Extreme Networks Inc. plans to release an upgraded management module for its BlackDiamond 6800 switches that company officials said supports instant failover and no downtime for software upgrades. The higher level of reliability and availability in the MSM-3 software was designed for corporate LANs and metropolitan-area networks (MANs) that can’t afford any downtime, said Timon Sloane, director of product management at Santa Clara, Calif.-based Extreme. Sloane said MSM-3’s instant failover capability compares with a 12-second lag for redirecting network traffic to other switches with Extreme’s existing software. The new module has a list price of US$13,995.
Novell unbundles
Novell Inc. said it plans to use newly acquired systems management tools including its own ZENworks technology in a Linux software package that’s due to go into open beta testing this month. At the company’s BrainShare Europe 2003 conference in Barcelona, Spain, Novell officials said the Red Carpet tools developed by Boston-based Ximian Inc. which Novell bought last month, will be included in the Nterprise Linux Services 1.0 bundle. Red Carpet offers capabilities such as automated distribution of software updates and patches to servers. The bundle will also include file, print, messaging and directory services. Novell had announced in June that ZENworks would be the management tool in the Nterprise Linux Services package. “ZENworks would have worked, but our engineers found Red Carpet was closer to meeting the needs of our customers,” Novell spokesman Kevin Barney said when asked about the change.
3Com outsources
3Com Corp. in September said it will outsource all of its manufacturing in an effort to further reduce costs, resulting in up to 1,000 job cuts. Over the next six months, 3Com will move its manufacturing, distribution and related activities for enterprise network products to Flextronics International Ltd. of Singapore and Jabil Circuit Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla., the company said. As part of the outsourcing actions, 3Com said it would close its manufacturing facility in Dublin, Ireland by the end of February. The moves will affect about 1,000 3Com employees worldwide, the majority in the company’s manufacturing and supply-chain operations.
