Re: Ascend GRF400

[jeff () netstar com (Jeff Wabik)]

> At 08:49 AM 24-04-97 -0500, Tim Salo wrote:
> > It is probably useful to differentiate between Netstar, which was
> > recently acquired by Ascend, and the rest of Ascend.  The GigaRouter
> > was developed by Netstar prior to its acquisition by Ascend.
> >
> > -tjs
> Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the GRF-400 was an Ascend product
> and the GRF-1600 is the NetStar GigaRouter, with some additional developments.
>
> Am I right?

A very brief synopsis of the Netstar/Ascend GigaRouter/GRF history:

June 1994:
        GigaRouter      - Original Creation of Netstar, 16 slot chassis,
                          external UNIX-centric router manager system, etc.
                          Ships to first customer in Germany. 
1995:
        GigaRouter II   - Version #2 of the original.. Better (blue)
                          cabinet with more easily serviced parts (fans,
                          power supplies, etc); external PC now 
                          industrialized (SCSI rather than IDE, for 
                          example and rack mountable rather than 
                          tabletop).  Also new rev of router manager board
                          (card that fills the center slot).  Various
                          other minor changes.
August 1996:            - Ascend acquires Netstar ($305M) and calls the 
                          Netstar operation "Ascend's High Performance
                          Networking Division."  Says, "Who in their
                          right mind would buy a 16 slot box?  Make a 4
                          slot box instead."
October 1996:           - HPND finds a chainsaw a chops 12 slots off the
                          GigaRouterII, and puts it in (yet another)
                          new Ascendish cabinet.  Backplane componentry
                          stays the same, except slots 5-16 (which
                          don't exist) aren't wired.  External Router
                          Manager System (UNIX platform) previously run
                          on a standalone PC rolled under the hood.
                          Router manager board obsolete in the new
                          order.  New product called the GRF400.
                          Netstar OS v5.0 software renamed Ascend Embedded
                          OS v1.0.
4Q1996                  - GRF400 met with enthusiasm by customers, for a 
                          variety of reasons..  Complaints of, "4 slots
                          just aren't enough" are however heard.
                          Ascend directs HPND to establish a new vision
                          and build a 16 slot box.
1Q1997                  - HPND finds the 12 slots on the floor from the 
                          previous chainsawwing and glues them to the 
                          developments of the GRF400:  Underhood
                          RMS, Ascendish-cabinet, etc.  GRF1600 is born.
Very early 1997         - Ascend shows the new GRF1600.



        -Jeff


-- 
Jeff Wabik                              E/Mail:  jeff () netstar com
Ascend Communications (www.ascend.com)  Phone:   +1 612 996 6814
High Performance Networking Division    FAX:     +1 612 943 8939
Minneapolis, MN  55344                  Pager:   +1 800 493 9804
         "The artists formerly known as Netstar, Inc."
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