Cisco boosts metro switches to 10G bps Ethernet
Cisco Systems Inc. Wednesday announced an upgrade of its Catalyst switching portfolio to include 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplink and extensive power over Ethernet (POE) capabilities.
The full Class 3 15.4 watt power delivery capability through each port on the device is "an industry first," Cisco said. POE is a way of powering certain network devices, such as IP (Internet Protocol) phones, through the switch connection rather than plugging them into a nearby mains outlet.
The POE capability is backed by Cisco’s Redundant Power Systems as a recommended network product option. The 10 Gigabit Ethernet capability can be accessed by replacing the twin Gigabit Ethernet uplink module with a 10 Gigabit TwinGig Converter module to meet changed network service provision needs.
A showcase installation of the new solutions would be at Duke University in the U.S., where it would serve a 27,000 node academic network, Cisco said.
The new, higher-capacity Cisco 3750-E switches with 10 Gigabit upgrade capability will be deployed to gradually replace or complement some 1,000 Catalyst 3750 series switches already running the university's student, faculty and administrative networks.
A similar upgrade to an academic network was being considered by University College in London and several other institutions in Europe, Cisco officials said. Duke University and other users would most likely use the 10 Gigabit capabilities to deploy video-based applications and services, they said.
Cisco has stressed its support for video and live-image applications. The company is aiming to deliver any video format to any device anywhere on any network built with its infrastructure solutions, said Marthin DeBeer, head of Cisco's Emerging Technologies Unit, at the company's Networkers conference in Cannes, France.
In a dramatic example of Cisco's recent TelePresence service, De Beer told conference attendees that his assistant at his San Jose office greeted visitors from a large, high-definition flat video screen while physically present in Dallas -- where the employee had moved.
Cisco also announced a showcase installation of its Catalyst 3560 and Catalyst 2960 Compact Switches (for deployment outside wiring closets) on a cruise liner being built in Germany for Aida Cruises. The cruise line, affiliated with Germany’s Lufthansa AG airline, will install a complete telecommunications and multimedia system based on Cisco infrastructure in all passenger cabins and for crew use on the Aida Diva, a vessel to be delivered later this spring.
The services on the Aida Diva would be managed centrally by Lufthansa, regardless of where the ship was cruising, using Cisco's remote network management solutions, said Joerg Liebe, director of voice integration products at Lufthansa Systems. The Aida Diva is the first of four vessels Aida Cruises has on order that will be built with state-of-the art multimedia networks installed by Cisco.
» posted by abennett
IDG News Service
Symantec Backup Exec 12 and Backup Exec System Recovery 8 deliver industry leading Windows data protection and system recovery. Download this whitepaper to find out the top reasons to upgrade and how to get continuous data protection and complete system recovery.
Data and system loss — from a hard drive failure, malicious attack, natural disaster, or simple human error — can happen anytime. Don’t leave your business vulnerable. Make sure you have a secure recovery strategy in place. Symantec's latest backup and system recovery technology can efficiently restore critical applications, individual emails and documents and even restore your entire system in minutes in the event of a loss.
Businesses face a growing challenge to ensure that the IT environment is properly protected. Backup Exec 12 integrates with other applications in the Symantec family of products, to complement your current data protection strategy, keep your data securely backed up and make it recoverable when you need it most.
