The NComm Idea Exchange

IEEE 1588-2008 Software & Whitepaper

admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:28:15 +0000

In an environment of the traditional WAN hierarchical network, clock traceability is fairly straightforward, and at least logically manageable with respect to quality and source. However, now Ethernet is found in the wide area network, an environment for which it was not originally designed. In the flat landscape of Ethernet networks, clock traceability and synchronization are much more difficult; and, not only are these new Ethernet networks flat, they also will tend to be owned by many different providers.

To address this critical need, NComm’s IEEE 1588-2008 software provides a standards compliant mechanism to both make clear of the quality and traceability of the clock source, and to permit the network to intelligently choose the best clock from those available should an issue arise. NComm’s new IEEE 1588-2008 source code will accommodate any Ethernet application provided that the hardware supports the function.

Download the whitepaper here.

NComm’s Communication Developer’s Handbook – 2011 Edition (Table Of Contents)

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:31:18 +0000

Following is the table of contents for NComm’s Communication Developer’s Handbook – 2011 Edition. If you would like complimentary copy of the pdf book for yourself, please use our request form here.

Contents

Contributors ……………………………………………………………………………………… 1

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………. 2

Main Components of an Ethernet/WAN Access Project …………………………… 4

Hardware …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Processor ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5

Memory ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

WAN Framer …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Vendor Equipment Application ……………………………………………………………………….. 11

