The company, -- formerly known as Tyco Electronics -- has implemented its Connector Point ID chipset in the Quareo brand of connectors, network panels and data center blade enclosures and chassis the company makes. Connector Point-enabled products allow network managers to assign a unique ID, similar to a MAC address and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) tables, to network connection points. This allows products to auto-discover equipment, build a map and maintain a database of physical-layer connections.
This information can be sent upstream to software to pinpoint with greater accuracy the root cause of an outage, or to enable more comprehensive assignment of security and compliance policies. It is particularly beneficial in data centers large and small to provide more accurate visibility than MAC or ARP information into physical-layer connectivity between servers, switches and desktops to prevent network downtime and eliminate security gaps for business-critical , TE officials say.
LET'S GET PHYSICAL:
MAC and ARP information tabulate Layer 2 data link and Layer 3 network information, respectively. This information can still be used -- and is necessary -- for discovering and mapping nodes based on the information at those layers. But Connection Point ID does the same for Layer 1 physical attributes, looking at the performance of connectors and cabling.
Together with MAC and ARP data, physical-layer information can provide a more holistic view of the network and its characteristics, TE officials say. It can also be used to apply network, compliance and security policies -- usually applied at the data link and/or network layer -- at the physical layer as well.