Edgecore Network's AS9716-32D open networking switch is one of the world's fastest bare-metal data center switches available today. Our Senior Technical Engineer Barry McGinley reviews the 400G spine switch, optimised for high-performance, at our Dublin warehouse, giving a quick rundown of the specs this switch provides.
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400G Switch Features at a glance
Edgecore's 400G AS9716-32D is a cost-effective, open networking spine switch for high-performance data centers. The AS9716-32D can be deployed as a spine switch supporting 100/400G spine interconnects, providing line-rate L2 and L3 switching across the 32x QSFP56-DD ports, each supporting 1 x 400 GbE or 1 x 100 GbE, or via breakout cables 4 x 100 GbE or 4 x 25 GbE. The bare metal switch incorporates Broadcom Tomahawk III switch series silicon for non-blocking line rate performance and comes in a 1 RU form factor. It has 5x hot-swappable fans plus 1x redundant fan and 2x PSUs, and supports hot/cold aisles with front-to-back and back-to-front airflow SKUs.
The open networking switch is pre-loaded with diagnostics software and ONIE (Open Network Install Environment), which supports the installation of compatible Network Operating System software, including the open source options Open Network Linux, SONiC, plus commercial NOS offerings.
What is 400G?
The term 400G refers to the maximum speed of data transfer, or bandwidth. "G" stands for Gbps, or gigabits per second. 400G enables a new level of scale, providing 4x higher bandwidth per RU than 100G, representing a four-fold increase in maximum data transfer speed. In addition to being faster than 100G, 400G also has more lanes, allowing for more throughput which means the amount of data that can be processed at one time is increased. As this higher bandwidth is delivered in less physical space (1 RU form factor), it allows for the transmission of more bits at a lower overall power.
Who is adopting 400G?
400G solutions are ideal for high-volume telco providers, data centers, and enterprises struggling with unrelenting traffic growth. In-keeping with tradition, hyperscale data center operators were the first to adopt and deploy 400G solutions, but as the barriers to entry have been lowered, progressive operators facing similar high-traffic demands are beginning to implement 400G.
What is driving 400G adoption?
100G standards were adopted only in recent years, with network infrastructure in Service Providers and data centers still undergoing upgrades, so why do we need 400G now? The reason one might have for leapfrogging 100G has to do with the continued boom in traffic, and exponential demand for high-bandwidth, scalable solutions due to the massive growth in cloud computing, AI, and 5G. You don't need to look far from home to notice that remote working, learning, online shopping and ultra-high-definition (4K) video streaming is at an all-time high due to the pandemic. 400G solutions will help will address these massive bandwidth demands being placed on network infrastructure providers.
What 400G solutions does EPS Global offer?
You can find more information about our 400G solutions here - 400G Switch, MiniPack, 400G Transceivers. Set up a free consultation with our Senior Technical Engineer now to discuss future-proofing your network.