Software ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12

Operating System ………………………………………………………………………………………… 13

Management of your WAN Access Trunks……………………………………………………….. 14

The Industry Standards, and the â€œReal Worldâ€ ……………………………………… 16

What is Trunk Management Software? ……………………………………………….. 18

Main Components of Trunk Management Software ……………………………………………… 20

Configuration Manager………………………………………………………………………………….. 20

Alarm Manager…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21

Maintenance Manager ………………………………………………………………………………….. 21

Signaling Manager for T1/E1………………………………………………………………………….. 22

Sync Status Messages and Clock Distribution Management………………………………….. 23

Trunk Management and SNMP …………………………………………………………………………. 26

Automatic Protection Switching …………………………………………………………………………. 28

History ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28

Description ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29

WarmStart Capability……………………………………………………………………………………….. 30

System Behavior with WarmStart……………………………………………………………………. 31

WarmStart Implementation Objectives …………………………………………………………….. 32

Framer and Transceiver Devices ……………………………………………………………………. 33

Designing for High Availability ………………………………………………………………………… 34

Ethernet in the Wide Area Network …………………………………………………….. 35

Ethernet OAM Design Considerations …………………………………………………………….. 37

Specific Issues of Ethernet OAM for IEEE 802.1ag……………………………….. 39

Specific Issues of Ethernet OAM for ITU Y.1731…………………………………… 41

Specific Issues of T1/E1 …………………………………………………………………… 44

Overview of T1 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 44

Alarms ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 45

Framing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 46

In-band Loopback Activation and De-Activation ………………………………………………… 50

Signaling …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 50

Overview of E1 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 53

Framing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 54

Alarms ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 59

Signaling …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 60

Standards Requirements ………………………………………………………………………………….. 61

Software Architecture ………………………………………………………………………………………. 62

Specific Issues of T3/E3 …………………………………………………………………… 63

Overview of T3 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 63

G.747 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 72

Overview of E3 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 74

G.751 Framing …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 74

G.832 Framing …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 77

Standards Requirements ………………………………………………………………………………….. 81

Alarms and Configuration …………………………………………………………………………………. 81

Performance Monitoring …………………………………………………………………………………… 82

Software Architecture ………………………………………………………………………………………. 83

Specific Issues of SONET/SDH …………………………………………………………. 84

Overview of SONET ………………………………………………………………………………………… 84

Section Overhead ………………………………………………………………………………………… 86

Line Overhead……………………………………………………………………………………………… 86

Path Overhead …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 87

Overview of SDH …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 88

Standards Requirements ………………………………………………………………………………….. 94

Alarms and Configuration …………………………………………………………………………………. 95

Performance Monitoring …………………………………………………………………………………… 95

Japanese SDH ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 96

Handling Groups ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 98

Automatic Protection Switching …………………………………………………………………………. 99

Interoperability and NComm’s TMS……………………………………………………………….. 101

Software Architecture …………………………………………………………………………………….. 102

Testing Issues and Gotchaâ€™s ……………………………………………………………. 103

Estimating the Development Time for a WAN Access Project……………….. 109

Best Options for Development …………………………………………………………………………. 111

Using NCommâ€™s TMS for SNMP Management ……………………………………………….. 112

The history of bus architecture ………………………………………………………………………… 112

PMC/PTMC ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 115

COMPACTPCI………………………………………………………………………………………………. 117

The Future: PCI Express, ATCA, AMCâ€¦ ………………………………………………………….. 119

Growing Demand for VoIP ………………………………………………………………………………. 120

The evolution of telecom equipment …………………………………………………………………. 122

Outsourcing solutions that make â€œcentsâ€……………………………………………………………. 122

Completing the System Design ……………………………………………………………………….. 123

Go to the experts …………………………………………………………………………………………… 124

Glossary ………………………………………………………………………………………. 125

About NCOMM ……………………………………………………………………………… 133

About LSI Corporation ……………………………………………………………………. 134

Going Green with WarmStart Drivers

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:50:22 +0000

Going green is not only a socially responsible thing to do. It may be required by local, state or federal law. Additionally, there are private sector firms that have instituted policies aimed at consuming less energy and other resources. The use of Passive Optical Networks for building distribution is but one example of strategies to cut power consumption along with recurring energy cost.

If you are going to be selling into these markets, it makes sense to think about how to make your offerings a little more green or green ready. One way to make your equipment offerings use a little less energy is to take advantage of NCommâ€™s warm-start drivers. These drivers were designed to allow you to update software without completely bringing down your box, and stopping voice and data traffic in the process. With a little creativity, these drivers can also be used to keep data traffic up while shutting down active processes like OAM and other management. Depending on the application, this may or may not be practical, but it is something to consider.

Take a look at our short paper on the subject Going Green with Warm Start.

NComm Adds Hong Kong Support to Primary Rate ISDN Software Offering

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:47:49 +0000

New offering allows easy product extension into the Hong Kong market for equipment providers

HAMPSTEAD, NH â€“ September 28, 2010 â€“ NComm, Inc. today announced support for an additional switch type in its Primary Rate ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) software suite. NComm software is used by a variety of communication equipment manufacturers to quickly add standard compliant telephony signaling capabilities to network and end-user offerings.

Where do you need OAM when you have layered WAN/Ethernet technologies?

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:33:38 +0000

We get asked periodically where OAM (Operations, Administration & Maintenance) capability is needed when you have multiple technologies (like Ethernet over SONET) running through a single wire or fiber. Except for specialÂ applications, the answer is you need OAM in each technology. We have a little paper you can download here that discusses this issue further.

Have a great day!

What is Ethernet OAM?

admin — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:00:15 +0000

Ethernet OAM (Operations, Administration, Maintenance) comprises a number of standards providing tools for monitoring an Ethernet network, being alerted to and isolating faults, detecting gradual degradations in quality for preemptive action, and determining network performance vs. Service Level Agreements, etc.

What is â€œbit freezingâ€ in traditional telephony?

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:15:46 +0000

In any digital transmission, momentary glitches can appear on the line. Such errors or defects are detected and if they persist long enough (the â€œintegration timeâ€ or 2.5 seconds per T1.231), an alarm condition is declared and the line brought down.

Since the line must weather defects lasting less than the integration time, in telephony robbed-bit signaling (RBS) or channel associated signaling (CSA) applications, an established call must also be maintained during the glitches. â€œBit freezingâ€ freezes the last known good signaling bits and thus keeps the connection up unless and until the defect lasts the integration time and the line taken down.