Force10 Networks today announced that the High Performance Computing and Visualization group at the Pennsylvania State University has deployed the E-Series in its newest cluster LION-XO to provide scalable and reliable bandwidth for the computational needs of faculty and researchers. As the core of the cluster, the Force10 E600 delivers the line-rate, reliable performance that enables Penn State to maximize the full processing power of the cluster 24 hours a day. "With more than 200 researchers utilizing the LION-XO cluster, it runs at full capacity 90 percent of the time, making it essential that the infrastructure is extremely resilient," said Vijay Agarwala, director of the High Performance Computing and Visualization Group at the Pennsylvania State University. "The Force10 E600 anchors our LION-XO cluster, delivering reliable and predictable connectivity both now and as we scale the cluster up to 160 nodes." The Force10 E600 currently interconnects 80 servers, providing the reliability and line-rate, non-blocking performance that ensures maximum computational power. Over the next several months, the cluster will scale to 160 servers to provide additional capacity for faculty and students at Penn State. The E600's combination of scalable capacity and reliable performance increases the speed with which applications and computations are processed, even as additional researchers leverage the cluster. For a complete case study, please visit www.force10networks.com. "The reliability and scalability of the E-Series make it particularly well suited for high performance environments that require nearly 100 percent network uptime, such as Penn State's LION-XO cluster," said Andrew Feldman, Force10's vice president of marketing. "The unique architecture of the E-Series, combined with its high density, ensures that it will provide the scalable line-rate capacity that will allow additional researchers to leverage the computational power of the cluster." With the LION-XO cluster running at full capacity nearly 90 percent of the time, the reliable performance of all devices is essential. To ensure maximum uptime, the Force10 E600 distributes switching, routing and management functionality between three distinct processors to protect against denial of service attacks and other malicious traffic. Additionally, built-in redundancy and Force10's hitless failover technology ensure that, in the event of a component failure, the E600 continues to forward traffic with zero packet loss. The High Performance Computing and Visualization group is a part of Penn State's Academic Services and Emerging Technologies (ASET), which designs, develops and operates the information technology infrastructure that supports students, faculty and staff in their teaching, learning and research endeavors. The group performs research to develop, define and promote an information technology architecture that positions the institution to take advantage of rapidly emerging opportunities.