• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

BLADE Network Technologies Brings Full 10 Gigabit Ethernet "Green Blade" Switch to HP BladeSystem

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 August 2007, 09:03 CDT

BLADE Network Technologies Inc. (BLADE), the leading provider of network switching infrastructure to the blade server market, today announced the release of the first full 10 Gigabit Ethernet "Green Blade" switch for HP BladeSystem. For the first time, HP BladeSystem c-Class can now be equipped to provide 400 gigabits of Ethernet bandwidth for the high throughput and low latency required by blade server virtualization workloads and converged "single fabric" Ethernet networks.

Blade servers equipped with 10G Ethernet links are emerging as the ideal platform for today's server virtualization workloads using hypervisors such as VMware and other similar products. Organizations deploying a single fabric for their converged networks can now also realize the advantages of 10G Ethernet blade switches at less than $500 per 10G port for the new BLADE modules.

The HP 10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch based on BLADE technology is the first switch for HP BladeSystem c-Class to deliver full 10G Ethernet connectivity directly to each server blade. The switch excels with 9x lower latency, 2x more throughput and 16x better price-performance than conventional chassis-based 10G Ethernet switch modules.

BLADE's embedded Ethernet "Green Blade" switches are becoming a compelling alternative for CIOs looking to conserve their datacenter power budgets. As the flagship product in BLADE's line of "Green Blade" switches, BLADE 10G Ethernet switch reduces power consumption by 95 percent per 10G Ethernet port compared to 10G Ethernet modules used in racked chassis-based network switches.

"Blade servers equipped with BLADE's 10G Ethernet switches offer hidden benefits -- such as network aggregation to reduce end-to-end TCO by about 30% by decreasing the number of expensive ports required for distribution and core networks, opportunities for shared I/O to further reduce costs and the industry's lowest cost per 10G Ethernet port," said Jeffrey M. Birnbaum, former Managing Director, Global Head of Enterprise Computing for Morgan Stanley, CEO and founder of 60East Technologies and chairperson of the BLADE Technical Advisory Board. "Today's datacenters call for massive bandwidth with extremely low latency, and this is where blade servers equipped with 10G Ethernet really shine. Blades and 10G Ethernet also open the door to server and desktop virtualization using VMware, Xen, KVM and Microsoft's Veridian with opportunities for tremendous space and power savings in scale-out deployments."

In BLADE's latest 10G Ethernet switch for HP BladeSystem, 16 10G downlinks along with four 10G XFP uplinks help enable HP BladeSystem to handle today's bandwidth-intensive server virtualization workloads and also provide the high throughput and low latency required for converged IP networks. BLADE's recently announced 1:10Gb Ethernet hybrid switch is designed for customers seeking to connect blade servers with 10G Ethernet core networks and is also part of HP's portfolio of embedded blade switches.

The BLADE switch portfolio includes a common switch operating system and an industry-standard Command Line Interface (CLI), and a rich choice of speeds (GE or 10GE), media (Copper or Fiber) and features (Layer 2 or Layer 2/3).

"The new all-10G Ethernet switch for HP BladeSystem is the ideal 'Green Blade' solution for data centers that are overloaded with cables, crunched for bandwidth and seeking the utmost power and cooling efficiencies," said Vikram Mehta, President and CEO of BLADE Network Technologies. "Twenty 10G Ethernet ports provide ample switching bandwidth to ensure that server virtualization workloads and other bandwidth-intensive and latency sensitive applications running on today's converged IP networks, such as VoIP, Video On Demand, and Hi-Performance Computing (HPC), remain up and fluid at all times. Conserving hundreds of watts per embedded 'Green Blade' switch module compared with power-hungry chassis-based switches can offer substantially greater power and cooling efficiency and lower TCO than has heretofore been possible using conventional networking gear."

