HP debuts switches, management software

Hewlett-Packard Co. this week released two wiring closet switches that let users uplink with 10G Ethernet via fiber or copper links.

The ProCurve 3400 series switches are fixed-configuration boxes with 10/100/1000Mbps ports for connecting network devices, and two slots for single- or multi-mode fiber or CX-4 copper 10G Ethernet uplinks. The boxes could help businesses that need to connect large numbers of fast computers to a LAN, or aggregate Gigabit links from multiple switches with 10 Gigabit uplinks.

The ProCurve 3400cl 24Gb is a 24-port, 10/100/1000Mbps switch with four auxiliary ports for Gigabit copper or fiber in the front, and slots in the back for 10G uplink modules. The 3400cl 48Gb has the same uplinks and four fiber/copper auxiliary Gigabit ports, but it includes 48 triple-speed ports on the front.

“This bodes well for the 10-Gigabit market,” says Max Filisi, an analyst with IDC. He says HP’s push into 10G with lower-priced products should help drive adoption of the technology, while pressuring competitors to also cut prices. “We’re seeing more and more vendors getting into [10G Ethernet], and it’s a testament to the fact that there is demand for the technology and potential for growth.”

The slots in the back of both boxes can be fitted with several types of 10-Gigabit or Gigabit uplinks. Single-mode and multi-mode 10G ports are supported, as is the recently approved 803.3ak standard for 10G Ethernet over copper. This technology uses a CX-4 copper Infiniband cable to link switches over short distances (50 feet). HP also is announcing a copper-to-optical module for the switches, which will let 803.3ak ports be connected to a special fiber-optic cable, which can extend 10G reach up to 300 feet (about as far as Gigabit Ethernet over copper can go). However, this technology won’t be available until spring 2005.

HP says the CX-4-based 10G ports are good for stacking 3400s together, or for linking back to a core switch with copper 10 Gigabit connections. HP says it will have an 802.3ak blade for its core 9300 series switch in 2005; Cisco has a two-port 803.2ak-compliant blade for the Catalyst 6500.

Besides fast port speeds and diverse uplinks, HP says its switches also offer advanced routing and traffic control features, which other vendors charge extra for on competing products. HP says the 3400s come with full Layer 3 routing, and support for Routing Information Protocol and Open Shortest Path First protocols, as a standard feature. The switches also support Layer 2, 3 and 4 QoS technologies, such as virtual LAN and traffic tagging, Resource Reservation Protocol and Differentiated Services.

Price is another differentiator HP is touting. The two-port 10 Gigabit module starts at about $2,700 with the optics starting at $4,000 for a total of about $3,350 per 10 Gigabit port. This is about 45 percent to 60 percent less than 10G-capable wiring closet switches from Foundry Networks Inc. and Extreme Networks Inc., which also charge extra for full Layer 3 capabilities.

Pricing for the 3400 series products:

— 24-port 3400cl-24Gb, $3,760.

— 48-port 3400cl-48Gb, $6,900.

— Dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet Media Flex Module, $2,700 and available in December.

— 10GBase-CX-4 copper modules, $1,700 and available in December.

— 10GBase-LR single-mode-fiber module, $4,000 and available in December.

An additional multi-mode 10G module, and a long-range (25-mile) single-mode-fiber module will be available in the second quarter of 2005, with pricing to be determined. The CX-4 Optical Media converter also will be available in spring 2005.