IBM is integrating the Force10 TeraScale E-Series^® family of switch/routers and the S-Series family of data center switches into its System Cluster 1350 to deliver the 10 Gigabit Ethernet density and scalability computing clients require for high performance workloads. The recently upgraded Cluster 1350 combines the industry leading Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet densities of the TeraScale E-Series and S-Series and IBM’s extensive experience with clustered UNIX and LINUX computers in an integrated solution that enables clients to minimize complexity, deployment times and return on investment.

“Our clients value the performance and single point-of-control the Cluster 1350 solution delivers, and the addition of 10 Gigabit Ethernet servers and interconnectivity provides the throughput that will allow them to handle growing workloads,” said Wendy McGee, product director of cluster solutions at IBM.

See http://www.force10networks.com/news/pressreleases/2006/pr-2006-11-29.asp for full story.

Force10 Networks has been awarded two patents for its advanced 100 Gigabit Ethernet-ready backplane. The unique, patent-protected backplane of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series family of switch/routers has been tested up to five Terabits per second, delivering 330 Gigabits per second (Gbps) to each slot. Force10 now holds 15 patents with 45 patents pending.

“There is a clear need in the industry for 100 Gigabit Ethernet, and to accommodate that transition, a backplane that can signal traffic without compromising performance is essential,” said Joel Goergen, chief scientist and vice president of technology at Force10 Networks. “We leveraged advanced electrical techniques and threw out traditional designs to build a backplane for the TeraScale E-Series that could seamlessly transition from 10 Gigabit to 100 Gigabit Ethernet in a single chassis, eliminating the need for a forklift upgrade and protecting our customers’ investment.”

See http://www.force10networks.com/news/pressreleases/2006/pr-2006-10-02.asp for full story.

“Our sustained throughput of 84 Gbps grew roughly 30 percent in the last three months, and we need a network infrastructure that can keep up with that growth while allowing us to scale our 10 Gig services to meet customer demand,” said Harald Summa, CEO of DE-CIX. “By replacing our existing infrastructure with the Force10 E-Series, we know we have a resilient network that can take us through the transition to 100 Gigabit Ethernet without impacting our customers.”

See http://www.force10networks.com/news/pressreleases/2006/pr-2006-10-24.asp for details.

Pandora Media is increasing the scalability of its online music service with a high performance network anchored by the Force10 TeraScale E-Series family of switch/routers and the S-Series family of access switches. As an end-to-end solution for Pandora’s high performance network, the TeraScale E600 and S50 provide a seamlessly scalable foundation that can support growth well into the future without compromising performance.

“The traffic on our network has grown rather quickly, and it’s extremely important to be able to ensure a quality listening experience,” said Tom Conrad, CTO at Pandora. “The Force10 solution will allow us to efficiently and reliably deliver our service while supporting the further growth of our listener base.”

See http://www.force10networks.com/news/pressreleases/2006/pr-2006-10-16.asp for details.

NHN, Korea’s largest Internet company and the leading gaming site in Asia, is increasing the performance and scalability of its network with the Force10 TeraScale E-Series family of switch/routers. The high density and resiliency of the TeraScale E-Series delivers the flexibility NHN requires to build its high performance network and ensure seamless scalability for future growth.

“The traffic on our network is growing rapidly, and at times, unpredictably, so we needed an infrastructure that could scale without compromising the performance of our services,” said Domin Paik, manager of the system infrastructure lab at NHN. “With the Force10 E-Series, we have built an infrastructure that provides us with the flexibility to scale our search, online gaming and other portal services as demand necessitates.”

See http://www.force10networks.com/news/pressreleases/2006/pr-2006-10-30.asp for full story.

As Ethernet switch/routers continue to scale in terms of link speed and port density, device resiliency is becoming an indispensable system attribute. For example, high degrees of traffic aggregation mean that even short periods of interrupted operation can disrupt a large number of traffic flows and user/subscribers, potentially violating numerous SLAs.

The best approach to maximizing the reliability/resiliency and stability of switch/routers involves the application of three basic principles:

• Elimination of single points of failure in as many system components as possible, including both hardware and software
• Ensuring that any failures that do occur are constrained to effect only one system component or subsystem
• Ensuring that when a subsystem fails, becomes compromised, or needs updating, the recovery can be accomplished quickly without disrupting the continued operation of the overall system

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