Extreme Networks boosts 40-, 100-GbE data center switch modules

Extreme Networks (NASDAQ: EXTR) has released new 100-Gigabit Ethernet (100-GbE) and 40-GbE modules for its Open Fabric switch, the BlackDiamond X8.

The company says its 100-/40-GbE XL switch modules help to scale networks for a variety of highly virtualized multi-tenant cloud data centers, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), Virtual Machines (VMs) and data center core deployments. The capability to scale to a million route entries, addresses and flows, and to logically segment multi-tenant networks with L2 broadcast domains are critical elements in building next-generation data center networks, contends the company.

Extreme says its new 4-port 100-GbE and 12-port 40GbE modules offer options for virtualized data centers where density, power efficiency and performance are mission-critical. The modules support 100-GbE and 40-GbE with non-blocking, wire-speed performance of Layer 2/3 services, Layer 2/3 ACLs and flow flexibility with support of 100G-SR (100 m) and 100G-OR (10 Km) optics, a boost in scale of tables supported via an upgraded TCAM, and fault tolerance and redundancy with N+1 power support.

Leveraging its open, modular ExtremeXOS operating system, the company has concurrently announced support of two Software Defined Networking (SDN) applications. Big Switch Networks' Big Tap provides traffic monitoring and dynamic network visibility with flow filtering. For virtualized data center networks, Big Switch Networks' BVS [Big Virtual Switch] application virtualizes the network by provisioning the physical network into multiple logical networks across the stack, from Layer 2 to 7.

Customer trials of the 12-port 40-GbE and 4-port 100-GbE XL modules will begin next year. Extreme Networks is showcasing the new modules, along with SDN applications from Big Switch networks, at its booth #1000 at the Super Computing conference (SC12) in Salt Lake City, UT from Nov 12-15.

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