Lilee Systems Announces Cloud-based Systems Management Solution
Lilee Systems, the leading provider of advanced wireless communication products, solutions, and services for the transportation industry, has announced the availability its Systems Management Suite in the cloud and two new products within its mobile connectivity software and hardware portfolio — the TransAir Gigabit Ethernet Switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE) Smart Module and the virtual Lilee Mobility Controller (vLMC).
“Railroad operators of all sizes face significant challenges as they deploy positive train control (PTC). Lilee’s hosted systems management offerings provide railroads with access to proven technologies that ensure timely project delivery, comply with industry standards for interoperability, and reduce operational costs,” said Jessica Sweeney, senior director of market & product strategy, Lilee Systems. “The availability of the PoE Smart Module and virtual LMC will help railroad operators take maximum advantage of IoT capabilities to streamline operations and offer new passenger services."
Systems Management Suite Moving to the Cloud
Lilee’s cloud-hosted Systems Management Suite provides commuter and freight railroads with access to the same proven technology and experience Lilee has delivered to Class I railroads since 2009. Recently adopted by a fourth Class I railroad, the Systems Management Suite, is the industry-leading solution for comprehensive device and systems management.
Additionally, the cloud-hosted solution provides the capabilities necessary to manage wayside, locomotive, base station, and back office assets, including wayside interface units, 220 MHz radios, and train management computers. Lilee Systems Management Suite interoperates with Lilee’s Communications Management Unit (CMU) family of products for ACSES PTC deployments; the WMS-2000 Wayside Messaging Server, DTS-2000 Dynamic Telematic Server, and LMS-2450 Lilee Messaging Server communication gateway. Third-party devices can be integrated into the suite using Lilee’s software management agents.
When coupled with the Lilee Zero Configuration Client (ZCC) software, Lilee provides an automatic method to install site-specific software and management agents in the wayside and locomotive messaging servers via USB or IP access. This allows the railroad to provision the PTC system with the necessary software components for messaging and interoperability through a repeatable and proven process that eliminates the possibility of misconfiguration of devices by personnel in the field.
Designed on a modular framework, the solution can be hosted on commercially available platforms already in use by a railroad. The Lilee Systems Management Suite provides interfaces to other network management systems and databases, enabling IT departments to use standard tools for its integration. Both the Systems Management Suite and ZCC conform to industry and ITC specifications for functionality, interoperability, and security.
New Hardware: TransAir Gigabit Ethernet Switch with Power over Ethernet Smart Module
Lilee’s Gigabit Ethernet Switch with PoE simplifies the deployment of devices with power requirements, such as surveillance cameras and wireless access points. It provides modular extensibility to Lilee’s LMS-2450 messaging server, which is used in railroad communications and control. The switch provides rail-certified high-speed switching and routing of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications for mobile computing and industrial connectivity.
The new PoE Switch joins Lilee’s catalog of Smart Modules and Interface Cards designed to flexibly extend the capabilities of the modular LMS and DTS systems. The LMS supports up to four Smart Modules or ten Interface Cards; the DTS supports two modular slots for Interface Cards. Lilee Smart Modules and Interface Cards offer rail operators a wide range of capabilities for wireless communication and edge processing, including an application engine with kernel-based virtual machine, a Gigabit Ethernet switch, LTE 4G cellular for USA and global, LTE 4G cellular with GPS for USA and global, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and high precision GPS.
New Software: Virtual Lilee Mobility Controller
Lilee’s vLMC provides ubiquitous, secure, and reliable connectivity between high value remote mobile or fixed assets and the back office. The vLMC is an alternative to the Lilee Systems LMC-5500 appliance for network managers who prefer to have the software solution hosted in the cloud or on their own data center hardware.
The first virtualized controller in Lilee’s industrial IoT portfolio, the vLMC is helping Lilee continue the migration of its software solutions for transportation to the cloud. The vLMC manages communications with remote devices, such as the LMS and DTS systems for both passenger and M2M wireless connectivity applications.
Several fundamental capabilities are addressed by the vLMC including agnostic mobility support across diverse network topologies; aggregation of asymmetric links such as LTE, Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet; and secure layer 2 tunneling to carry user traffic between mobile remote platforms and applications.
