INTERCONNECTS

Force10 Networks today announced that the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (C2B2) at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) has selected the E-Series family of switch/routers to provide line-rate performance and resiliency for its research needs as well as industry-leading port density to ensure seamless growth as the organization continues to expand into the future. CUMC selected the chassis-based E-Series E1200 switch/router to serve as a scalable and reliable interconnect for “Titan”, the high performance computing cluster (HPCC) used to support biomedical research at C2B2.

“Leveraging the collective computation power of these high performance clusters is a critical component toward making significant strides across myriad types of research,” said John Lowell Wofford, Manager of HPCC at C2B2. “Force10 Networks has a distinguished history of supplying innovative networking solutions that incorporate the reliability, scalability, and backplane capacity we need to help us strive toward our research goals today and put us in a cost-effective position moving forward.”

Resilient Force10 Architecture Helps Ensure Consistent, Line-Rate Performance

As the core switch/router linking the new cluster and network-attached storage (NAS) arrays, CUMC selected the E1200 in part for its ability to deliver unprecedented, non-blocking line-rate Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10 GbE densities. The distributed hardware-based forwarding of the E-Series, and unique three CPU architecture, which distributes switching, routing and management functions amongst three processors, provides the network attributes Columbia requires to ensure predictable performance regardless of what computing applications are run on the cluster. With a 40- and 100 GbE- ready backplane, the E-Series is prepared for the next generation of Ethernet technology, providing Columbia with unmatched investment protection. The architecture and backplane, coupled with the high density and resiliency of Force10’s E-Series, further ensure the scalability that enables Columbia to rely on its new network for years to come.

“Many of the world’s leading research institutions, such as the Columbia University Medical Center, have trusted Force10 solutions to interconnect their most powerful supercomputing clusters,” said Steve Garrison, vice president of marketing, Force10 Networks. “The unmatched performance and scalable density are key examples of how the E-Series is ideally-suited for HPCC environments, such as learning institutions that maintain research teams and other university users that rely heavily upon the cluster’s computational capabilities.”

In addition to acquiring the E-Series E1200 through Dell, a Force10 reseller, the university is deploying NAS solutions from its Force10 Technology Alliance partner, Isilon Systems, to facilitate faster access for users working with very large, data-intensive files.