Extreme adds IP networking, QOS to switches
New networking hardware from Extreme Networks Inc. is one of the first Layer 3 switches to combine high-performance IP networking with load balancing and QOS.
The Summit7i switch, unveiled last week at NetWorld+Interop here, is targeted at Internet applications where space for equipment comes at a premium.
The 7-inch rack-mountable switch consolidates server load balancing that Extreme licensed from F5 Networks Inc., traffic management through policy-based quality of service, virtual LAN aggregation and high-performance Access Control List functions. The 32-port Gigabit Ethernet switch can forward up to 48 million packets per second.
The Summit7i switch's consolidated functions are delivered in an Integration Colocation Services software suite, which takes advantage of hooks in new Extreme ASICs to provide better performance for those services. The suite also supports trunking of multiple connections for aggregating as many as eight ports for high-speed switch-to- server or switch-to-switch connections, said officials at Extreme, in Santa Clara, Calif.
The ability to combine multiple functions in the same small chassis could ultimately translate into better services at the same cost for smaller customers or less mission-critical applications, according to Extreme customer Tim Carmody.
"Half of our content providers are big guys, half are smaller. For them, if they can go in with a smaller cost and footprint, they can get a lot more resilient networks than they have today," said Carmody, director of engineering at Ixnet Inc., in New York.
The $19,000 Summit7 is due in mid- November.
Extreme can be reached at (888) 257-3000 or www.extremenetworks.com.