[c-nsp] cisco-nsp Digest, Vol 60, Issue 66

[Jason Gintert]

Neal,

I've actually had to pull something like this off before.  We used a passive
device called a ZPHA that uses mirrors and mechanically fails from one fiber
segment to another.  It uses a USB port plugged into the device to be
monitored that detects power and will failover when power is not on the USB
port any longer.  I believe the power from the USB actually holds it to one
segment and it falls to the other when the power is not there.

https://usm.channelonline.com/ntw/firefly/Products/Overview/?id=M002409330

What we did to make this more controlled was to plug the ZPHA into a powered
USB hub which was in turn plugged into an APC remotely switchable PDU.  We
killed the port to the USB hub when we wanted it to failover.  This was for
performing remote testing on an IPS and was the easiest way we could find to
route around it when there was problems and it was unmanageble.

HTH!

Jason


On 11/20/07 11:59 AM, "cisco-nsp-request at puck.nether.net"
<cisco-nsp-request at puck.nether.net> wrote:

> Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:04:21 -0600
> From: "neal rauhauser" <nrauhauser at gmail.com>
> Subject: [c-nsp] small box for switching POS link?
> To: cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net, cisco at groupstudy.com
> Message-ID:
> <9515c62d0711200804k11b31502t16d389edd2829f9b at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
>  Ladies & Gentlemen,
> 
> 
>     I have a customer with PA-POS-OC3 cards installed in a pair of
> Cisco 7507s. Right now they can physically remove the line from the
> first machine, plug it into the second, and things neatly switch over.
> 
> 
>     They've asked me to come up with a remote control method of
> switching the fiber optic line. The incoming circuit and two routers
> are the only things we're ever going to switch at this location. This
> solution does not need to be carrier grade, it just needs to be
> remotely controllable.
> 
> 
>     I suspect the answer is that anything that switches STM1 sonet
> links is going to be large, heavy, expensive, and -48v - all things
> that do not fit with what these guys are trying to do. if anyone has
> any inspiration on how to accomplish this I'd be glad to hear it ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
>                                                                        Neal