SecureFast
Virtual
Network
Services
Overview
Problems Facing
Business Today

• Increase Productivity
• Control and Understand costs
• Provide more services to my
end-users
• Utilize technology to enhance the
business
• How is technology being used to
solve this dilemma?

– WWW
– Internet
– Video Conferencing
– Client/Server
– Advanced Whiteboarding …

Here Comes the Intranet
Why are Intranets
Gaining in Popularity

• They are simple to use
• Servers are relatively simple to add and maintain
• Vendor and Device Independence
• Delivers Flexibility and Mobility
• Allows for rapid access to information resources

Okay Fine …
But What is the Risk?

• Security

– Any-to-Any connectivity allows almost unlimited "surfing" INSIDE the firewall

• Control

– How can you GUARANTEE that all intranet resources are secure … can you trust application security? NO

Okay Fine …
But What is the Risk?

• Management

– More distributed servers, more information, more bottlenecks, more users … WILL IT STAY IN CONTROL?

• How much does it REALLY Cost?

How Can These Intranet and
Business Problems be Controlled?

• By building the infrastructure that is based on:

– User-to-User Security NOT Segment-to-Segment Security
– Control and Management of:

• Users
• Systems
• Network Resources

– Ease of use, ease of installation, ease of support
– Ability to leverge existing infrastructure while providing migration to emerging technology
– A building block methodology

• Software Services
• Hardware Migration

What Kind of Intranets
Exist Today??

• Highly Routed with Hubs
• Switched just for Bandwidth interconnect via Routers
• Flat/Bridged Only with little to no routing
• Based on every technology

– Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, ATM, Fast Ethernet, etc …

• Management may or may not exist
• All methods have advantages and disadvantages …

Goals of Most Information Technology Organizations

• Choose any network design methodology

– Routed or Switched/Flat

• Choose any technology required

– Packet or cell-based

• Leverage existing infrastructure investment
• Leverage existing talent pool
• Have a long life span and migration path
• Standards-based
• SAFE and PROVEN

End Result Once Next Generation Technology Deployed

• Highly Reliable, Highly Predictable, Utility-like Service
• High Bandwidth Availability

– Enough bandwidth for all user demands

• Highly Secure
• Highly Manageable

– Proactive and quick problem resolution

• Easy mobility of users
• Easily upgradeable as new needs are defined

How is the Industry
Solving These Dilemmas?

• "Cell" ATM Switching
• "Frame" LAN Switching
• RMON and Network Management platforms
• Virtual Something
• WHAT IS THE WAY TO GET THERE??

Let's Look at the Largest,
Most Reliable Network
Cabletron's
Virtual Network Services

Business Goals
• Reduce the cost of Ownership
• Allow the business to run based on business requirements … NOT the requirements of technology
• Regain control of spiraling user demands

What is SecureFast
Virtual Network Services?

" A suite of software and hardware
building blocks that when added to the network infrastructure perform
value added services to manage the Information Infrastructure."

Open, Standards-based Technology
Building Blocks of
SecureFast Virtual LANs

• Automated VLAN membership

– Port-based
– MAC-based
– Protocol-based
– Application-based

• Distributed Virtual Routing Services
• Multiple VLAN Membership
• Drag and Drop Control
• Automatic Topology Discovery
• Connection-oriented SVCs and PVCs
• Protocol and Topology independence within highly routed or
switched infrastructures

What is Required to Use
BASIC SecureFast Services

• Packet or ATM "Cell" based
• Over 1 Million ports are ready to take advantage of SecureFast Services
• Simple firmware
upgrade required

Need Advanced
Features...

• No problem
• Add services for:
- Policy Management
- Network Usage Accounting
- Advanced Connection
Management

What is Required for
Advanced Services?

• SecureFast Virtual Network Server

– Has embedded servers:

• Policy Server
• Accounting Server
• Connection Management Server

• SecureFast VNET Manager

– Graphical Management Application
which includes:

• Policy Tools, Accounting Tools,
Connection Tools

– Based on SPMA architecture

• Initially supported on SPECTRUM
• Future releases run on all other
Management Platforms

How Was This Accomplished?