Smart Ringswitch Plus

Smart Ringswitch Plus™ is the most flexible and fully-featured switching solution for Token Ring networks. The 6-slot modular platform supports up to 36 UTP/STP or fiber Token Ring switch ports and speeds of 16/4 or 100Mbps. Integrates Token Ring with Ethernet, ATM and Gigabit IP backbones. Download the Smart Ringswitch Plus DataSheet Key Benefits Key Features Product Specification Ordering Information

Smart Ringswitch Plus is ideal for use for network backbone applications, where high levels of security, resilience and manageability are required. Enhanced traffic control functions, including layer 3 IP routing services, automatic broadcast control and advanced protocol filtering options ensure maximum data efficiency and throughput for all demanding network environments.

Key Benefits

High Capacity

Madge's Smart Ringswitch Plus has the port count, switching capacity and performance needed in the network backbone. Able to switch from 4 up to 36 rings, it is ideal for large networks, or where the number of rings is being increased to provide extra user bandwidth.

Complete Switching Solution

Practical Token Ring networking issues go far beyond physical topology to include cabling media, frame forwarding techniques, uptime requirements and management. The Smart Ringswitch Plus can be chosen with confidence because it has outstanding management functionality and the capability to fit into any Token Ring backbone application.

Designed for Non-Stop Networking

Reliability is crucial in the backbone, and the Smart Ringswitch Plus has unique features to improve network uptime. As well as a backup power supply option, it provides redundant uplinks with fast recovery to protect against failures in the uplink or switching. In addition, its Active Broadcast Control helps prevent protocol failures from stopping the network.

Designed to Handle the Present and the Future

The Smart Ringswitch Plus is built to connect TR networks to higher speed backbone technologies, including ATM and 100Mbps Token Ring, to secure the benefits of higher bandwidth today. And for tomorrow, it has been built to accommodate future network trends, through software and hardware upgradability to third layer switching and quality of service features.

Madge's Token Ring Solutions Family

The Smart Ringswitch Plus is part of a product line that allows budget-friendly Token Ring solutions to be built from desktop to backbone with industry-leading adapters, and the densest hubs in the industry.

Easy Integration Into Existing Networks

The Smart Ringswitch Plus supports a range of fiber and copper (UTP/STP) interfaces, and has multimode fiber interfaces on the ATM module. This makes Ringswitch Plus easy to integrate into existing networks.

As an example, Ringswitch Plus ports can be attached to copper and fiber ports as well as the fiber RI/RO connections to standard Token Ring hubs, thereby significantly increasing flexibility in network design.

Leadership in Network Management

Smart Ringswitch products are managed through graphical network management software available as part of Madge's Trueview/32 management suite.

Smart Ringswitch Plus fully supports the RMON management standard. All 10 groups (including the diagnostic Filter and Data Capture groups) are implemented in the switch placing it amongst the most manageable of all Token Ring switch solutions in the marketplace today.

By supporting all monitoring groups, the Ringswitch can perform the function of a monitor probe, obviating the need to carry a probe device around the network when diagnosing problems. Alternatively, a port on the switch can be configured as a port mirror, allowing an administrator to set up a network probe in one place yet see activity on any of the Ringswitch Plus ports.

Meeting Future Needs

Ringswitch Plus hardware is architected with the future in mind. Ringswitch Plus ports can support Quality of Service prioritization and the backplane will accommodate Layer 3 switching modules in the future.

New software upgrades can be downloaded from the management station, through a TFTP server or using the management console port. During and after download, configuration settings are preserved for use with newly installed software.

Customer Support

The Madge Smart Ringswitch Plus is backed by the world-renowned expertise in networking provided by Madge. Our service and support organization continues to satisfy the needs of our extensive installed base in the most demanding Global 1000 companies.
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Key Features

Token Ring Switching

The Smart Ringswitch Plus is a modular, six slot chassis switch supporting up to 36 switched Token Ring ports. Each port accepts either hub or direct station attachment.

Gigabit integration

As part of its Gigabit IP switching strategy, Madge produces a standards-based Gigabit uplink module to enable the integration of traditional switched 100/16/4 Token Ring networks with the Gigabit-class IP-oriented backbones. Supporting the efficient large frame sizes associated with Token Ring, Madge gigabit technology provides seamless scaling of Token Ring networks to Gigabit speeds, and permit the integration of Ethernet and Token Ring workgroups across a common layer 3 IP backbone.
Download our Gigabit IP Switching Guide

Scalable solution for Token Ring networks

With its range of high density 8-port Ringswitch modules, Madge increased the 100Mbps Token Ring capacity of Ringswitch Express to 24 ports. Support for higher port counts can be easily accomodated though the use of multiple switches in a 'meshed' configuration, taking full advantage of the load balancing and automatic rerouting capabilities of source routed Token Ring networks.

