NextHop Technologies Inc., the definitive source for network software solutions, today announced that it has added support for network clustering with its FTS Manager 1.0 (forwarding table synchronization) product along with the latest version of its GateD NGC (Next Generation Carrier) routing and MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) software. This software package enables network equipment vendors to easily provide a non-stop data forwarding capability in their systems. Network clustering connects otherwise independent systems, allowing them to work together in a coordinated fashion. NextHop's new FTS Manager provides a synchronization mechanism for the forwarding tables in clustered systems, across an independent management network using the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) protocol. This allows the separate cluster elements to fail-over from one unit to another, while continuing to forward data, providing non-stop data forwarding. NextHop's FTS Manager 1.0 product is available in conjunction with NextHop's NGC 2.3 routing software that includes the GateD VRE (virtual routing environment) and an extensible CLI (command line interface) framework. Also included are BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) and MPLS features to scale and provide support for the capabilities required by the next generation, multi-service edge switches planned for the 2005 timeframe and GateD's AMI (advanced management interface), that provides increased performance and scalability along with more sophisticated control and security capabilities. "NextHop continues to listen to the complex needs of network equipment manufacturers, enhancing our software to meet their needs -- by providing the quickest and most cost-effective way to integrate secure, high-quality control plane software with the rest of their system. This high reliability clustering solution is squarely aimed at helping customers get their high performance products to market faster, with lower development expenses, higher performance, and pre-tested quality," said Dennis Tsu, vice president, marketing, NextHop Technologies.