SCIENCE

BALTIMORE, MD -- Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. announced that the FLEXR(R) GT small-scale element management system (EMS) has expanded to support all synchronous optical network (SONET) elements within the FLASH(R) product line of metro SONET systems, as well as FLASHWAVE(R) long-haul dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems. The expanded FLEXR GT system helps reduce the time it takes to troubleshoot network problems and increases the accuracy of turning up new services. A significant feature of the FLEXR GT system integrates three important functions: software download, remote memory backup and remote memory restoration. Carriers now may perform a software download of feature upgrades to both local and remote network elements. Using the same session, carriers are able to remotely backup the memory of their network element configurations or even perform remote memory restoration for provisioning and disaster recovery. Carriers also may access all of the key functions of FLEXR GT during a single login session. "Fujitsu's FLEXR GT is a great tool not only because it monitors network elements in real-time, but because the system also operates in both small and large-scale network environments," said Bill Erickson, senior vice president of product planning at Fujitsu Network Communications. "As a mini element management system, FLEXR GT provides management for smaller carriers without incurring the cost of a large-scale network management system. Plus, large carriers can utilize FLEXR GT to examine only part of a ring." The Fujitsu FLEXR GT graphical user interface-based (GUI) software is a turn-up, maintenance and management tool enabling carriers to provision and maintain Fujitsu SONET and DWDM network elements. The expanded system supports all SONET network elements including FLM 150, FLASH192, FLASH150 ADX, FLASH600 ADX and FLASH2400 ADX. DWDM network elements supported are FLASHWAVE 320G and FLASHWAVE OADX, the world's largest capacity and commercially available system capable of carrying up to 1.76 Tbps of bi-directional traffic. The FLEXR GT software is a true 32-bit application designed for Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95, Windows(R) 98 and Windows(R) NT operating environments. All TL1 commands are supported via the GUI, eliminating the need to use the command line interface to communicate with the network elements. FLEXR GT supports the use of TCP/IP (transmission control protocols/Internet protocols) and KERMIT, an asynchronous file transfer protocol developed at Columbia University. For further information please visit http://www.fnc.fujitsu.com