Foundry Networks Announces Next Generation, 10GbE Enterprise Switch

Foundry Networks introduced its BigIron MG8 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) switch, one of the first in a series of 10-Gigabit Ethernet products powered by its fourth generation Terathon ASIC chipset. The BigIron MG8 is a high performance Layer 3 backbone switch optimized for high-density Gigabit Ethernet and 10GbE deployments, including enterprise backbones, converged campus networks, supercomputing clusters, grid computing and storage networks. The platform offers 1.28 Tbps of total non-blocking switching capacity and wire-speed forwarding in all thirty-two (32) 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports for a total of up to 480 million packets per second of Layer 2/3 switching performance per system. It also features a 40-Gigabit capacity per slot, allowing for higher density modules and a path to 40 Gigabit connections in the future. Three BigIron MG8 systems fit in a standard seven-foot rack, for up to 96 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports. Foundry’s Terathon ASICs includes an implementation of RFC 3176 to enable wire-speed traffic monitoring on every port. Pricing is as follows: AC system $54,995; management module $14,995; 4-port 10GbE modules $64,995; Long Reach (LR or 10 km) XENPAK optic $4,995; Extended Reach (ER or 50km) XENPAK optic $11,995.
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