Virtual Modular Switch delivers performance and data center savings advantages over traditional chassis switch products

Mellanox Technologies has announced the availability of the Mellanox Virtual Modular Switch (VMS) solution, a world leading Ethernet data center aggregation switch infrastructure. Mellanox VMS is a high-port density, flexible and scalable data center aggregation switching solution. Mellanox VMS provides up to 720 ports of 40 gigabits per second with latency lower than 2 microseconds while reducing capital expenses by up to 85 percent and power consumption by up to 90 percent. Moreover, Mellanox VMS offers the best-in-class resiliency, maintaining up to over 90 percent of the aggregation bandwidth at the time of a switch failure, compared to traditional chassis-based switches.

According to Crehan Research’s Data Center Ethernet Switch reports, there has been a significant mix shift away from modular or chassis-based switches toward fixed switches, with fixed switches gaining over twenty points of share since 2008.

“Over the past four years we have seen a strong shift toward fixed/top-of-rack data center switches, which has been even more pronounced in the higher-speed, 10GbE and 40GbE, segments,” said Seamus Crehan, president of Crehan Research. “Mellanox’s Virtual Modular Switch is primed to address these Data Center Ethernet switch trends.”

“Cloud, Web 2.0, and enterprise data centers which require large aggregation Ethernet switch networks are moving away from legacy modular switches, due to high expenses and rapid obsolescence, to fixed switches that bring scalability and efficiency,” said Gilad Shainer, vice president of marketing at Mellanox Technologies. “The Mellanox Virtual Modular Switch solution, comprised of Mellanox’s 10, 40 and 56GbE switches, enables our customers to achieve a new level of scalability, while future-proofing their investment and reducing expenses.”

The Mellanox VMS solution is constructed by connecting Mellanox’s SwitchX-2 based 40 and 56 Gigabit Ethernet systems connected in a non-blocking topology and managed with the widely-used Puppet and Chef management applications.

The Mellanox Virtual Modular Switch is generally available now.