Start-up Xelor Software is introducing a tool to help simplify QoS provisioning for VoIP calls within business LANs consisting of Cisco switches and routers.

Called XelorRate, the software runs on a Red Hat Enterprise Server attached to the LAN and provisions QoS for calls set up via Avaya or Cisco IP PBXs. The software can automatically set Cisco's AutoQoS on switches and routers. AutoQoS prioritizes traffic so that critical or time-sensitive applications don't get bogged down by congestion and delay.

XelorRate eliminates the need to type in command lines to configure AutoQoS, a process that is prone to error, Xelor says.

"Cisco's AutoQoS can be a bear to configure," says Eric Siegel, an analyst for Burton Group.

AutoQoS is static; once it is set, it doesn't automatically adapt to changes in network traffic, he says.

XelorRate dedicates 100K bit/sec per phone call up to the limit users choose, and when that limit is reached, subsequent calls are dropped into a best-effort queue. It also notifies IT staff via e-mail so they can reevaluate the path and reserve more bandwidth for calls or create a separate virtual LAN (VLAN), Xelor says.

While the quality of calls bumped to the best-effort queue may suffer, doing so protects other traffic on the same network, Siegel says. "It uses the high-priority queue only if there are enough resources and if not, it won't hurt anything else," he says.

The XelorRate server also stores call information so IT staff can better track the cause of problems. The software also discovers routers, switches and end devices on the network and draws a topology map so users can see the paths.

It also taps into the call servers and discovers phones that are registered to them. When an end user dials a call, setup information is shared with XelorRate, which assesses the bandwidth on the path the call will take and assigns appropriate service quality by having switches tag the packets.

Prices for XelorRate depend on the number of users. A license for 50 users costs $5,000, and a license for 750 users costs $37,500.

Click to see: VoIP quality on the LAN

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