Used in conjunction with the HP NC512m server adapter for each server requiring 10G Ethernet throughput, the BLADE switch delivers a full set of industry-standard Ethernet Layer 2 switching and Layer 3 routing functions, quality of service, security and high-availability features. The BLADE switch provides 40Gb of uplink bandwidth for data centers transitioning to server virtualization or looking to consolidate bandwidth.

The BLADE 10G Ethernet switch is ideal for data center applications that require high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity, such as:

 --  High Performance Computing Clusters: Medical imaging, visualization,     financial analytics, technical computation clusters and animation/media     rendering. --  Multimedia: VoIP/IP PBX, VOD/IPTV, video surveillance, gaming and     video conferencing. --  IT Consolidation: Server virtualization, data/voice/video offerings,     Web 2.0, next-generation networks, security/firewalls and IP SAN (iSCSI)     for storage, backup and disaster recovery.      

"The addition of full 10G Ethernet connectivity helps make HP BladeSystem c-Class the platform of choice for server virtualization and converged network fabrics," said Mark Potter, Vice President, BladeSystem Division, HP. "We are pleased to work with BLADE, a member of the BladeSystem Solution Builder Program, as they have helped us expand the choice customers have for HP BladeSystem Ethernet connectivity."

Highlights of the HP 10Gb Ethernet BL-c Switch based on BLADE technology include:

 --  400Gb full-duplex bandwidth for multi-core virtualized servers --  All 10G Ethernet switching with non-blocking architecture --  Wire-speed Layer 2/3 switching on all ports within the blade server     environment to reduces and secure network traffic. --  Layer 3 routing to reduce the number of broadcast domains, increasing     network performance and efficiency --  Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) allows multiple switches to     process traffic simultaneously for maximum performance and seamless     failover --  Support for up to 1,000 VLANs --  High performance for analytic applications --  Low latency for data acquisition and iSCSI storage --  Easy management with BladeHarmony software --  Industry-standard or AlteonOS CLI --  Robust ACL filters prevent unauthorized traffic --  RADIUS, TACACS, and TACACS+ Authentication --  Full set of advanced high-availability and resiliency features such as     Spanning Tree, Rapid Spanning Tree, Multiple Spanning Tree and Uplink     Failure Detection.      

The BLADE switch provides 10G bandwidth to each server blade, allowing full utilization of multicore server technology ideal for virtualization and consolidation. Full 10G connectivity to each server enables multiple applications to run on the same server without saturating data links. A full 10G switching fabric allows virtualized datacenters to gain the full benefits of blade server technology to reduce implementation and operating expenses.

The BLADE switch delivers high-performance 10G Ethernet connectivity at a breakthrough price that will enable broad adoption for the most demanding applications. The solution provides 10G connectivity to server links without the need for costly optics, greatly reducing the barriers to 10G adoption. Full-duplex 400Gb aggregated switching capacity provides a fully non-blocking internal matrix. The BLADE switch supports RDMA, TOE and iSCSI with a compatible 10G Ethernet adapter.

Information about availability and pricing for the HP 10Gb Ethernet BL-c switch is available at http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/blades/components/ethernet/10gb-bl-c/index.html.

About BLADE Network Technologies

BLADE Network Technologies is the market-leading supplier of Gigabit and 10G Ethernet, IP, and Application Switches for blade server systems globally. BLADE is the first vendor to focus exclusively on serving the network infrastructure needs of the rapidly growing blade server market. The company's end-users include Fortune 500 companies across 26 different industry segments. As the number-one supplier of network switches for blade servers, BLADE boasts an installed base of more than 120,000 blade switches (representing approximately 2.7 million switch ports) around the world. In 2006, BLADE was established as a fully independent company when it purchased certain assets of Nortel's Blade Server Switch Business Unit. For more information, visit BLADE at www.bladenetwork.net.

 CONTACT: Tim Shaughnessy BLADE Network Technologies (408) 850-8963 Email Contact  Judy Plummer ZNA Communications (831) 425-1581 x204 Email Contact

SOURCE: BLADE Network Technologies

Source: MARKET WIRE

More News in this Category