Extreme Networks Monday unveiled 10G Ethernet copper modules for its BlackDiamond X8 core switch and new fixed copper versions of its Summit X670 top-of-rack switch.
The new copper products, rolled out at the Interop 2012 conference in Las Vegas, are optimized to take advantage of servers based on the Intel Xeon processor E5 and 10G Ethernet LAN on motherboard (LOM) devices. These servers, commonly referred to as "Romley," debuted in March.
SWITCHING GEARS UP: Intel's 10G 'Romley' server to spur Ethernet switch growth
10GBase-T copper switches will be the primary choice for cloud and data center network upgrades, according to Dell'Oro Group. The market watcher expects the number of copper-based 10G Ethernet ports to overtake fiber ports this year, and continue through 2016.
The growth in copper-based 10G Ethernet is fueled largely by the Romley 10G Ethernet LOM. And wide adoption of 10G Ethernet servers is expected to drive 40G Ethernet network upgrades in data centers over time.
Extreme's new Summit X670 top-of-rack switch -- called the Summit X670V-48T -- supports 48-ports of wire-speed 10G Ethernet copper RJ45 with 40G Ethernet uplinks. It supports full Layer 2 and 3 switching and IPv4 and IPv6 routing, and is scalable up to 128,000 virtual machines.
The switch consumes 290 to 335 watts of power, and the four 40G uplinks can also be configured as stacking ports.
The new BlackDiamond X8 BDX8-10G48T copper blade will support 48 ports of wire-speed 10G Ethernet copper RJ45 with 384 total ports inside the chassis. This is designed for end-of-row data center network deployments.
The 10G copper ports on both switches will support distances of 55 to 100 meters, Extreme says.
The Summit X670V-48T costs roughly $25,000 and will be available in the fall. The 40G uplink module -- called the VIM4-40G4X -- costs $3,000 and is available now.
The BlackDiamond X8 BDX8-10G48T costs about $26,000 and will also be available in the fall.
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