Uplogix, Inc

Uplogix, Inc
7600B N. Capital of Texas Hwy
Suite 220
Austin, TX 78731
USA

tel: +1 512 857 7000
fax: +1 512 857 7002
email: info@uplogix.com

url: http://www.uplogix.com

Tom Goldman: CEO
James Dollar: VP, Product Strategy, Founder
Ken Kieley: Chief Financial Officer
Preston Lawhorne: VP - Sales
Mark Piening: VP - Product Management & Marketing

Uplogix, Inc
Floor 29, One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5DY
United Kingdom

tel: +44 207 193 2798
fax: +44 207 990 7900

Uplogix offers a new approach to reducing the cost and complexity of supporting satellite network environments. Uplogix secure remote management (SRM) appliances enable operators to remotely monitor and control both satellite and terrestrial-based network equipment. The appliances co-locate and connect serially with network and satellite communications equipment to provide non-stop local management and control.

Uplogix appliances automate numerous network support, maintenance, configuration and recovery procedures-reducing the time, cost and error associated with manual support.

Administrators can manage all Uplogix appliances via the Uplogix Control Center-a centralized, web-based portal that presents a full inventory of both Uplogix appliances and the infrastructure equipment connected to them. Working via the Control Center console, operations staff can schedule and coordinate all network maintenance and management operations to be performed by Uplogix appliances. In addition, the Control Center serves as the central repository and reporting interface for all data collection and audit logs provided by the appliances.

Uplogix SRM Appliances Lower Support Costs Through Automation

Uplogix appliances automate hundreds of routine network maintenance and recovery tasks to help organizations both reduce their remote support costs and operator errors through best-in-class, standardized procedures. The level of automation is completely configurable to fit different deployment scenarios and network management requirements.

Uplogix appliance's automated capabilities include:

Detecting and diagnosing equipment and communications failures
Executing pre-defined, best-practice recovery procedures
Provisioning and re-provisioning services
Configuring devices via remote administration
Measuring and managing remote network service levels from an end-user's perspective

Uplogix Solutions for VSAT

Uplogix offers a new approach to reducing the cost and complexity of supporting satellite network environments. Uplogix secure remote management appliances combine automation with the ability to enable operators to remotely monitor and control both satellite and terrestrial-based network equipment. The appliances co-locate and connect serially with network and satellite communications equipment. With functionality to connect as needed through alternative means such as a LEO satellite system, Uplogix can provide non-stop local management and control.

Administrators can manage all Uplogix appliances via the Uplogix Control Center-a centralized, web-based portal that presents a full inventory of both Uplogix appliances and the infrastructure equipment connected to them. Working via the Control Center console, operations staff can schedule and coordinate all network maintenance and management operations to be performed by Uplogix appliances. In addition, the Control Center serves as the central repository and reporting interface for all data collection and audit logs provided by the appliances.

Whether deployed on a windswept drilling platform in the North Sea, an undisclosed desert location, or the remote office of a small bank in a developing country securely connected to corporate headquarters through a satellite link, Uplogix increases uptime and functionality in VSAT networks, primarily through use of the following features and functionalities uniquely integrated into a single appliance.

Secure Out-of-Band Access

The ability to connect out-of-band is a requirement for remote management of satellite networks. Uplogix solutions don't rely on the network to manage the network. With multiple backup modem options including LEO satellite using Iridium or Globalstar, cellular via CDMA or GPRS, or PPP/dialup through an internal v.90 or external DB-9, Uplogix SRM appliances can automatically (or on command) reestablish connectivity to the NOC and the Uplogix Control Center via a secure out-of-band path. This enables secure, always-on access and connectivity to the remote devices you need to manage.

Power Management

Satellite network infrastructure devices can enter states that are not recoverable through normal remote administrative commands. This often leads to a hard reboot, which requires power cycling the device and is not possible without local control. Uplogix achieves this control by combining the functionality of remote power management through a physical connection to a UPS over the console port with the intelligence of the Uplogix Remote Management Operating System (RMOS).

Power to non-responsive remote devices can be controlled as well as more complex recovery actions such as recovering from a failed configuration change. For example, Uplogix appliances can power cycle a satellite modem, break into the reboot sequence and restore the last known good configuration file for the device-all within seconds and without having to dispatch a support technician on-site.

GPS Integration

Uplogix provides special support for VSAT modems in a mobile state with GPS integration. The GPS device is connected directly to the Uplogix appliance which passes the information on to the satellite modem. If the GPS information is interrupted, the embedded rules engine in the Uplogix appliance continues to feed the modem the last known coordinates, preventing the modem from locking up. This location information is also stored internally and can be transferred to the Uplogix Control Center for compliance with regulations governing documentation of vessel location.

Auto recovery with SurgicalRollback from Uplogix

When a device fails due to a configuration or software problem, the immediate need is to bring the device back online by restoring it to its previous working state. Uplogix can immediately roll the device back to the last known good configuration using the unique SurgicalRollback feature-an automated safety net to recover from configuration errors without requiring an on-site visit.

