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 Product Overview
The Best Connections in the Business
The Value of NEBS Certification Long a requirement for Central Office equipment used in the North American Public Network, the rigorous Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) criteria have become a universal measure of network product excellence. GDC has always manufactured products that meet stringent safety, environmental, shock, and vibration standards. GDC products are known in the industry as "Telco Tough". The Level 3 NEBS certification of our products is a key advantage not only for our RBOC and Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier customers but also for the growing number of other entrants into the access provider market. GDC's comprehensive line of products are specifically designed for any carrier central office, meeting and exceeding collocation requirements for reliability, availability and serviceability. SpectraComm Family of Integrated Access & Line-by-Line Solutions General DataComm's SpectraComm family of modems, CSU/DSUs, static routers and Ethernet switches support a wide range of applications. These include IP Services, T3 broadband services, T1/FT1 (Fractional T1) wideband services, 2.4 kbps - 64 kbps DDS/GDS (Digital Data Service/ Generic Data Service) narrowband services, and up to 33.6 kbps switched or private line analog services. The flexible, expandable design of the SpectraComm system accommodates network growth, expanding from a single card enclosure to a high-density 16 slot shelf system. This modularity maximizes your use of network facilities and helps to reduce network management complexity. SpectraComm supports many applications including secure out-of-band network management for both Legacy and IP devices, SS7 Signal Transport, regional site networking, consolidation of digital traffic, dial back-up, remote access, high density modem pools, and cascaded PBX, video and router traffic. SNMP-based network management can be provided by GDC's TEAM application suite. TEAM applications support large numbers of network elements making it particularly effective in environments with many unattended remote sites. GDC's standards-based, distributed Network Management architecture enables Network Operators to monitor and manage any IP-addressable network elements and legacy devices with serial ports via dial-up, Internet or LAN-attached connections using protocols like SNMP, Telnet, and PPP, RADIUS and TACACS+ for dial-in security. For more information on TEAM please refer to the Network Management section of this document. Advantages of SpectraComm Product Family Include:
Reliable Connectivity for Remote Network Management As Carriers introduce IP equipment to their networks, GDC's SpectraComm IP offers two NEBS certified access solutions for LAN-attached IP devices and legacy (Craft Port) devices. Either mode of operation can be conducted over the Carrier's T1/FT1, E1/FE1 or DDS network as well as over a dial-up PSTN. In router mode, the SpectraComm IP (SCIP) provides management access by extending the Carrier's internal network to remote locations where separate IP networks are required. In LAN-X mode, SCIP can be deployed as a LAN-extension device for those remote locations where a single 'flat' IP network is required. SCIP supports 2 switched Ethernet and 8 craft ports on a single card. When additional Ethernet connectivity is required, SCIP can integrate with SpectraComm Ethernet Switch (SC-ES) cards offering scalabel IP connectivity in 9 or 18 port increments. High Speed CSU/DSUs GDC offers a wide variety of robust and high-performance carrier-class CSU/DSUs for high-speed connections for central site and remote office environments. GDC's desktop DDS DSUs are available in popular 56/64k line rates and up and are line and diagnostic-test compatible with GDC's SpectraComm Family of CSUs/DSUs designed for central sites. GDC's high-performance T1/FT1 and T3 CSU/DSUs supply bandwidth up to 44.2 MBPS. Inband SNMP diagnostics suing HP OpenView or Telnet for rapid fault isolations and system restoral are hallmarks of GDC's long-history of designing CSU/DSUs for the demanding carrier market. Security - Protecting Your Network Assets General DataComm has been designing rigorous security solutions into its systems and products for over 30 years to meet requirements for mission-critical network applications, such as service providers, financial institutions, governmental agencies and others. Today, with homeland security a major concern, all types of enterprises and information networks that store or provide access to critical assets want security from attacks by illegal users and malicious hackers. Proven, telco-tough SpectraComm SteadFast solutions give network administrators a suite of protection options for their large or small network environments, including Security, Authentication and Disaster Recovery. SteadFast solutions protect your network assets by preventing disruption of service due to data theft, data corruption, illegal intrusions, shutdowns, line failure and component failure. RADIUS Dial-In Authentication with Challenge and RADIUS Accounting As dial-in modems are added to communication servers on a corporate network, that network becomes more vulnerable to security breaches. Network managers are left with serious security problems. To answer many of the Internet's security needs for a standard protocol, RADIUS was accepted as the de facto standard for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. RADIUS brought a client-server architecture to ISPs, enabling efficient, secure authentication of dial-in users. RADIUS servers manage a database of users, provide authentication that allows/denies dial-in user access, and define the type of service to deliver to the user. Steadfast Handshake Security GDCs exclusive SteadFast Handshake Security is imbedded in SpectraComm V.34 modems to deliver multiple levels of security protection. As part of its handshake, the initiating GDC modem sends the receiving GDC modem a cell password that must have been previously stored in both modems. After ten years, GDCs V.34 SteadFast Handshake Security has never been breached! In applications that require authentication, V.34 modems can be configured for SteadFast Handshake as fail-safe security when RADIUS or TACACS+ servers are out-of-service/unreachable. This eliminates truck-rolls and restores service quickly, saving time and capital expense. On-Line Password Security When a remote user initiates a call to a GDC V.34 answering modem configured for On-line Security, the modems handshake and the caller is prompted to enter a valid cell password within 20 seconds. If the answering modem can make a match with one of the ten stored cell passwords, the call is directly admitted. If not, the call is disconnected. Steadfast IP Security GDC's family of SpectraComm IP products provide IP connectivity to LAN-attached devices over standard T1, E1, DDS or xDSL circuits. SpectraComm static routers (SCIP, SCIP-E1, SCIP G.s) and Ethernet switches (SCES 9-Port, SCES 18-port) are all equipped with SteadFast IP Security solutions as follows: User- and Supervisor-level passwords stored in the device authorizes every access attempt. Inactivity logoff prevents hacks through 'left on equipment. Disabling of SNMP, HTTP, and TFTP services will deter hacking through these protocols. TACACS+ protocol provides secure, centralized authentication over IP networks. TACACS+ Authentication
Each SCIP and SCES device can be configured for TACACS+ authentication. This capability supports the Cisco TACACS+ protocol for secure, encrypted authentication between the SCIP or SCES device and its TACACS+ server. When TACACS+ is enabled in the SCIP or SCES, the TACACS+ server becomes the central point for managing network-wide usernames and passwords. This is especially useful when provisioning usernames and passwords for devices in large networks. TACACS+ usernames and Passwords are authenticated for all access methods: craft, Tel-net,and HTTP.
