We have
been working hard in the back ground for several months to bring you a new
software release to our AFM NMS and Embedded software product family, version
NMS 2.3.0 and Embedded 1.5.0. This new release includes a number of new
capabilities requested by our customers that bring measurable benefits to the
user. We think you will like the result.
The new
software allows Multitenant Datacenter (MTDC) operators to offer new fiber
management services to co-location tenant customers in their facilities in a
secure and scalable manner. It allows customers to install lower port count AFMs
in lower fiber dense locations and cost effectively scale the AFM as their port
count needs grow. Plus a number of enhancements have been made to simplify
day-to-day operations in both simplex and duplex fiber pair environments.
I would
like to take a moment to highlight some of the key features and benefits a
little further so that you have a better understand of what to expect in this
release, and would also like to pay special thanks to our customers for their
feedback and comments, helping us make a better product for all.
Customer needs vary depending
on application and site requirements, no two are exactly alike. As a result a
number of customers have been asking for AFM scalability support to allow them
to start with smaller port counts for lower density sites and grow their switch
size as their needs require. AFM was originally released in a fixed
configuration supporting 180x180 ports. The new release supports two new scalable
AFM models to address this concern.
- AFM-96S
- AFM-192S
And we are particularly
pleased with of how simple we made the expansion process for our customers.
Read on...
The AFM-96S model comes
in two variations, with both supporting 48x48 fibers by default. One version can
be expanded to 96x96, while the other can be expanded to 180x180. The AFM-192S
model supports 96x96 fibers by default and can be expanded to 180x180. All
models expand in 24x24 fiber increments. To simplify things even further expansion
is easily accomplished via a separately purchased software expansion key, which
can be activated remotely. There is no need to go on site and no hardware cards
to add or replace. FiberZone has taken great strides in continuing its
tradition of managing the AFM remotely, even when it comes to expanding the
port count. This allows customers to install these models at distant locations
and pre-wire them, including inactive ports, and after remotely entering an
expansion key, previous inactive ports can be made available and can instantly
be managed. Flexibility, simplicity and convenience all rolled up into one.
Many of our customers
are making use of our AFM in environments that support duplex fiber pairs, but
AFM traditionally managed connections, just like manual patch panels, at the individual fiber level. To
ease the management of this type of connectivity we now support duplex Tx/Rx
fiber pairs per port, allowing a pair of Tx/Rx fibers of one port to be
connected to another with a single connectivity command, as shown below. The
embedded software also supports paired port connectivity. This simplifies the
management of paired ports without the need to issue two separate connectivity
commands for the individual Tx and Rx fibers, and streamlines the workflow by a
factor of 2. We think the effort was well worth it and we are hopeful you will
agree.
We added a new Value
Added Module (VAM) to our NMS offering called Partitioning that we believe will
greatly help targeted customers differentiate themselves from their
competition, increase the satisfaction level of their respective customers,
while also generating new sources of revenue to significantly improve return on
investment. In short, we think partitioning will be a hit as it allows a MTDC operator
to logically segment a given AFM into smaller sub-switches, each consisting of
a select group of ports, and to then assign control of each of these port groups
to specific individual tenants, see below. MTDC operators
can benefit by leasing different port groups to various co-location tenants while maintaining secure physical separation
between different tenant customers. Partitioning also addresses security
concerns customers have by limiting user access to specific port groups within
their respective departments. The sharing of a single AFM over several tenant
customers or department groups is cost effective and simple to implement.
Partitioning is sold separately and can be easily remotely added to the AFM NMS
at any time.
I have only
covered some of the highlights, but we hope you agree that this new software
release better serves the needs of our customers in their transition to an automated
and remotely-controlled fiber infrastructure. We will continue to work closely
with our customers to ensure that their needs are being addressed. AFM has been
deployed in world-class facilities around the world and we believe this release
will further improve the product functionality and need, while enhancing the user’s
experience.
I hope the
information provided here was worthwhile, and should you have any questions
please feel free to contact a FiberZone representative or visit our website for
further details. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
