Extreme Networks has announced that it is expanding support for its Direct Attach virtualized data center network architecture for VMware environments. Working with its data center ecosystem partner Exar, Extreme Networks will demonstrate the benefits of virtual machine switching moved back into the network.

The joint data center solution for VMware features Exar's X3100 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Interface Card (10GbE NIC) and Extreme Networks' Summit X650. The joint solution expands on Extreme Networks introduction of Direct Attach with its data center product portfolio at Las Vegas Interop. The Direct Attach data center architecture, a Best of Interop finalist, features Extreme Networks' implementation of virtual machine switching performed in the network rather than in servers. With this innovative approach, Direct Attach reduces network switching tiers by eliminating the virtual switch tier, and thus reduces cost, end-to-end latency, and security issues in the virtualized network while simplifying management.

"Using Extreme Networks' Direct Attach architecture, and Exar's industry leading 10GbE NIC, optimized for virtualization, customers can utilize standard diagnostic and monitoring tools on virtualized networking traffic," said Rob Reiner, director of marketing, Datacom and Storage, for Exar. "This simplifies management, preserves investments in data center equipment and reduces Total Cost of Ownership."

In addition, with Direct Attach, Extreme Networks eliminates the server-based virtual switch, thus reducing the number of switching elements by orders of magnitude as well as reducing the challenge of managing different virtual switch implementations being offered in the market. Extreme Networks technology breakthroughs with Direct Attach enable all VM traffic to be visible to the network, allowing uniform enforcement of SLAs, multi level security, and traffic management. Direct Attach makes this all possible.

"Direct Attach allows network administrators to leverage mature, well understood and fully capable network switches at wire speed for virtual machine switching, all while still maintaining the benefits of server virtualization," said Kevin Ryan, director of Data Center Solutions Marketing for Extreme Networks. "We are pleased to welcome Exar and their X3100 10GbE NIC solution for VMware environments to the Direct Attach ecosystem."

Extreme Networks Direct Attach architecture, along with ecosystem partners such as Exar, enables uniform, network-based enforcement of security, compliance and regulatory policies in a hypervisor agnostic manner. Extreme Networks Direct Attach is available through a software feature pack with the ExtremeXOS operating system and provides functionality across the entire data center product portfolio, from the Summit X450, Summit X480, Summit X650 fixed switches to the BlackDiamond 8800 series chassis switches.