Hitachi's test solution consisted of three products: the 5-Gbps AN1000-5, the 20-Gbps AN1000-20, and a unique but powerful 100-Mbps edge device called the HS160-100-12-2ATM. Our only complaint was the lack of any midrange hardware--with Hitachi's solution, it was "all or nothing."

The AN1000-5 resembled FORE Systems' ASX-1000 in size and configuration, and its software options are not far off, either. The AN1000-20, on the other hand, was a five-foot tower switch capable of holding 128 ports of OC-3 or 32 ports of OC-12 interfaces. Both products had a high degree of fault tolerance, and included space for multiple switch processor engines, power supplies and switch fabrics.

Both core switches supported SPVCs, hitless software updates, PNNI 1.0, UNI 4.0 signaling, ABR (available bit rate) features, optional redundant optics and complete hot-swap capabilities--making them suitable both as carrier-class devices and as LAN switching products. With this functionality, however, came a price tag heftier than that of some of the other solutions we tested in the lab.

The HS160-100-12-2ATM device was loaded with features, and we've never tested an ATM edge device that was easier to use. It is a 12-port, 10/100 Fast Ethernet switch with two ATM uplinks (hence, the fancy, multi-hyphenated name).

From the ground up, this edge device was a pleasure to operate. After a quick initial setup, all of its functions could be managed from an HTML interface. This included as many as 60 port-based, MAC (Media Access Control)-based or protocol-based VLANs per switch; IP, IPX and AppleTalk routing configurations; RIP and OSPF configuration; and support for DHCP/BOOTP relay agents. Additional features--such as controlled access to Web, telnet and FTP resources on the switch; port snooping by port or VLAN; IP filtering; and FTP code updates--were also supported through this interface.

Other exceptional features of this switch included the ability to keep detailed statistics based on TCP/UDP port number, broadcast storm control, CBR (constant bit rate) and UBR (unspecified bit rate) Classical IP support, and built-in management software to view all of these statistics. This switch is analogous to a Layer 3/Layer 4 switch in the frame-based world, but with dual-ATM uplinks for ATM connectivity. Unlike the expensive core switches Hitachi included in its solution, this switch, at $11,995, is priced to move in on the ATM edge-device market. Hitachi used the HS160 as both a router and an edge device in its solution.

After thoroughly enjoying the configuration and setup of the HS160 edge device, we were somewhat disappointed to step down to the menu-driven command-line application that hosts the AN1000 switches. Because the AN1000 has no internal support for ATM LECs, you must manage the switch out of band via Ethernet or a serial port. While the menu-driven interface appears quite simple to use, it quickly becomes cumbersome as advanced configurations are performed.

In our lab tests, the Hitachi solution displayed better-than-average performance. The solution's signaling performance was a solid 75 calls per second. An inexplicable interoperability problem arose between the AG equipment and the Hitachi equipment, causing the AG equipment to crash during configuration. After days of troubleshooting, we finally managed to run our video tests, which were completed without error. The Hitachi solution passed video data without interruption, even during saturation of the OC-12 link.

Despite high marks for its features, fault tolerance and ease of use, we felt that while Hitachi's solution met the density requirements of our tests, it failed to satisfy the spirit of our test plan. Hitachi unfortunately offers no middle-of-the-road products at this time. While the Hitachi solution indeed passed our tests with flying colors, its price tag will take a harsh bite out of your budget.