Industry's Lowest Latency Scores Go to Force10 Networks' 10 GbE Switch Based on Independent Benchmarking Study

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Force10 Networks, Inc., a global technology leader, today announced that its S-Series™ S4810 top-of-rack (ToR) access switch demonstrated as much as 5% to 70% lower latency than comparable switches in a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) configuration based on a network performance and power test. The test was conducted by independent analyst and publisher Nick Lippis of The Lippis Report and Ixia, a leader in converged IP network test solutions.

The tests on the S4810 and competitive switches were for RFC-based latency, performance and power consumption measurements in Layer 2 and Layer 3 configurations. Comparable switches participating in the test, which took place at Ixia's iSimCity lab in Santa Clara, California, were from Hitachi, IBM/Blade Technologies and Voltaire. Click here to view the Lippis Report test results.

Lippis and Ixia staged the comparative 10 GbE switch performance and power test to assist IT business leaders in purchase decisions and product differentiation.

"This test was the first of its kind to provide network stakeholders with real-world data that compares and contrasts different 10 GbE equipment manufacturer products for data center fabrics," said Jim Smith, vice president of marketing, Ixia. "Using testing to establish benchmarks and validate that vendors such as Force10 are meeting and exceeding specifications greatly enhances IT architects' ability to make critical purchasing decisions."

"Latency is fundamental to assuring a user's excellent experience. With east-west traffic flows making up as much as 80% of data center traffic, low latency requirements are paramount as every trip a packet makes between servers when responding to an end user's query adds delay to the response and reduces the user experience or revenue potential," said Lippis. "Our rigorous testing showed that Force10 has indeed placed great emphasis on minimizing latency as well as power/cooling costs in the construct of its architecture."  

Low Latency, High Performance a Must for Demanding Transactional Environments

In high-frequency trading (HFT), high-performance computing (HPC), and similar performance-sensitive environments, ultra-low-latency 10 GbE switching functionality, high performance and Layer 3 feature richness are critical to handling the huge volumes of bursty network traffic that represents millions of transactions each day.

The S4810 10/40 GbE ToR switch is purpose-built for applications in data center and computing environments that require the highest bandwidth and lowest latency. Leveraging a non-blocking, cut-through switching architecture, the S4810 delivers line-rate Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding capacity with ultra low latency to maximize network performance. The compact S4810 design provides 48 dual-speed 1/10 GbE ports as well as four 40 GbE uplinks to conserve valuable rack space.

"As a cornerstone of the Force10 heritage, we are excited about bringing cutting-edge products to market," said Arpit Joshipura, chief marketing officer, Force10 Networks. "Having a ToR switch with 40 GbE interfaces and Layer 2 and Layer 3 software-rich features demonstrate our commitment to provide market-ready solutions for the industry's next-generation needs."

The Force10 S4810 ToR access switch starts at $25,000 and is available today. For more information, including product data sheets, specifications and images, visit http://www.force10networks.com/products/.

About Force10 Networks

Force10 Networks is a global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business. The company's high performance solutions are designed to deliver new economics by virtualizing and automating Ethernet networks. Force10's high density and resilient Ethernet switching and routing products increase network availability, agility and efficiency while reducing power and cooling costs. Force10 provides 24x7 service and support capabilities to its global customer base in more than 60 countries worldwide. For more information on Force10 Networks, please visit www.force10networks.com.

Force10 Networks, the Force10 Networks logo, Force10, E-Series, Traverse, and TraverseEdge are registered trademarks and ExaScale, S-Series, TeraScale, FTOS, Open Automation, JumpStart, SwitchLink, SmartScripts, and HyperLink, are trademarks of Force10 Networks, Inc. All other company names are trademarks of their respective holders.

SOURCE Force10 Networks, Inc.