs


Beyond 100Mbps Token Ring

Standards provision for Gigabit Token Ring:

Same MAC

Re-use of Fiber Channel PHY (Gbps Ethernet)

Ratified standard 9-12month after 100Mbps

Target Applications

Initially deployed for building and campus inter-switch links

Technology demonstrations: 1999


Token Ring is strategic once more

HSTR is targeted at TR user needs Preserves and enhances existing investments Alternatives are either high latency, expensive, a

“fork lift” upgrade or all three

HSTR & Token Ring: real benefits Performance & efficiency Preserves Token Ring resilience and service

quality advantages Supports existing Token Ring cabling and

applications Token Ring remains the strategic choice


Hubs&

Switches

Hubs&

Switches

BackboneSwitches

ServerAdapters

ATM Switches&

High Speed Token Ring

DesktopAdapters

Campus Backbone

Token RingBackbone

WorkgroupDesktop

Madge strategy for HSTR & Token Ring: A complete solution


Complete Token Ring solutionsThe issues

Maintaining business mission critical network availability

Resilient network configurations Proactive network management Making it easy to handle moves and changes

Properly dealing with broadcast traffic An architecture for performance switched networks

Compatibility with existing networks Adapters: one driver standard for all applications Infrastructure: support of network cabling and existing

LAN technology

Easy , incremental scaling options


Backbone switchingMadge Smart Ringswitch Plus

1.5 Gbps capacity

6 slots for switching modules

Up to 36 full duplex TR ports

Unique software functionality

ATM and FDDI uplinks

September 98:

4 port copper HSTR

2 port fibre HSTR

Smart Ringswitch Plus


Small Backbone/segment switchingMadge Smart Ringswitch Express

1.5 Gbps capacity

Easy to use switching solution

Advanced software functionality

HSTR ready 4 port copper HSTR 2 port fibre HSTR

Smart Ringswitch Express


Capture

Matrix

Host Top N

History

Ringswitch FamilyNetwork Management

Statistics

Token Ring

Alarm

Event

Host

Filter

Smart Ringswitch family The only Token Ring

switches to fully support RMON

Extends to HSTR too!

Monitoring

Warnings

Who’s talking

Diagnostics


Ringswitch FamilySolution strength as switched backbone

Layer 3 Filtering

Manages protocol specific broadcasts

Active Broadcast Control

Reduces broadcast traffic by up to 90%!

Important for an extended switched infrastructure

Optimum speed & ease of administration


Ringswitch Family Workgroup Switching

Low cost switch access for servers and power users

20 ports per module, up to 120 users per switch

100Mbps HSTR links into backbone


Ringswitch FamilyWidest range of TR and high speed options

UTP, STP and Fiber Token Ring support

Wide choice of high speed options

with 1.5G switching capacity to support higher speeds

GroupSwitch

8-Port TR

4-Port TR

4-Port TR Fiber

ATM MMF

FDDI

HSTR

Token Ring

High speed


Adapter Strategy

Time to market important driving factor for first HSTR adapters

Madge’s long-term strategy is to make 100Mbps HSTR an affordable desktop technology

Will allow 4/16/100 adapters to be deployed at 16Mbps, ready for upgrade to 100Mbps


Adapter Family

Smart 16/4 Ringnode familyPerformance leading adapter family

Unique single driver across all adapters - including ISA, PCI, PCMCIA and CardBus

Widest range of environments supported

4th generation Madge TR silicon Includes support for HSTR

Very stable silicon & MAC base


New HSTR Adapter

Smart 100/16/4 HSTR PCI adapter Supports same driver as 16/4 cards

Very easy upgrade to 100Mbps

Auto-sensingJust plug adapter into HSTR port

Designed for servers & power-users


Silicon Roadmap

5th generation HSTR silicon being developed

for desktop applications

Significantly reduce the price premium for

100Mbps support

Enable customers to widely deploy HSTR-

enabled adapters throughout network ready

for upgrade later

A Perspective on Token Ring for the 21st Century


Quality of Service

Madge believes that voice, video and data convergence is inevitable

Quality of Service in the LAN is a key requirement

Needed for desktop video and multimedia conferencing, mission-critical data apps


QoS on Token Ring

Token Ring was designed with QoS in mind from the outset

Priority is only now being added to Ethernet: requires significant hardware changes

Token priority scheme allows traffic to be transmitted at up to 8 different priority levels

High priority, time sensitive traffic gets access to network first

All TR hardware supports token priority Full end-to-end priority requires additional

functionality in switches and end-stations


Token Ring’s Built-inPriority Scheme

Stationcurrently

transmitting

Stationcurrently

transmitting

Stationswaiting totransmit

Stationswaiting totransmit

Station with higherpriority packet can

grab token next

Station with higherpriority packet can

grab token next

Token priority provides low delay access to shared ring

Supports good quality voice and video


Videoconferencing over Shared Token Ring

Assume 30 users per ring

Assume worst case 20% of users active with videoconferencing

Assume 350 kbps bandwidth/session

Total bandwidth used:

20% x 30 x 350 kbps = 2.1 Mbps

This is fine for a 16 Mbps ring!


