10Gig slugfest

The astonishing throughput of 10GbE (10 Gigabit Ethernet) can solve many problems in your enterprise. You can use the same 10GbE switch (but with different optics) for local datacenter use or for metropolitan-area distances. If you have the fiber available, then real-time off-site backup becomes feasible. Likewise, if you’re simply running out of backbone capacity, 10GbE can provide the bandwidth you need — and then some.

But as we discovered in our recent tests, there’s more to 10GbE than jaw-dropping bandwidth. In fact, because 10GbE switches provide so much switching capacity, performance differences among switches become relatively unimportant. Considerations such as management software, traffic management capabilities, and distance capabilities could play as big a role as raw performance in your buying decision.

Today, 10 Gigabit Ethernet has arrived and is available from several manufacturers, two of which bravely accepted InfoWorld’s test invitation. In general, we found the technology works well. We also found that there’s more than one way to build a 10GbE switch. We looked at two core switches from two manufacturers that take different approaches to delivering 10Gig, and we found both to be significantly useful to enterprise networks, but in different ways.

Foundry Networks, long a powerhouse in enterprise networking, provided us with its workhorse FastIron 800, equipped to handle the extra capacity afforded by 10Gig. In the FastIron solution, the company combines a new throughput engine with a mature switch chassis and excellent management software.

Startup Force10 Networks brought a new platform designed specifically for 10Gig. Because of its fresh design, Force10’s E600 provides unquestioned leadership in overall throughput, with the capability of moving data at a full 10Gbps per port. But in other areas, such as manageability, we encountered rough edges.

Our experience with the Force10 and Foundry switches showed us that 10Gig really works in enterprise scenarios. But it will pay to look closely at what you need a switch to do. For example, Force10’s E600 (left) seems best-suited to service providers, given its power requirements, availability of DC operation, and emphasis on raw performance. Foundry’s FastIron 800 (right) doesn’t keep pace with Force10’s wire-speed throughput, but its greater management capabilities clearly meet enterprise needs. However, to be really useful, the FastIron requires an all-Foundry network.

Putting 10Gig to the Test

We assembled two simulated enterprise networks at the University of Hawaii’s Advanced Network Computing Laboratory (ANCL) on the university’s Manoa campus. This lab is designed for research and testing of enterprise products, and it provides the infrastructure required to operate a complete enterprise in the lab.