Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Wed, February 11, 2009 MRV LX Series Out-of-Band Management Servers Earn FIPS 140-2 Certification for New Security Features
CHATSWORTH, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--MRV COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (Nasdaq: MRVC), a leading provider of products and services for out-of-band networking, WDM and optical transport, metro Ethernet, fiber optic components, 10GE and other service aware networking products, today announced that its LX Series of console servers has received FIPS 140-2 certification for its latest feature software release that builds on MRV's industry leading security support.
The LX Series console servers continue to be an industry leader in security and functionality. The latest version of FIPS certified software includes new features that enable the LX to be deployed in a wider range of applications. Secure Microsoft Active Directory support with LDAPv3 allows the devices to be deployed in one of the most popular authentication methods in use today. IPSEC support has been enhanced with the addition of IKEv2 capabilities providing greater flexibility for key exchanges providing a wider range of deployment options.
The intelligent platform management interface (IPMI) specification defines a set of common interfaces to a computer system, which system administrators can use to monitor system health. The LX Series can monitor and control systems that support this specification such as servers from top server vendors including Dell and HP that utilize Intel-based processors. The addition of Syslog-ng provides support for the latest generation of the widely deployed message logging solution greatly enhancing troubleshooting and compliance efforts. Support of the KERBEROS authentication protocol allows the LX to be deployed in legacy environments where equipment is unable to support newer authentication methods.
"Since the LX was originally certified FIPS compliant, several thousand units have been shipped into federal applications to agencies such as US Army, US Air Force, and other DOD organizations," said Noam Lotan, President and CEO of MRV Communications. "We expect that trend to continue as we have responded to emerging security and directory support needs with this latest software update."
"Many of my military base and other defense-related customers are focused on improving the speed of services they deliver in support of our war fighters, and with the FIPS-approved LX Series, they are able to put in out-of-band management solutions that can locate a problem or reboot a server in minutes for a dramatic improvement in service speed while also saving time and manpower," said retired Army Lt. Col. Gabriel Ruiz, now President of Advanced IT Concepts, Inc.
To be FIPS 140-2 certified, LX Series devices met a rigorous set of rules developed by the government enabling the servers to provide higher encryption levels, suppression of unsecure protocols, and an audit trail of legitimate and illegitimate attempts to access network equipment. FIPS 140-2 is the second of four security levels defined within FIPS and includes both data encryption and a product design that detects evidence of tampering. Atlan Laboratories, a NIST approved testing lab, facilitated the testing and approvals process for the LX Series FIPS 140-2 certification.
A joint standards effort by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Canadian Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the FIPS 140-2 security standard for IT systems is mandatory in U.S. and Canadian government applications. Additionally, it is gaining popularity in enterprise applications such as banks, stock brokerages and other financial institutions that are extremely security sensitive and are required to meet the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002 as well as healthcare providers required to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA").
MRV's industry-leading LX Series console servers provide secure out-of-band networking, giving network managers a means of managing, configuring and upgrading servers and other networking equipment remotely via their serial ports. The LX Series also provides remote power management and integrated infrastructure/security alarming through a single management interface. MRV was the first major vendor to produce a console server solution to meet the FIPS 140-2 standard in 2006 and has now reached its third FIPS approved feature release.
About MRV Communications, Inc.
MRV Communications, Inc. ("MRV") is a leading provider of network equipment and services, and optical components. MRV's networking business provides equipment used by commercial customers, governments and telecommunications service providers, and includes switches, routers, physical layer products and out-of-band management products as well as specialized networking products for aerospace, defense and other applications including voice and cellular communication. MRV's optical components business provides optical communications components for metropolitan, access and Fiber-to-the-Premises applications, through its wholly owned subsidiary SourcePhotonics, Inc. MRV markets and sells its products worldwide through a variety of channels, including a dedicated direct sales force, manufacturers' representatives, value-added-resellers, distributors and systems integrators. MRV also has operations in Europe that provide network system design, integration and distribution services that include products manufactured by third-party vendors, as well as internally developed and manufactured products. Publicly traded since 1992, MRV is listed on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol MRVC. For more information about MRV and its products, please call (818) 773-0900 or visit our websites at [ www.mrv.com ] and [ www.sourcephotonics.com ].
