Extreme Networks Introduces New Networking Solution for Professional Audio/Video Environments

This new solution is based on AVB (Audio Video Bridging) technology, which makes it possible to optimize the Ethernet network so that it can support audio/video traffic, with the performance and quality of service required in these environments.

Extreme Networks has just launched a new network solution aimed at professional audio/video production environments, as well as environments in which intensive use of multimedia content is made, such as event venues, conference rooms and exhibitions...

This solution, based on AVB technology, allows the corporate network to be used to transport audio/video traffic, without the need to use expensive dedicated systems and always guaranteeing the performance and quality of service required by professional production environments.

Solution components

Extreme Networks' AVB solution consists of several components, including a wide range of switches (Summit X440, Summit X460, and Summit as well as the ExtremeXOS operating system integrated into its product range, which provides high availability, manageability and operational efficiency. Soon, AVB support will be extended to other equipment in the portfolio, such as the BlackDiamond X8 switches. It also includes a comprehensive management application that simplifies AVB configuration, policy deployment, troubleshooting, and network monitoring to optimize AV traffic.

This solution provides the scalability, density, redundancy, robustness and performance that are basic requirements of any network system aimed at professional AV environments, which demand high speed, very low delay, high reliability and centralized management.

Thanks to this solution, professional AV installations, which previously required an enormous amount of time and resources to connect proprietary or non-interoperable network elements, can now have a simplified infrastructure, which reduces implementation costs, management unified and the ability to support next-generation audio and video applications.

Unlike proposals from other manufacturers, which use mid-range or low-range switches to mount audio and video solutions, Extreme Networks incorporates AVB support on the same switching platforms that it offers for critical environments, such as data centers, computing environments. high-performance or mobile operator backbone networks.

AVB technology

AVB is a technology that allows you to configure and optimize the corporate network so that it can support multimedia traffic for professional use, minimizing the interference of general network traffic on AV traffic. This allows us to simplify and reduce the cost of systems that have traditionally been characterized by their complexity, high cost and lack of interoperability.

Among the benefits it provides, simplicity and ease of management stand out. All traffic, both data and AV, is supported by a single network infrastructure and managed from a single management platform. In addition to simpler management, it provides benefits thanks to the standardization and convergence of technologies.

Dedicated AV systems are difficult to scale. They are technologies designed for large facilities (stadiums, production studios, amusement parks). They use proprietary protocols and require different adapters to communicate with other systems. AVB provides scalability, allowing deployments of any size to be made and easily scaled, just as an Ethernet network is scaled.

On the other hand, this technology simplifies cabling since it allows all AV traffic to be transported over the same Ethernet network, which significantly simplifies the cabling system.

Additionally, AVB technology improves network synchronization so that it can support multiple highly delay-sensitive traffic streams; introduces the SRP (Simple Reservation Protocol) protocol, which allows an application or computer to notify different network elements within a given route what resources they have to reserve to support a given traffic flow, and for how long they should be reserved ; and implements a series of sending and forwarding queue formation rules to guarantee that the traffic flow traverses the network within the established delay margins, eliminating buffering delays in the network (delays may be acceptable in data transmission, but not in audio/video transmissions).

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