Dell PowerConnect
Encyclopedia
PowerConnect is a Dell
series of network switch
es. The PowerConnect "classic" switches are based on Broadcom
or Marvell Technology Group
fabric and firmware. Dell also offers the PowerConnect J-series which are Juniper Networks
switches and the PowerConnect B-series which are Dell-branded Brocade
switches. Dell acquired Force10
Networks in 2011 to expand its data center
switch products.
Dell also offers the PowerConnect M-series which are switches for the M1000e blade-server enclosure and the PowerConnect W-series which is a Wi-Fi
platform based on Aruba Networks
switches.
ing. They connect computers and servers in small to medium-sized networks using Ethernet
. The brand name was first announced in July 2001, as traditional personal computer
sales were declining.
By September 2002 Cisco Systems
cancelled a reseller agreement with Dell.
Previously under storage business general manager Darren Thomas, in September 2010 Dario Zamarian was named to head networking platforms within Dell.
PowerConnect switches are available in pre-configured unmanaged models as well as more expensive managed models.
switches, with 16 and 24 ports each, respectively. They were discontinued.
The PowerConnect 2324 was similar to 2224, but includes 2 Gigabit
Ethernet
ports for uplink
or server
purposes.
workgroup switches with all ports at 10/100/1000.
The 2624 model features an SFP port for fiber uplinks.
.
on all 10/100 ports (PowerConnect 3448P requires EPS-470 for full 15.4W on all ports simultaneously). The switches are stackable using the copper Gigabit ports. They were discontinued.
The PowerConnect 5324 was a 24 port, all-Gigabit, fully managed switch. The last 4 ports are SFP capable. Generally very similar to the 3400 series. It was discontinued.
.
5400 series switches have 24 or 48 ports, all-Gigabit, and are fully managed. They are marketed for data centers or as edge-switches in wiring closets connecting office-workplaces to the LAN including their VoIP phone via Power over Ethernet
(PoE).
The last 4 ports on the switch are combo-ports: either you use the standard copper-ports or you use the SFP slots for 1Gbit/s SFPs. The front of the switch has 24/48 RJ-45 copper-interfaces and 4 open SFP slots.
The -P models support PoE) on all Gigabit Ethernet ports, but an external additional power supply is used to connect over 24 PoE devices on the 5448-P switch.
The 5400 series switches support:
connectors and two SFP+ slots for 10 Gigabit Ethernet links.
The -P models have Gigabit Ethernet ports that are PoE capable, but connecting more than 24 ports with PoE requires the MPS-600 external power-supply together with the built-in AC power-supply. Using the MPS-600 makes the power supply redundant (although you can only power up to 24 PoE devices when one of the two power-supplies fail.). For redundant power supply on the non-PoE devices you can use the RPS-series redundant power supply in combination with the built-in supply.
The 5500 series are stackable to combine several 5500-series switches into one virtual switch. The 5500 series uses standard HDMI cables (specification 1.3a category 2 or better) to stack with a total bandwidth of 40 Gbit/s per switch. All 5500 series models can be combined in a single stack.
The 5500 series switches are mainly designed to be pure layer 2 switches but it has some very basic layer 3 capabilities. Other standard features are enhanced VOIP support where the switch automatically recognizes connected VOIP devices and ocnfigure VOIP quality of service
and a VOIP-VLAN. This feature will only work optimal in small VOIP networks. There is also iSCSI
optimization and auto-configuration. The switch also supports IEEE 802.1X
(Dot1x) port-authetication.
The PowerConnect 6024F was a 24 port, layer 3, all-Gigabit, fiber-optimized switch. It had 24 SFP ports, eight of which doubled as copper ports. This switch was capable of routing
, with static routes, Routing Information Protocol
(RIP), and Open Shortest Path First
(OSPF). It was replaced by the PowerConnect 6224/6248 models
modules (with two ports per module) or stacking.
