Upgrade to ethernet switch helps tackle heat and vibration
Abaco Systems has upgraded its NETernity SWE540A 6U OpenVPX VPX 40 Gigabit ethernet switch with a conduction-cooled variant, enabling the high ethernet speeds to be deployed in a broader range of environments, in particular those most susceptible to extremes of heat and vibration.
Customers can now standardise on a single switch, choosing the most appropriate ruggedisation level according to the planned deployment.
The SWE540A offers the opportunity to create complete, 40 Gigabit-capable systems featuring Abaco’s SBC627 6U VPX single board computer and DSP282A multiprocessor. The company states that the new version of the SWE540A also provides a straightforward upgrade opportunity for existing users of Abaco’s conduction-cooled GBX460 10 Gigabit ethernet switch, simplifying the transition from 10 Gigabit ethernet to 40 Gigabit ethernet.
Advanced features and capability offered by the SWE540A include data centre bridging to accommodate data-intensive applications. SWE540A connectivity includes four QSFP+ (40GBASE-SR4/LR4) ports and two 1000BaseT ports to the front panel, and 40GBASE-KR4/10GBASE-KX4 with up to 39 rear I/O ports for data plane and control plane to the rear panel.
The rugged SWE540A supports full Layer 2/3 features, including hardware Layer 3 forwarding at fabric speed rates. Layer 3 switching and routing is a critical requirement for advanced security and complex networks. It provides dynamic routing over standard routing protocols, enabling a flexible range of network/fabric configurations and applications.
The switch features Abaco’s OpenWare switch management software, allowing it to be customised. OpenWare provides support for a range of network protocols and management information bases with extensive capabilities for multicast, quality of service, VLANs, and differentiated services. The OpenWare management interface may be accessed via serial console, SNMP, Telnet, SSH or web interface.
The combination of the SWE540A’s hardware and the OpenWare switch management software delivers comprehensive security capabilities. Designed for deployment in security-sensitive mission critical applications, SWE540A features include denial of service attack prevention, user password mechanisms with multiple levels of security and military level authorisation schemes, including 802.1X and sanitization to allow the overwrite of non-volatile storage if a system is compromised.
Survivability is also enhanced by ECC protection on the management processor memory, which offers higher reliability in harsh environments.
