A new frame relay management architecture from Sync Research that uses network probes to keep tabs on performance will debut at ComNet this week in Washington.

The unified element management platform, dubbed Envisage, will offer carriers a complete, Windows NT-based operation, administration and management system. A Unix version will debut in the second quarter of 1998.

The system will take advantage of Sync's Frame Relay Access Probe products to deliver accurate real-time performance metrics, said Jeff Junker, product manager for network management applications at Sync.

"Data correlation is a challenge for frame relay networks in general," Junker said. "It's easy to measure on and off, but it's much more difficult to measure delays, dropped frames and other problems that impact service level agreements."

The probes also allow the network to be partitioned for testing, and they can help diagnose problems that occur at points between frame relay networks, Junker said. Through the use of the virtual network interactive protocol, the probes can analyze virtual circuits point-by-point and relay detailed information back to management applications.

The system's Performance Manager module collects and analyzes data on network elements, automatically generating reports that enable managers to spot problems and trends quickly and plan network changes and growth.

The Envisage family includes InSight, a Java-based real-time performance and service level monitoring application. InSight enables users to quickly analyze problems related to permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) by first viewing service quality issues-such as end-to-end latency, severity of discarded frames and availability-and then drilling down through PVC, protocol and application views.

"Java is a real help in delivering these tools," said Todd Krautkremer, vice president of strategic marketing at Irvine, Calif.-based Sync. "It's difficult to scale solutions to meet the needs of large networks, and Java's a great way of accomplishing that."