Foundry Unveils High-End Switches

In one of its biggest product launches in the companys history, Foundry Networks Inc., of San Jose, Calif., introduced its next-generation 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch line at the Interop show here last week.

The launch might help Foundry leapfrog Force 10 Networks Inc. as the leader in high-end 10 Gigabit Ethernet switching while broadening Foundrys appeal outside the core of large backbone networks with new application and Web optimization switches.

"This puts them back in the leadership position for network vendors that support high-performance data center environments," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with Yankee Group Research, in Boston. "For those that value performance, Foundry has the top-end product and a broad product line now."

Foundrys new BigIron RX-Series includes three models: a 4U (5.75-inch), a 7U (12.25-inch) and a 14U (24.5-inch) switch providing 384G-bps, 768G-bps and 1.535T-bps switching capacity, respectively.

The largest of the RX-Series switches, all due in July, can handle as many as 192 wire-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The four- and seven-slot models provide a ratio of 2-1 fabric-switch redundancy; the 14-slot model provides a 3-1 redundancy. All three support redundant management and power supply modules, and those components, as well as interface modules and fans, are hot-swappable.

The new ServerIronGT C-Series application and Web optimization switches include three models that combine SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) offload with load balancing, content switching and HTTP connection offload and compression.

Users have the option of using three models that dont include the SSL offload but can accommodate new SSL service modules for later migration.

The ServerIronGT C-Series application switches are based on a unique compact and modular design that includes three slots in a 2U (3.5-inch) form factor. The C-Series switches also include additional security, which is vital for some users. "Were building a next-generation gaming platform, [and] were using the Foundry hardware to do XML load balancing, SSL handoffs. We were happy Foundry was up to par and ready with a solution for us," said Jesper Jensen, CEO of Atlanta-based Super Computer International Inc.

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