End station QoS software

IPprotocol

stack

IPprotocol

stack

Adapter carddriver

Adapter carddriver

NDIS 5

Datapackets

Videopackets

RSVPmessages

Priority= 0

Priority= 6

Applications will use RSVP messages to request QoS

All packets go into the same IP stack

High priority assigned to packets with QoS


QoS on Token Ring

Network Interface

NDIS

IP Stack

VideoApp

Port 1 Port 2

Switching Engine

High PriorityQueue

Low PriorityQueue

DataApp

End station

Switch


QoS on Token Ring

Network Interface

NDIS

IP Stack

VideoApp

Port 1 Port 2

Switching Engine

High PriorityQueue

Low PriorityQueue

DataApp

End station

Switch

P0 P0


QoS on Token Ring

Network Interface

NDIS

IP Stack

VideoApp

Port 1 Port 2

Switching Engine

High PriorityQueue

Low PriorityQueue

DataApp

End station

Switch

P0 P4

P6 P6


TR-HSTR Solution for QoS

TRSwitch

TRSwitch

TRSwitch

TRSwitch

Support formultiple

priority queues

Support formultiple

priority queues

Multiple priority queues in each TR switch Expedited delivery of high priority traffic Adequate QoS for majority applications


Madge TR-HSTR Solution

All 802.5 standard TR equipment supports packet priority

Packet priority is preserved over HSTR

Smart Ringswitch Plus hardware supports multiple internal queues

High priority packets get precedence at output ports


When would you use ATM with TR?

Urgent need for greater capacity

Integration of synchronous traffic in campus backbone (e.g. PBX trunks)

HSTR no substitute for ATM Circuit Emulation

Extend LAN environment across the WANATM is directly compatible with wide area transmission

technologies such as SONET

HSTR and ATM will happily co-exist!


WAN

ISDN

Video roomsystem

Video Conferencing on Token Ring

H.320

H.323

H.323

LAN-VideoGateway

H.320 video conferencing onISDN standard

H.323 video conferencing onthe LAN standard


Story not so good for Ethernet users...

Ethernet does not have the same priority scheme as Token Ring

Being added as part of IEEE 802.1p/q Changes to Ethernet MAC Means installed Ethernet equipment not

compatible To deploy QoS in Ethernet requires all new

equipment Yet another complete upgrade for Ethernet!


Comparison with Ethernet

Ethernet802.1p/q desktops

1Gbps inbackbone

Switched100Mbps

Large frames


10Mbps


100Mbps in backbone


1980 1998 2000


Token Ring & HSTR The best fit to networking needs

Smaller sharedsegments

Shared10Mbps


100Mbps in backbone


1Gbps inbackbone

Switched100Mbps

802.1p/q desktops

Large frames

Token Ring

Shared4Mbps

Shared 16Mbps


1980 1998 2000

HSTR


Network Integration

Reality is that most Token Ring networks have Ethernet somewhere

Technically difficult to connect Ethernet to TR Address formats completely different Different protocols treat address types differently Token Ring supports much larger frame sizes What to do with source routing information

Best way to connect networks is via router, but It’s expensive There’s a significant performance hit Doesn’t solve non-routable protocols problem


Network Integration with 802.1q

New IEEE 802.1q standard allows frames of one network technology to be carried by another

Because HSTR supports bigger frame sizes than Ethernet, HSTR can be used to carry Fast Ethernet frames

Deploying HSTR in the backbone allows Ethernet and Token Ring to access the same network services


Network Integration with HSTR

HSTR & 802.1qused to carry

Ethernet frameson backbone

HSTR & 802.1qused to carry

Ethernet frameson backbone

Additional 802.1qdrivers required

in server

Additional 802.1qdrivers required

in server

Fast EthernetInterface on

Smart RingswitchPlus

Fast EthernetInterface on

Smart RingswitchPlus


Summary

Token Ring has built-in support for QoS

Support for QoS is only a driver update

HSTR is QoS ready

Madge products are QoS ready

Adapters and Switches

Token Ring is multi-Services ready

...but it’s a fork lift upgrade for Ethernet desktops


HSTR Performance

www.madge.com


Interest in HSTR


HSTR in Action


HSTR Seminar Highlights

www.madge.com

Documents

HSTR Seminar