3Com TR - Manual (Page 21)

Optional Slide-In Modules 1-11
Benefits of FDDI
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is a 100-Mbps
fiber optic local area network standard supported by
the ANSI committee.
The primary benefits of FDDI include:
■ A 100 Mbps point of aggregation for multiple
Token Ring segments.
■ Supports Single Attached Station (SAS) or Dual
Attached Station (DAS) functions.
■ Supports server connections via Token Ring FDDI
translation of IP, SNA, IPX, and NetBIOS.
■ Additional services are easily added to existing
FDDI networks.
■ FDDI networks are designed for growth and pro-
vide future scalability.
Summary of FDDI Module Features
The following list summarizes the features of the
SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR FDDI module.
■ Conforms to FDDI ANSI Standards
■ Wire Rate Transmission on FDDI port
■ Low Latency.
■ 3Com SmartAgent support, including:
■
SNMP management using 3Com’s Transcend
Enterprise Manager.
■
Telnet management using VT100 interface.
The Token Ring-in-Fast Ethernet (TR-in-FE) Module
TR-in-FE is a 3Com developed technology that encap-
sulates Token Ring frames in Fast Ethernet frames.
Bridging the gap between Token Ring and Ethernet,
this technology offers a more cost-effective integra-
tion than traditional bridging and routing, and allows
Token Ring users to expand their bandwidth while
preserving their TR infrastructure.
TR-in-FE is a unique way of combining Token Ring
and Ethernet for the purpose of utilizing Fast Ethernet
as a backbone and method of server attachment for
TR networks. Through a process known as tunneling
or encapsulation, TR-in-FE uses Fast Ethernet to
transport natively formatted Token Ring frames. This
means that both source route and transparent TR
frames addressing information is maintained through
Fast Ethernet (FE) so that it may be interpreted and
utilized by either a destination Token Ring (TR) switch
or FE server.
Benefits of TR-in-FE
TR-in-FE offers improvement in the following areas:
■ Scalability
■
TR switching
■
High-speed technologies
■
Wire-speed performance
■ Flexibility
■
High-speed flexibility (choice of D/L technology)
■
Desktop flexibility (TR, Ethernet)