High-availability middleware eases networking: News from Enea Embedded Technology

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Enea, the world leader in advanced device software, today announced version 2.0 of its Element high-availability middleware. Optimised for distributed network infrastructure applications spanning multiple processors and operating systems, Element 2.0 is now available for MontaVista Carrier Grade Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora Core and CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System). Element 2.0 also works out of the box with Kontron's XL8000 AdvancedTCA system and provides standard interfaces for AdvancedTCA and SA Forum's Hardware Platform Interface.

'Element provides a scaleable out-of-the-box solution that makes it easy for network equipment providers to outsource their middleware development, freeing up precious engineering resources for more profitable tasks such as application and service development', said Terry Pearson, Vice President of Product Management for Element at Enea.

'Element's versatile Linux support and standard SA Forum and ATCA interfaces make it easier than ever to integrate Element with open architecture target hardware platforms and legacy applications'.

Element provides a suite of middleware services that sits between the operating system and applications.

Element provides core services for synchronising, instrumenting, monitoring and establishing communications between applications spread across multiple operating systems and processors.

Element also provides network supervision, fault management, and shelf management services that make it easy to monitor, repair, configure, provision, and upgrade live systems as they operate in the field.

Element is the first HA middleware solution optimised for distributed telecom systems.

Element provides an end-to-end solution that makes it easy for OEMs to combine Linux with real-time operating systems like Enea's OSE in the same system.

Element is also the first HA middleware equipped to run on DSPs and network processors as well as 32bit CPUs.

This flexibility greatly simplifies application development, enabling designers to use a common set of services with a single API to partition, distribute, and manage applications spread across multiple processors, blades, and operating systems.

Element uses Enea's LINX communications services to provide a foundation for building complex distributed applications that span multiple devices and operating systems.

LINX services make it easy for processes to discover other processes and services, communicate with those processes, advertise service availability, broadcast information to and share information with other processes (publish/subscribe), and monitor other processes for readiness.

LINX communications are device and OS independent, providing transparency that enables systems to be scaled and reconfigured without changes to the application code.

Element's event logging and application monitoring services greatly increase visibility into system operation.

Event logging enables application processes to log and report event and state information such as slot/service availability, diagnostics and critical network events such as alarm conditions.

Developers and network operators can interactively obtain this information using standard Web browsers.

Element's HA Framework (HAF) delivers all of the services required to build a true nonstop computing platform.

The HAF provides full fault management, including monitoring, detection, recovery, and reporting, for every resource in the system.

It also employs active heartbeat monitoring and reactive error detection schemes to ensure the health of key hardware and software components at the system, slot and application levels.

Element provides a comprehensive suite of shelf management services for configuring and monitoring individual slots, blades and chassis.

Element works with shelf management controllers to detect and configure blades, track revision numbers, and monitor key blade-level parameters like temperature, voltage and fan speed.

Element also supports hot swap, which enables individual blades to be inserted and removed from a live chassis.

Element 2.0 for Linux will be generally available in Q4 2006.

Pricing starts at US $100,000 depending on the configuration.

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High-availability middleware eases networking

Element 2.0 is now available for MontaVista Carrier Grade Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora Core and CentOS.