Non-Stop ATM Backbone Connectivity

Smart Ringswitch Express enables customers to fully deploy advanced LAN Emulation technology to provide seamless and ultra-reliable network designs.

Supporting Mixed Token Ring and Ethernet Desktops

The use of high efficiency translational switching, enables the integration of Ethernet devices and workgroups across a common backbone. Support is provided using the translational capabilities of the Ringswitch 10/100 Ethernet module, Gigabit uplink module or the Ringswitch ATM module, which enable Token Ring and Ethernet resources to the same virtual or emulated LAN.

Non-Blocking Switching Architecture

The Smart Ringswitch Express switch uses a 1.5Gbps switching backplane. This provides more than enough power to switch between up to 24 dedicated network connections via 16/4 Token Ring, 100Mbps Token Ring, Ethernet or 155Mbps ATM.

Low Latency and High Throughput

In order to maintain high speed access from desktop to centralised servers, it is vital that the switch forwards traffic with minimal delay. Smart Ringswitch Plus implements cut-through switching, which reduces the delay to as little as 40 microseconds. The result is excellent client to server access rates, everywhere in the network.

Additionally, any port on the Smart Ringswitch Plus can operate in full duplex dedicated Token Ring mode, allowing Token Ring frames to be sent and received simultaneously. Servers directly connected to the switch can take advantage of this operating mode, maintaining a double bandwidth pipeline between switch and server.

Source Route and Transparent Operation

Smart Ringswitch Express support all frame forwarding techniques including Source Route, Transparent, Source Route Transparent (SRT) and a unique mode: SRT plus. SRT plus combines Source Route and Transparent bridging to allow the same ring number to be used on multiple ports, making it easy to segment rings without needing to change desktop ring numbering schemes throughout the network.

Active Broadcast Control

A high level of broadcast traffic absorbs processing power in every network end-station, affects data throughput and in some instances can lead to costly network downtime. The Smart Ringswitch Express incorporates Active Broadcast Control (ABC) technology, which automatically eliminates unnecessary broadcast traffic from the network.
ABC uses intelligent techniques, and is extremely easy to use. The software runs a process to learn the whereabouts of resources on the network. IP, IPX, NETBIOS and Source Route broadcasts are checked and forwarded only to the ports that need to see such broadcasts. The software can track or relearn the whereabouts of resources that move, so no configuration is necessary to keep ABC operating effectively.

Advanced Protocol Filtering

The ability to set user-defined filters for particular broadcast frame types allows network managers to introduce greater controls on the flow of network traffic. It is ideal for implementing simple access control to network resources. Traditionally, routers would have performed this filtering function, however, with flatter switched networks, Smart Ringswitch software allows the filtering ability of a router to be handled within the switch, allowing the costly router to be utilised on other applications.

Third Layer IP Services

The use of an optional IP Services module (TLS) provides a cost-effective solution for managing traffic flows between IP subnets. TLS complements the Layer 2 IP switching capability of Smart Ringswitch Express switches, by providing in-built and easily configured routing services within the same device.

Comprehensive VLAN Support

Smart Ringswitch Express provides for VLANs within Source Route and Transparent environments. Further, VLANS can be mapped between switches using either ring numbering for Token Ring connected switches or VLAN/ELAN mapping for ATM inter-switch backbones.

Dual Power Supplies for Resilient Operation

The Smart Ringswitch Plus chassis takes up to two power supply units. They can load share and in the event of one failing, the other will take over, maintaining continuous operation of the switch.

Resilient ATM Connectivity

An optional dual-link 155Mbps ATM module allows the Smart Ringswitch Plus to be connected to an ATM backbone network. One of the links is a standby in case of failure on the primary, allowing the network to automatically recover from faults. Full support of the ATM Forum LAN Emulation standard, allows Token Ring users access to resources on an ATM network without having to change any of the applications or drivers in their workstations and servers.

Network Management

Smart Ringswitch Express is provided with the Madge TrueView network management software, which provides an advanced, yet easy-to-use Windows-based graphical interface to the Madge products and traffic on the network. The Smart Ringswitch family is the only Token Ring switching solution to support all 10 Remote MONitoring (RMON) groups. This provides full visibility of the traffic being switches - essential for troubleshooting problems with mission-critical resources connected directly to the Token Ring switch.