How SurgicalRollback Works

1. Utilizing an out-of-band connection such as a LEO satellite, the administrator connects and authenticates to the co-located Uplogix appliance via secure (SSHv2) connection. The appliance initiates a connection to the failing device and starts a terminal connection.

2. During the terminal initialization to the device, a current running configuration is cached by Uplogix.

3. The administrator makes changes to the device and executes OS commands for the device.

4. If the user logs out of the device during the session or loses connection due to a configuration error, a running configuration is pulled again by Uplogix.

5. A list of changes made during the session is collected and the Uplogix appliance prompts the user with a confirmation to accept, reject or delay the changes made. If the user session times out due to configuration error or general inactivity after a configurable amount of time, the appliance backs out all uncommitted changes made during that session. The default action is to rollback all uncommitted changes and start a countdown to SurgicalRollback. If there is no response, the appliance will roll back only changes made to the device, bringing the device back to its initial working state.

Proactive alerting

In the same time it takes traditional network monitoring tools just to discover a problem at a remote site, Uplogix can find it, fix it, and alert that the problem has been resolved.

Alerts are based on permissions:

Users/groups subscribe to resources they are responsible for to receive emailed alerts containing alarms about that resource.
Subscriptions define which network device resources a given user will receive alerts for.
Users will receive alerts for any resource on which they have permission and are subscribed to.
Each alert is sent with currently active alarms and the relevant data matched to each alarm condition.

Uplogix can also provide information on other systems back to the NOC. For example, communicating with a UPS over a console port, Uplogix can collect and deliver in an alert information such as run time, on-battery, back-on-mains and more.

Uplogix can also integrate with a 4-20 mA device and dry contact sensor over the console port. This allows the Uplogix appliance to action/alert on a wide range of environmental and physical states, critical information for many remote satellite installations.

Service Level Verification

The Advanced version of the Uplogix RMOS includes Service Level Verification (SLV) which monitors, measures and manages the performance of critical network services and applications from an end-user's perspective, including TCP/IP communications, web-based transactions and voice over IP (VOIP) telephony.

Uplogix appliances capture 40 specific QoS metrics that reflect the health of the IP-based telephony system using standard Harvard sentences and "tone" tests to gauge IPT performance and monitors important metrics such as jitter, latency, packet loss, MOS scores, and R values. By performing continuous active testing to measure QoS performance indicators, Uplogix enables enterprises to more quickly diagnose issues and resolve them, before they impact business operations.

Satellite Management Capabilities

Uplogix automates hundreds of routine network maintenance and recovery tasks to help organizations reduce remote support costs and eliminate operator errors through best-in-class, standardized procedures. Uplogix' automated capabilities include:

Detecting and correctly diagnosing equipment and communications failures
Executing pre-defined, best-practice recovery procedures
Provisioning and re-provisioning services
Configuring devices via remote administration
Measuring and managing remote network service levels from an end-user’s perspective

Increase Network Availability

Uplogix appliances leverage a unique, out-of-band architecture to ensure that the network is always being managed, even when the main network connection is down or degraded. In the case of an outage, the appliance will automatically establish an alternate communications path via a dial-up connection to send important monitoring and logging data back to the Uplogix Control Center.

For satellite-based networks, the Uplogix appliance uses its integrated, external modem to dial out to a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite to establish a secure, alternate communications path. With Uplogix on duty, you will never be in the dark again, even during an outage.

Enforce Security Standards

Security standards are often compromised at the network’s edge. In the case of an outage, outsourced support personnel may be given root-level access to systems and applications in order to quickly restore them, exposing the organization to a potential security threat.

Uplogix ensures end-to-end management security by providing encrypted access to all managed devices, enforcing authorization and authentication policies, and auditing all user interactions and configuration changes. The Uplogix out-of-band architecture enables security standards to be enforced even during a network outage or service disruption.

Satisfy Compliance Requirements

Regulatory compliance standards are adding even more complexity and risk to managing distributed networks. To satisfy stringent compliance requirements, IT administrators must be able to quickly and correctly identify information about what changes are being made in the network, who is making the changes, and what the impact of those changes are or will be.

Uplogix appliances automatically collect and report all device interactions and configuration changes for each managed device, including satellite communications equipment. The appliance's physical connectivity to each device enables compliance auditing even during network disruptions and outages.

Remotely Manage Hybrid Network Equipment

With Uplogix, you can remotely access, monitor and control hybrid networks of satellite and terrestrial network equipment, including routers, switches, hubs, firewalls, wireless access points, VSAT modems, antenna controllers, RF amplifiers, GPS devices, power controllers and more.

Simplify and Standardize Management

Standardized, automated management capabilities, combined with the web-based, graphical view from the Uplogix Control Center, allow operational staff to simultaneously view and control their hybrid networks from anywhere in the world. Via the Uplogix Control Center, administrators can easily view real-time device statistics and alarms, and execute automated tasks, such as service provisioning or auto-recovery through its simple point-and-click interface.

Meet New Challenges

As new technologies emerge, it is imperative to have a flexible and extensible management platform in place to adapt to changing requirements. Uplogix’ breakthrough automation, architecture and extensibility allow users to adapt to the requirements of new technologies to protect and ensure high network service levels and availability.