Universal xDSL Access System Service Provisioning Platform for SDSL, HDSL, HDSL2 and IDSL UAS advantages include:
Reduced Facility and Hardware Costs - Subrate through wideband services on existing 2 and 4-wire copper loops; HDSL, HDSL2, IDSL, SDSL, and SHDSL services integrated on one NEBS Level 3 Compliant shelf. Metroplex ® 6000 Access Multiplexer GDC's Metroplex ® 6000 is an intelligent access multiplexer designed for highly cost-effective termination of both T1 and HDSL. It provides high channel density access to wideband services. Data and voice traffic can be integrated and valuable T1 bandwidth can be shared by combining data with PBX applications via a true "drop and insert" capability. Metroplex supports a variety of voice and data channel interfaces. It can be managed via local craft port, Telnet or GDC's SNMP-based TEAM ® application suite. Some applications for the versatile Metroplex 6000 are:
Frame Relay Probes GDC's innovx® is a family of innovative, software based frame relay access devices, with optional built-in CSU/DSUs, that perform frame relay monitoring and extensive frame relay network probing functions. innovx provides network managers with comprehensive tools for verifying Service Level Agreements, assessing quality of service, and managing bandwidth usage. The innovx 553 units contain a built-in, software upgradeable CSU/DSU for rate flexible frame relay access at 56/64 Kbps to T1 speeds. The innovx® difference is Management Via the Internet.
innovx Frame Manager GDC innovx® users have the option of using the innovx Frame Manager, GDC's WindowsNT-based enterprise network management software application, for long-range insight into frame relay network performance and resources. Residing on a management PC, Frame Manager pulls data from each remote innovx for up to 2,500 PVCs, processes it and stores it in a relational database. Frame Manager uses the statistics collected by each innovx to generate detailed graphical reports either on-demand or in an automated fashion. These reports contain powerful information demonstrating network performance, errors, and quality of service in a variety of line, bar and other graph formats. Network managers can use these reports to:
Network Management Systems TEAM ® Total Enterprise Access Management GDC's standards-based, distributed Network Management architecture enables Network Operators to monitor and manage any IP-addressable network elements and legacy devices with serial ports via dial-up, Internet or LAN-attached connections using protocols like SNMP, Telnet, and PPP. TEAM applications support large numbers of network elements making it particularly effective in environments with many unattended remote sites. TEAM's distributed architecture allows either centralized control from a single point or management via multiple controllers located throughout the network. TEAM delivers high visibility with a custom designed GUI. This unique "GDC View" of the network provides intuitive integration with remote devices and immediate access to all management functions without a complex hierarchy of menus. The TEAM GUI provides a user-friendly alternative to the complicated MIB browser utilities found on most SNMP software packages. All SNMP commands are completely transparent to the user. TEAM is a collection of applications fully integrated into HP OpenView. It can run on powerful, multitasking UNIX workstations using HPUX and Solaris operating systems. Capabilities include fault, configuration, performance and accounting management. With TEAM network administrators can detect system malfunctions early - before they affect service to users. They can also monitor current network usage with statistics on performance and utilization. TEAM network management application packages are available for the full range of GDC's analog and digital SNMP-managed access products, including the SpectraComm family of CSUs/DSUs and modems, the Metroplex ® 6000 multiplexer and UAS products. It is offered both as a standalone application package and as a complete systems solution including hardware/software manager platform and a fully integrated applications package. Building On Core Strengths For 30 years, GDC has provided thousands of satisfied customers with elegantly engineered technology solutions for carrier and service provider networks. GDC's access solutions are in use throughout the world providing customers with increased service revenues while extracting the most from their existing network investments. GDC has been a leading innovator of carrier-class products and a key partner with the largest carriers, service providers, and telecommunications organizations throughout the world. They rely on our Research and Development expertise to help them harness the power of the latest and most cost-effective networking technologies to reduce their network operating costs and generate increased revenues. With new innovations on the horizon for the migration to converged voice, video and data services, GDC continues to maintain its commitment to deliver reliable, standards-based, Smart Solutions for Service Providers |
