GAMING

New BLADE Switch Provides 1G and 10G Uplink Ethernet Connectivity: Increased Functionality, Higher Throughput, Lower Overall Power Consumption and Better Price-Performance Than Existing Switches for HP BladeSystem c-Class: BLADE Network Technologies Inc. (BLADE), the leading provider of network switching infrastructure to the blade server market, today announced the release of the first IPv6 Ready 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch module for HP BladeSystem. The HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c switch provides 10G Ethernet uplink performance to up to 16 HP ProLiant and Integrity server blades in the HP BladeSystem enclosure. The BLADE switch helps customers build a unified LAN and Ethernet-based SAN fabric, utilizing the 1G Ethernet ports for upstream LAN connections alongside one or more of the 10G Ethernet ports for connectivity to an iSCSI SAN or IP NAS. "Our recent Layer 2/Layer 3 interoperability testing of BLADE's GbE switches for HP c-Class BladeSystem shows that BLADE switching technology interoperates in a Cisco Network as well as Cisco's own products," said Kevin Tolly, President/CEO and founder of The Tolly Group. "We believe BLADE offers enterprise customers a viable and credible alternative that buyers should seriously consider." Advantages of using BLADE's HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c switch on HP BladeSystem include: -- Lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for networks transitioning from Gigabit to 10 Gigabit Ethernet -- Connect directly to core 10G Ethernet routers instead of Gigabit access layer switches -- Reduce network complexity, cable management and troubleshooting caused by link aggregation -- Best way to equip blade servers for increased I/O using virtualization solutions -- Ideal for applications requiring high uplink bandwidth such as IPTV, video surveillance, iSCSI/IP NAS storage, high-performance computing, remote backup, and disaster recovery -- Layer 3 static and dynamic routing protocols provide network security, flexibility and conserve bandwidth -- Ready for IPv6 "Bringing 10G Ethernet connectivity to HP BladeSystem simplifies the network and reduces cost-of-ownership, while improving overall system performance," said Vikram Mehta, President and CEO of BLADE Network Technologies. "Just like people buying plasma TVs today want to make sure they are HD-ready, our new BLADE switch for HP BladeSystem is 10G-ready while giving customers the additional option of inexpensive Gigabit Ethernet uplink connectivity. We are pleased that HP chose BLADE to be its supplier for this flagship BladeSystem product." Each HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch delivers 120 Gbps full-duplex throughput to the HP BladeSystem enclosure via three 10G uplinks and a 10G cross-connect, 16 1Gb downlinks, four 1Gb uplinks and one 1Gb management port in a single-bay form factor. The BLADE switch is fully compliant with the European Union's Restriction on Hazardous Materials (RoHS) directive. "Customers are showing that HP BladeSystem c-Class is the platform of choice for any bladed environment," said Mark Potter, vice president, BladeSystem Division, HP. "In collaboration with BLADE, a member of the HP BladeSystem Solution Builder Program, HP is helping customers meet the demanding performance requirements of today's mission-critical business applications." "From a TCO perspective, blade servers equipped with 10G Ethernet connectivity decrease associated networking costs by reducing the number of expensive 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports at the distribution and core network layers," said Jeffrey M. Birnbaum, former Global Head of Enterprise Computing for Morgan Stanley, Chairman of the Blade Network Technologies Advisory Board and founder of 60East Technologies. As organizations increasingly seek to exploit 10Gb Ethernet for extremely low-latency applications combined with the value of a unified LAN and SAN fabric to an iSCSI SAN or IP NAS, the new BLADE switch is the best choice for HP BladeSystem." A robust set of industry-standard Layer 2 switching and Layer 3 routing functions, Quality of Service (QoS) metering, security, and high availability features round out this flexible and capable switch. The HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c switch dramatically reduces cabling compared to stand-alone switches while providing over 120 Gbps of full-duplex switching throughput. This allows it to handle very demanding applications such as those for high-performance computing clusters, voice over IP and video on demand. The HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch can also help eliminate the complexity of managing separate networking and storage fabrics. By consolidating both LAN networking and iSCSI storage onto 10G Ethernet, significant cost of ownership benefits can be realized without impacting network performance. The HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c switch prioritizes bandwidth for sensitive traffic, and ensures that sensitive traffic is delivered without delay. The standard QoS feature enables the switch to classify and reclassify packets based on demand. The combination of both Layer 2 switching and Layer 3 routing (IP forwarding, RIP, OSPF and VRRP) in a single blade switch form factor can also eliminate the need for connecting the HP BladeSystem to upstream Layer 2/3 device aggregators, making it an ideal candidate for SMB environments as well as high-performance computing environments. Layer 3 IP forwarding between VLANs enables traffic destined to other server domains to route securely through the c7000 enclosure's backplane for greater data security and less latency, while conserving uplink bandwidth. The HP 1:10Gb Ethernet BL-c switch is available from HP now, priced starting at $4,999.