10-Gigabit Ethernet: Bandwidth Breakthrough for the LAN Core and Network Aggregation

10-Gigabit Ethernet is moving quickly from supercomputing and research environments to enterprise networks in LAN backbones and in aggregation of servers or workgroup switches. Factors accelerating deployment of 10-Gigabit switch technology include:

1. Installations of gigabit-to-the-desktop downlinks are forcing upgrades in the core.
2. The price/port for 10-Gigabit Ethernet has been progressing downward.
3. As more 10 Gbps ports become available, there is more use of them for network expansion, VoIP, video, and other bandwidth-intensive or mission-critical applications.

Enterprises appreciate the strong advantages of 10-Gigabit switch technology: high bandwidth and straightforward deployment and management. And while a thousand times faster, 10-Gigabit Ethernet is still fundamentally Ethernet: it has the same header, uses the same packet sizes, and leverages existing IT staff expertise, network architectures, and network security and management tools.

The 10-Gigabit Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3ae), approved in 2002, lets IT staff deploy 10-Gigabit switch ports with confidence. The standard took just two years to be approved; 3Com played pivotal roles as an editor and as Vice-Chair of IEEE 802.3, the parent body. 3Com is also a founding member of the 10-Gigabit Ethernet Alliance, the vendor forum that promotes 10 Gbps product interoperability. 3Com technology leadership and innovations have produced 10-Gigabit Ethernet switch products and services that lead the industry in helping IT staff scale network performance. Examples include:

For the LAN backbone: The modular 3Com Switch 8800 family offers an unparalleled value proposition: it is a highly scalable and high-performance core switch backed by comprehensive implementation and support services that complement and empower IT staff.

Able to support 10,000 users, the 3Com Switch 8800 will integrate into a Cisco or other vendor network and efficiently deliver new enterprise-wide applications, including IP telephony, messaging, and conferencing. Application-aware and convergence-ready, the high-density Switch 8800 today offers twenty-four 10-Gigabit wirespeed ports or 288 gigabit wirespeed ports. It can also support a second-generation switch fabric and modules to double its performance and capacity.

Especially innovative features of the 3Com Switch 8800 include:

• Future-proof 1.44 Terabit-per-second backplane for ultra-high performance today and investment protection for the long term
• Local media-rate on-board switching that reduces backplane traffic and increases overall performance
• Resilient dual load-sharing switch fabrics that double switch performance by activating concurrently, unlike the “hot stand-by” approach where the second fabric sits idle
• Simple cross-bar fabric design for performance and MTBF reliability higher than that typical of other switches
• Choice of Ethernet transceivers (XFP and XENPAK, as well as SFP) that increase backbone link options and can decrease cabling and transceiver costs
• 3Com 8800 Service Package that combines implementation services, a year of high-availability on-site support, and multiple days of post-installation consultation; also offered are a Network Health Check and training on troubleshooting and architectures.

For more pervasive 10 Gbps connectivity, the 3Com Switch 8800 is complemented by 3Com switches with 10-Gigabit Ethernet uplinks: the modular 3Com Switch 7700 for the smaller LAN core, or aggregation of servers or workgroup switches, and the 3Com SuperStack® Switch 3870 for Gigabit to the desktop.