AUGUST 19, 2008 -- NetQuest, manufacturer of test and monitoring access equipment, today launched what it claims is the first 10-Gigagbit access tool for high-speed Packet over SONET/SDH (POS) networks.
NetQuest says the new P-Series OptiCop 10G Converger can translate 10G POS traffic into Ethernet traffic to enable service providers to leverage their existing Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10-GbE tool investments and enable test and monitoring access across any network topology. Moreover, its out-of-band broadband monitoring access lets service providers optimize tool port usage without degrading the service or distorting the results, say company representatives.
The OptiCop 10G Converger provides scalable and modular test/monitor access that supports physical and logical network access for both POS test tools and IP tools. Using NetQuest's own Hybrid Inspection Technology (HIT), OptiCop 10G Converger empowers service providers with powerful packet inspection and filtering capabilities that can separate the traffic at the service level and distribute it to the appropriate network monitoring tools from a single network tap or span port, notes the company.
"As network convergence continues to gain momentum and IP-based services evolve, service providers require new types of test access and monitoring systems," explains Olga Yashkova, industry analyst, measurement & instrumentation for Frost & Sullivan. "With today's converged networks, service providers need greater visibility into various IP, Cell/Packet, and TDM network environments to ensure availability and responsiveness across all aspects of service and content delivery. NetQuest helps service providers meet the challenge of non-intrusive monitoring for networks that contain both Packet over SONET and IP topologies even at 10 Gig line rates," Yashkova adds.
The OptiCop 10G Converger builds on the companies' existing product family's interfaces, traffic handling capabilities, and high port density by using powerful parallel processing functions to set what it claims is a new standard for monitoring access to 10G POS networks. By providing access optimization, the new device leverages existing tool investments and overcomes their bandwidth limitations by employing load balancing, packet inspection, and multi-layer filtering. Service providers can reduce capital expenditures by enabling tools to access only data of interest and by providing remote monitoring and tool sharing capabilities. The resulting benefits provide rapid return on investment and provide a simplified architecture with a more accurate vision of the network performance than previous strategies using tap and span ports, note company representatives.
OptiCop 10G Converger systems can be configured to meet the most demanding applications, with the ability to monitor SONET/SDH POS circuits ranging from OC3/STM-1 through OC192/STM-64. They monitor multiple circuits in either half or full duplex scenarios and will operate in conjunction with automatic protection switching, ensuring monitoring applications always have the access they need.
"As transport networks continue to break speed barriers, network operators are still dealing with monitoring access of converged traffic in very archaic ways," notes Dan Pocek, president and CEO of NetQuest. "The introduction of our P-Series OptiCop 10G Converger to our already successful product line enables persistent monitoring of services and more accurate results while preserving capex as carriers and end-users leverage network bandwidth by converging services. We are excited to reach out and solve the issues of monitoring converged 10G networks for network operators around the globe."
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