Juniper Networks is unveiling a new network switch optimized for the
growing presence of high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology in data
centers and for cloud computing environments.
The EX8216 Ethernet switch, announced May 12, is a 16-slot
high-performance platform with fabric capacity of up to 12.4 terabits.
Juniper said the new switch is part of the EX8200 family of modular
switches that deliver the wire-rate performance, low latency and
carrier-class reliability enterprises need to consolidate network
layers, which reduces complexity and capital and operational expenses
throughout the data center.
3Com is returning to the enterprise networking space.
Overall, the EX8200 switches—with a per-slot capacity of 320
Gigabits per second and the ability to deliver up to 2 billion packets
of data per second—are designed to give enterprises an easy migration
path to future 100GbE networks. Currently, 10GbE is rapidly becoming a
strong presence in data centers, driven by increased use of
virtualization technology, greater infrastructure consolidation and the
spread of network-intensive applications, such as Web 2.0 technologies
and video streaming.
Hitesh Sheth, executive vice president and general manager of
Juniper’s Ethernet Platforms Business Group, said the EX8216 switch
delivers twice the performance and consumes a third less power than
competing products.
"With the rest of Juniper's portfolio, the EX8216 enables new data
center and cloud computing architectures that lower complexity, deliver
increased functionality and reduce overall total cost of ownership
through innovative system designs that can lower both capital and
operating expenses," Sheth said in a statement.
Like others in the networking sector, Juniper is looking to chip
away at Cisco Systems’ dominance in part by offering high-performance
switches that cost less and use less power than those from Cisco.
In addition, Juniper is relying on its strategy of having a single
operating system—Junos Software—for its networking portfolio, arguing
that it helps reduce complexity in increasingly complex data centers.
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