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Force10 Releases New Data Center Switches, but is It Enough to Remain Relevant?
| Apr 28, 2011 | Enterprise Networking
| Analyst: Mike Spanbauer
Event Summary
April 26, 2011 - Force10 announced new switches and the Open Cloud Networking initiative, enabling customers to use standards-based networking for scale and efficiency. S7000 top of rack (ToR) switches embed compute engines within the switch, and the Z9000 family includes two members: a two RU device configurable as 32 line rate 40G ports and a modular chassis, capable of supporting 480 line rate 10G ports, 96 line rate 40G ports and in the future, 48 line rate 100Gb ports.
Quick Take
Analytical Summary
• Current Perspective: Positive on Force10’s announcement as there is a clear message that balances both new cloud environments and the overlooked “traditional” data center. With cloud messaging and a fully virtualized world consuming so much network marketing these days, it’s refreshing to see a vendor articulate and go to market with traditional network needs.
• Vendor Importance: Very high, as it is critical that Force10 gains traction in the fast moving modern data center. The previous Terra scale series had been falling behind competitor announcements and offerings and market share had been suffering as a result. After the merger with Turin Networks, Force10 has been struggling to regain the visibility and market recognition that it had once enjoyed and this product launch is potentially sensational enough to gain that attention back. Force10 needs to capitalize on the attention, though, and convert it into sales in order to achieve a sustainable growth model. After six rounds of venture funding, it’s unclear how long Force10 can remain viable.
• Market Impact: Moderate as Force10 may be the first vendor to announce dense, line rate 40G and 100G Ethernet capabilities on a data center platform today. However, with diminishing market impact and lacking a complete ecosystem story, opting instead for a standards-based message and industry consortiums, Force10 will be competing with industry heavyweights, which are incumbent in some of the very data centers Force10 hopes to enter.
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Force10 Unlocks the Full Potential of the Data Center with Open Cloud Networking Framework
Maximum Choice with Uncompromised Price/Performance Underpin New Vision for Cloud and Conventional Data Centers
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 26, 2011 – Force10 Networks, Inc., the leader in high-performance data center networking, today announced its Open Cloud NetworkingSM (OCN) framework, a new vision for cloud and conventional data centers that is built on open architectures, open automation, and open ecosystems. The OCN framework represents a new way to build, scale and manage data centers powered by a new family of centralized and distributed core switches, a top of rack (ToR) open cloud switch and automation software that deliver powerful new capabilities for the next generation of data centers.
Data centers have evolved down many paths, and data center owners and operators need a choice in architecture solutions that doesn’t compromise price and performance. Force10 recognizes that one size does not fit all when it comes to data centers, and the OCN framework delivers solutions for cloud, conventional, virtualized, and non-virtualized data centers. To support the OCN vision, Force10’s new products deliver new levels of port density and performance, a new level of flexibility that gives data center architects a choice in how core and ToR layers are built, and an automated framework that ensures cost-effective deployment and management with lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
"It is good for the market to see Force10 take the open, standards-based architectural approach in their OCN vision. With the OCN option, users have the chance to reduce capex costs by selecting best-of-breed storage, application, orchestration, networking, and computing solutions," said Michael Howard, principal analyst and co-founder of Infonetics Research.
The OCN architecture will continue to evolve over time, but today’s announcement introduces three key elements:
• Open Architecture – OCN enables standards-based open architectures that are interoperable with competitors offering customers a choice in how they build their core and top-of-rack elements in the data center. New building blocks for these open architectures include:
o The new Z9000™ distributed core switch, which enables highly scalable, leaf-and-spine data center architectures, is one of the smallest and least expensive core switches ever offered. Designed in a two RU form factor, it delivers 2.5 Tb of switching capacity in 1/10 the space and with 1/20 the power consumption at 1/5 the price of competing products.
o The new Z9512™ is a centralized, chassis-based switch that delivers 9.6 Tb of switching capacity in half a rack. (See Force10 Networks Announces New Z-Series ZettaScale Open Core Networking Infrastructure for Cloud and Conventional Data Centers, also released today.)
o The S7000™ Open Cloud Switch is a next-generation ToR device that incorporates 3-in-1 ToR convergence of switching, storage, and application processing capabilities. With the ability to run third-party applications directly on the switch, the S7000 delivers a new level of convergence and flexibility at the top of rack. (See Force10 Networks Announces Next-Generation Top-of-Rack Open Cloud Switch; S7000 Combines 3-in-1 Convergence of Switching, SAN, and Application Processing, also released today.)
o New FTOS advanced software features including TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links), DCB (Data Center Bridging), EVB (Ethernet Virtual Bridging), and VEPA (Virtual Ethernet Port Aggregation).
• Open Automation 2.0 – Continuing its leadership in automating switch configuration and management, Force10 is expanding its Open Automation to deliver greater automation capabilities throughout the product line. In the third quarter of 2011, Force10 will open the ScriptStoreSM, an online resource and forums that will allow users to purchase automation scripts and share techniques for automating Force10 products. In addition, Force10 has enhanced the Open Automation Framework with port profile support, EVB/VEPA, and HyperLinks™. (See Force10 Networks Introduces Open Automation 2.0 as Part of Open Cloud Networking Initiative, also released today.)
• Open Ecosystems – Force10 has built a strong ecosystem with industry and technology leaders in the compute, storage, applications and orchestration domains to ensure standards-based interoperability for its OCN solutions.
"With traffic patterns now dominated with east-west plus north-south flows and latency plus scale being of primary concern, data center architects are now focused on a new two-tier cloud network that's open, virtualization aware, reliable and flexible," said Nick Lippis, editor and publisher of The Lippis Report. "The Force10 Open Cloud Networking framework, along with its new products and technology – the new ZettaScale™ switches and the new S7000™ cloud switch – address these concerns, offering architects design options and choices previously unavailable."
"Data center operators have multiple sets of needs that don’t fall neatly into a one-size-fits-all package," said Arpit Joshipura, chief marketing officer at Force10 Networks. "The Open Cloud Networking vision provides a range of standards-based products that enable customers to customize their data center implementations for any need without compromising price or performance."
Source: Force10
