Hewlett-Packard Co.s ProCurve Networking unit last week filled in its Adaptive Edge Architecture strategy with the launch of its new ProCurve Interconnect Fabric Switch 8100fl, along with new security and mobile management products and a new power-over-Ethernet switch.
The 8100fl line, based on the Riverstone Networks Inc. technology HP acquired last year, is an interconnect fabric switch family that emphasizes high performance; high availability; and simpler, automated configuration. ProCurves two-tiered Adaptive Edge Architecture moves more network intelligence to the edge of the network and eliminates a middle tier of distribution switches.
The Layer 3/Layer 4 ProCurve Interconnect Fabric Switch 8100fl, which includes a 16- and an eight-slot chassis, uses redundant management modules designed for hitless failover. Each I/O module runs its own operating system, allowing traffic to continue moving through the switch in the event that a management module fails. The 16-slot chassis can accommodate up to 16 10G-bit or 160G-bit ports, and the eight-slot chassis can handle up to eight 10G-bit or 80G-bit ports.
Beta users at Oregon State Universitys College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences found the switch “rock-solid,” said Chuck Sears, manager of research computing, in Corvallis. “Because of the fault tolerance with each fabric piece running its own OS, we can build in interesting classes of business logic.”