100Mbps Token Ring Port Modules (Copper)

Eight 100Mbps full duplex Token Ring Ports
UTP shielded RJ-45, Compatible with IEEE 802.5t
Hub or direct station attachment

100Mbps Token Ring Port Modules (Fiber)

Eight 100Mbps full duplex Token Ring Ports
SC connectors for 62.5/125 multimode fiber optic cable, Compatible with IEEE 802.5t
Hub or direct station attachment

16/4 Token Ring Port Modules (Copper)

Eight 16/4 Mbps full duplex Token Ring Ports
STP DB9 (4-port module), shielded RJ-45 (8-port module)
Hub or direct station attachment

16/4 Token Ring Port Modules (Fiber)

Four or Eight 16/4Mbps full duplex Token Ring Ports
SC connectors for 62.5/125 multimode fiber optic cable, Compatible with IEEE 802.5J or Fiber Trunk Link
Hub or direct station attachment

Third Layer IP Services Module

Up to 16 internal routing ports
Routing Protocols: RIP v1/v2; OSPF, VRRP

155Mbps ATM Module

Two 155 Mbps ATM (OC-3) Ports (1 active, 1 standby)
SC connectors for multimode fiber optic cable
ATM Forum UNI 3.0/3.1
ATM Forum LANE 1.0

Gigabit Uplink Module

One Full Duplex 1000BASE-SX Port
SC connector (MMF)
IPv4, ARP,RARP, DHCP, BOOTP, IPX, NLSP, NetBIOS, AppleTalk, AARP & SNA
SNAP, Ethernet-II, 802.2, 802.1H tunnel, standard 1.5k and extended 4.5k and 9Kb frame size supported; User-selectable 802.3x flow control
Download the Gigabit Uplink Module DataSheet

10/100 Ethernet Module

Two IEEE 802.3 Full Duplex Ethernet Ports
UTP/S-UTP RJ45 (MDI)
IPv4, ARP,RARP, DHCP, BOOTP, IPX, NetBIOS, AppleTalk, AARP & SNA
SNAP, Ethernet-II, 802.2, 802.1H tunnel
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Specifications

Product Specifications

• Network Type: IEEE 802.5 Token Ring 4, 16 or 100Mbps, Dedicated Token Ring
• Function: High performance backbone switch
• Switching: Full packet cut-through Frame
• Forwarding: Source Route and Transparent bridging; SRT; SRT+
• Token Ring 100Mbps Ports: 30 maximum
• Token Ring 16/4 Ports: 36 maximum
• Gigabit (1000BASE-SX) Uplinks: 3 maximum
• Ethernet 10/100 Ports: 12 maximum
• ATM 155Mbps Uplinks: 6 maximum
• Switch Fabric and Backplane Capacity: 1.5Gbps
• Management protocols: SNMP over IP and IPX Management
• Device management: Madge TrueView, HP/OpenView and IBM NetView compatible
• Broadcast Control: Yes - Source Route, NetBIOS, IPX, IP RMON
• RMON Support: 10 groups (as per IETF RFC1213 & RFC1513)
• Mounting: 19" rack, occupies 3U
• Dimensions: 483x267x365mm (19.0x10.5x14.4")
• Weight: 17 Kg (37.5lb) chassis, switch module and single PSU

Environmental

• Supply: 90-130 and 180-250V ac
• Power: 47-63Hz, auto ranging, 250W max
• Temperature Range: 10-40 Celsius
• Humidity Range: 10-90% RH non-condensing

Download the Smart Ringswitch Plus DataSheet

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Ordering Information

Smart Ringswitch Plus Chassis - Part No. 57-61
Smart Ringswitch Plus Switch Module - Part No. 57-62
Smart Ringswitch Plus Secondary PSU Module - Part No. 57-77
Smart Ringswitch RMON License - Part No. 84-27
2-Port 100 Mbps Token Ring Module (Fiber) - Part No. 58-33
8-Port 100 Mbps Token Ring Module (Fiber) - Part No. 58-43
8-Port 100 Mbps Token Ring Module (Copper) - Part No. 58-42
4-Port 16/4 Mbps Token Ring Module (Fiber) - Part No.57-92
8-Port 16/4 Mbps Token Ring Module (Fiber) - Part No. 58-45
8-Port 16/4 Mbps Token Ring Module (Copper) - Part No. 58-24
Dual-redundant 155 Mbps ATM Module (MMF) - Part No. 57-94
2-Port 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Module (UTP) - Part No. 58-44
Third Layer Service Module - Part No. 58-41
Smart Ringswitch Gigabit Uplink Module - Part No. 58-49
Smart Ringswitch Software 4.4 - Part No. 87-11

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