Copper Mountain gets graphic

Simplified remote monitoring of digital subscriber line access multiplexers is the goal of a new graphical management system from Copper Mountain Networks announced last week. The CopperView Element Management System is a group of services that allows DSL deployers to view, configure and monitor their central office DSLAMs from the desktop. The system also lets carriers supply symmetrical DSL at various speeds without hardware upgrades.

Through menu-driven software, CopperView EMS gives users a graphic, detailed view of the DSLAM as it looks in the CO. Operators can click on DSLAM icons and view ports, modules and circuits alone or in groups. The software allows operators to read performance statistics up to every two seconds and use the toolbar to configure systems, provision circuits and view traps and alarms. The system's CopperThrottle feature enables a carrier to upgrade a user to a higher DSL speed by clicking on a virtual sliding switch.

This switch has a big economic advantage over other systems because carriers can upgrade customers without changing hardware, said John Reister, director of marketing for Copper Mountain. He added that the system is much easier to use than command line management systems, so "it shortens the learning curve for network operators."

Several system features, including ease of DSL upgrades and real-time open-view graphics, make CopperView EMS a comprehensive offering, said John Hunter, an analyst for TeleChoice. Copper Mountain "is really laying the groundwork for future customer management capability," he said.

Such services can simplify a carrier's operations, said Lisa Pelgrim, an analyst for Dataquest. "It's a real benefit to [competitive local exchange carriers]," she said. "And it's a solution that works today. It can be deployed right now."

An article in the March 30 issue of Telephony (page 36) erroneously listed the number of digital loop carrier systems that Advanced Fibre Communications has deployed. The company has sold 6000 systems in 46 states and 16 countries, totaling more than 1 million lines. Telephony regrets the error.