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Force10 Networks Supports Emerging Requirements in Network Management, Power and Security Through New Software Enhancements

Posted on: Monday, 15 September 2008, 09:00 CDT

Force10 Networks(R), the pioneer in building and securing reliable networks, today announced a new set of management, power and security features to the Force10 operating system, FTOS, which help customers transition to converged networks. By delivering the tools that allow organizations to optimize their networks based on unique application and traffic requirements, FTOS enables the network to evolve with the business needs.

"Enterprises, from emerging Web 2.0 companies to established brick-and-mortar businesses, increasingly need to converge disparate networks while quickly adapting to evolving traffic patterns and the growing number of applications," said Zeus Kerravala, senior vice president of Yankee Group's Enterprise Research group. "Based on a Unix-like kernel, the Force10 operating system provides businesses the flexibility to optimize network operations while streamlining management and lowering related costs."

As organizations begin to introduce Voice over IP technology, power management becomes a central issue. To reduce unnecessary power consumption, Force10's PowerSmart(TM) technology automatically senses power requirements of connected devices and provisions the needed amount using LLDP, a standards-based and widely deployed protocol. The automatic power provisioning ensures that organizations utilize only the required amount of power, reducing overall consumption. Additionally, PowerSmart allows organizations to prioritize Power over Ethernet (PoE)-enabled ports to ensure critical ports continue to operate in the event of a power supply failure. Force10 is making the PowerSmart technology available to all customers, as it can be deployed in any environment requiring stringent power management capabilities.

As the business moves to a single converged services network, availability becomes far more critical. To that end, Force10 has enhanced FTOS' suite of automated features that monitor the switch/router for software and hardware faults, and notify IT staff of a problem before it affects the stability of the network. The increase in service responsiveness increases network uptime and reduces the time spent troubleshooting the network. As a complement to proactive notification, FTOS also has integrated inventory and configuration management features that enable simpler, centralized equipment management.

In addition to providing an automated set of management tools, FTOS also includes advanced security features that can be set and optimized by organizations. At the network level, FTOS can authenticate and automatically assign users to pre-established VLANs based on predefined policies. Additionally, FTOS enables the Force10 Reliable Networking product portfolio to enforce port-level security policies at line-rate.

"The flexibility built into the new FTOS features enables IT managers to more efficiently utilize their networks even as their business requirements, applications and traffic profiles evolve," said Stephen Garrison, vice president of marketing at Force10 Networks. "The enhancements within FTOS mirror our continuing commitment to help our customers easily deploy and maintain a customized network infrastructure that specifically answers today's challenges and has the capability to seamlessly scale as data networks converge and grow."

To support video on the network without overwhelming other business critical applications, FTOS enables network administrators to categorize and manage streaming, multicast and broadcast traffic. Additionally, FTOS has built-in functionality that protects the network from backdoor vulnerabilities that may be created by user configuration errors. By limiting the number of recognized MAC addresses per port, FTOS prevents unknown systems from gaining access to the network.

The Force10 Reliable Networking product portfolio supports advances in reliability, network control and scalability that enable customers to lower their total cost of ownership. By building a flexible network that is ready to support emerging and evolving applications, organizations can optimize their networks for current needs as well as future requirements.

About Force10 Networks

Force10 Networks is the pioneer in building and securing reliable, high performance networks. With its no-compromise approach to networking and advances in high density Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet switching, routing and security, Force10 delivers the innovative technologies that allow customers to transform their networks into strategic assets at the lowest total cost of ownership. For additional information, please visit www.force10networks.com.

Force10 Networks and E-Series are registered trademarks, and C-Series, P-Series, S-Series, TeraScale, FTOS and PowerSmart are trademarks of Force10 Networks, Inc. All other company names are trademarks of their respective holders.

Source: Business Wire

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