ProCurve Unveils Data Center Switches

ProCurve Networking by HP became the latest in a line of major networking vendors to flip the script and offer up data center solutions. With the addition of the 6600 Switch Series, ProCurve joins Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks and other networking stalwarts that have broadened their scope and target the data center to tell a full end-to-end solutions story.





Here's a look at ProCurve's new 6600 Switch Series and its new management software, along with a peek at its new ProCurve ONE Services zl Module, a new blade that integrates applications like voice, video and security into the network infrastructure.





Shown here is the new ProCurve 24G-4XG data center switch.

The ProCurve 6600 Switch Series, ProCurve's first dedicated data center solutions, comprises five high-density top-of-rack Gigabit and 10 Gigabit server edge switches, optimized for the data center, and offering simplified management and maintenance through consistent firmware across ProCurve's 5400, 8200 and now the 6600 series of switches.







Shown here is the ProCurve 6600-24G-4XG, which offers 24 Gigabit ports and four 10 Gigabit ports to provide 101 Gbps of fabric capacity and 74 Mpps of throughput. A 48-port model, the ProCurve 6600-48G-4XG, is also available. The 24G-4XG lists for $8,499 and the 48G-4XG lists for $12,499.

Each switch in the 6600 series is based on the fourth generation of ProCurve's ProVision ASIC network chipset, driving the functionality. The series offers five high-density Gigabit and 10 Gigabit 1U switches that offer front-to-back reversible airflow, power-efficient hardware and software features and redundant power.





Shown here is the 6600-24G, which offers 24 GigE ports with 48 Gbps of fabric capacity and 36 Mpps of throughput. A 48-port model is also available in the 6600-48G. The 24G lists for $4,699, while the 48G lists for $8,499.

The 6600 series of data center switches also includes a full, 10 Gigabit Ethernet option in the 6600-24XG, shown here. The 24XG runs for $17,999 and offers 24 ports of 10 GigE with 336 Gbps of fabric capacity and 214 Mpps of throughput.







All of the 6600 series switches offer two internal power supplies and include one hot-swappable power supply.

As part of its data center rollout, ProCurve also unveiled the ProCurve Data Center Connection Manager (shown here), a software solution that offers automated policy-based provisioning of network and server resources. The ProCurve Data Center Connection Manager formalizes common data center workflow activities without organization disruption; eases compliance and troubleshooting in a virtualized, complex environment; and works with multivendor server and network environments. The management software is designed to bridge the server and network administration teams.





The Data Center Connection Manager software lists for $27,100.

And illustrating that sometimes it's wiser to not go it alone, ProCurve also unveiled a new network ecosystem fueled by contributions from application partners. The ecosystem brings applications together with the infrastructure. The HP ProCurve Open Network Ecosystem (ONE) is a multivendor alliance program optimizing performance of enterprise-class applications with ProCurve's infrastructure.



The alliance brings together applications like IP telephony solutions from Avaya; network access control from Microsoft; network access protection and load balancing from F5; WAN optimization from Riverbed; and intrusion prevention and detection from McAfee.

The platform lets users integrate best-in-class network applications and services from alliance partners. The applications are tested and certified to ensure interoperability with ProCurve's new ONE Services zl Module (shown here), an HP blade for the ProCurve Switch 5400zl and 8200zl series that consolidates partner applications onto one common platform, eliminating redundant operational cost and streamlining rack space.



Other alliance members include Aastra for video, voice and messaging convergence; AirTight Networks for wireless security and compliance; Ekahau for location-based services; InMon for traffic monitoring and analysis; .vantronix for integrated firewall security; and VBrick for Windows Media video applications. Each provides applications for the ONE Services zl Module.



The ProCurve ONE Services zl Module lists for $5,995.