NETWORKS

Foundry Networks today added a new switch family to its portfolio of 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) network infrastructure products, reinforcing its leadership in offering the most diverse, affordable end-to-end 10-Gigabit Ethernet solutions on the market. The new SuperX family of Layer 2/3 compact modular switches offers the industry’s highest Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10-GbE density per rack, the lowest GbE and 10-GbE price-per-port in a modular switch, wire-speed throughput and forwarding on every port, and a compact form factor that allows installation of up to eight systems per 7-foot rack. The SuperX family is purpose-built to deliver unmatched deployment flexibility, investment protection and performance for next-generation converged networks, with features such as a hot-swappable, standards-based Power over Ethernet (PoE) upgrade module, and Foundry’s robust IronWare package of reliability and security features. " We are impressed with the SuperX switch because it offers a dramatic increase in 10-Gigabit Ethernet density and availability in a convenient and easy-to-use form factor, at a price point we have not seen before. We are deploying the SuperX switches to aggregate traffic for our 10-GbE backbone network," said Richard Nelson, director of computing for USC's Information Sciences Institute. The SuperX family features a high performance, hardware-based switching packet processor and switch fabric, leading Layer 2 features and upgradeability to full Layer 3 for the most demanding networking environments, a non-blocking architecture, redundant and hot swappable AC/DC power supplies, fine-grain bandwidth management, pervasive traffic monitoring, and extensive security, resiliency and accounting features. The 6 RU-high SuperX family supports up to 128 wire-speed 10-GbE ports, 1632 wire-speed GbE or 10/100/1000 ports, and 1536 wire-speed 10/100/1000 PoE ports per rack. “We needed to upgrade our backbone capacity to support an increasing demand for Gigabit circuits among our customer base. We chose the Foundry gear including the new SuperX switches, because no other vendors could provide the feature set we required at a comparable price,” said Bevan Slattery, managing director of Australia’s largest Internet exchange, operated by PIPE Networks. “After the Foundry switches are deployed, we will have the backbone capacity needed to service more customers with better reliability and redundancy, and down the track, we will be able to offer new services such as Q-in-Q and subrate services.” The SuperX family includes three switches, each designed for distinct network environments and applications: FastIron SuperX Edge and Wiring Closet Switch * Base system supports Layer 2/base Layer 3, upgradeable to full Layer 3 * Supports 24-port 10/100/1000 fiber and PoE modules, 24-port GbE mini-GBIC modules, 2-port 10-GbE modules with XFP modular optics and PoE upgrade module * Extensive Quality of Service and availability features for voice applications * Integrated wired and wireless access TurboIron SuperX 10-GbE Aggregation and Core Switch * Industry leading 10-GbE price of less than $2,500 per port * Industry’s highest 10-GbE density/rack of up to 128 wire-speed 10-GbE ports * Base system supports Layer 2/base Layer 3, upgradeable to full Layer 3 including BGP *Pre-configured with 16 ports of 10-GbE and XFP modular optics * Wire-speed performance on every port BigIron SuperX Enterprise and Metro Layer 3 Backbone Switch * Base system supports full Layer 3, upgradeable to native full Layer 3 * Supports 24-port 10/100/1000 fiber and PoE modules, 24-port GbE mini-GBIC modules, 2-port 10-GbE modules with XFP modular optics and PoE upgrade module * Purpose-built high performance Layer 3 routing processor * Industry leading Layer 3 scalability of up to 1 million routes and 200+ BGP peers The SuperX systems provide more efficient and precise interface configurability than most switch offerings because they use half-width port modules, and 12 combo (copper or fiber) ports are integrated into the management module for additional flexibility and density. The SuperX series comes with Foundry’s robust, cohesive IronWare feature set, which provides advanced Layer 2 and complete Layer 3 functionality, an extensive menu of reliability and availability enhancements, Foundry’s field-proven IronShield security package, and support for converged applications such as VoIP and multicasting. “SuperX is simply the most versatile and affordable 10-GbE switch family on the market. We designed it to be a consistent architecture for enterprise and Metro service provider high-performance LAN and MAN infrastructures,” said Bobby Johnson, president and CEO of Foundry Networks. “With the SuperX series, we are redefining Layer 2/3 LAN switching by offering a unique combination of density, performance, intelligent features, and economical prices, while reducing complexity and providing ultimate scalability and deployment flexibility for our customers.”