Many of the Dell PowerConnect offer 'combi' ports where the last 4 ports on the switch are either copper (UTP/RJ-45) or fibre (SFP) ports: for example the PC6224 offers 20 'copper only' interfaces while ports 21-24 can be found twice on the front of the switch: as standard UTP ports and also as SFP slots, but you can only use one of them: by default the UTP port is enabled but when you insert a SFP module in port 21-24 it switches over to fibre mode and the UTP link goes down. Any combo ports are always the highest 4 standard ports (21-24 on the PCxx24 models and 45-48 on PCxx48 models)
Features include 24/48 ports, Layer 3 routing, all-gigabit, fully managed (web+cli), stackable switch with up to 4 10Gb ports. High availability routing, edge connectivity, traffic aggregation and VOIP applications all supported in the 62xx series. Flexible, high-speed stacking, fiber support, and MS NSP Certification included.
The 6224 (P and F) and 6248P series switches are end of development: new firmware versions will only repair bugs, no new features are being developed for these switches. While other PowerConnect switches based on Broadcom
hardware have firmware versions 4.x, the 6200 series continue to run on version 3.x and features introduced in the 4.x firmware are not available for the 6200 series switches.(note: this does NOT apply to the PCM 6220 blade-switch)
. A variant with reversible air flow is available for top of rack data center applications. The 6000 series remained on the market.
on copper or optical fiber using enhanced small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP+) modules on the 8024F. On the 8024 the last 4 ports (21-24) are combo-ports with the option to use the 4 SFP+ slots to use fiber optic connections for longer-distance uplinks to core switches. On the 8024F the 4 combo ports offer 10GBASE-T copper-ports.
The 8024 can be used as pure Data Link Layer
/Layer2 switch or as Network Layer
/Layer3 switch.
These switches were introduced in early 2010, in the same single rack unit
(1U) size.
The 8024/8024F is marketed as a high-performance data center switch.
fabric for use in the blade server
enclosure M1000e
.
All M-series switches offer a combination of internal interfaces and external interfaces. The internal interfaces connect to the mezzanine card of the blade-servers in the M1000e enclosure. These internal interfaces can be one or 10 Gbit/s. The M6220 offers a total of 20 interfaces: 16 internal 1 Gbit/s interfaces and 4 external 1 Gbit/s ports. Optionally two extension-modules can be installed that offers 10 Gbit/s ethernet or stacking-interfaces to stack multiple M6220 switches together as one virtual switch.
The M6348 has 32 internal ports (2 per blade) and 16 external 1 Gbit/s ports. The M6348 can be stacked via CX4 modules and/or create 10 Gbit/s SFP+ uplinks.
The M8000 series offer 10Gb on all interfaces: the M8024-k has 16 internal 10Gb ports, 4 SFP+ slots and the option to install a FlexIO module that can offer 4 SFP+ ports, 3 CX-4 or 2 10GBaseT copper interfaces.
The M8024-k was announced in May 2011.
Also under the M-series name Dell offers the Brocade Communications Systems
M5424 Fibre Channel
switch and the M8424 Fibre Channel over Ethernet
switch.
Other switches and I/O modules for the M1000e blade-enclosure are the Cisco Systems
3032 and 3130 switches and several pass-through modules that bring the internal interfaces from the midplane to the exterior to connect these server-NIC's to external switches
, Juniper Networks
and Aruba Networks
respectively.
Due to the aquisition of Force10 te available PowerConnect-J series and PowerConnect B-series are reduced: only product lines for which there is NO alternative (yet) from Force10 are still available as OEM PowerConnect switch. Examples of still available products are the Juniper security products (SRX series)
and the Brocade FCoE
and pure Fibre Channel
switches.
The normal (datacenter)ethernet switches from Juniper and Brocade are being replaced by Dell Force10 models
``
The deal completed on August 26, 2011.
This led to speculation that relationships with other vendors such as Cisco and Brocade would change because they overlap the data center market.
In September 2011 Dell announced plans to expand the staff from Force10 in San Jose, California
and Chennai
, India
.
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
series of network switch
Network switch
A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
es. The PowerConnect "classic" switches are based on Broadcom
Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
or Marvell Technology Group
Marvell Technology Group
Marvell is an American producer of storage, communications and consumer semiconductor products.Founded in 1995, Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has operations worldwide and approximately 5,700 employees. Marvell’s U.S. operating subsidiary is based in Santa Clara, California and Marvell has...
fabric and firmware. Dell also offers the PowerConnect J-series which are Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks is an information technology and computer networking products multinational company, founded in 1996. It is head quartered in Sunnyvale, California, USA. The company designs and sells high-performance Internet Protocol network products and services...
switches and the PowerConnect B-series which are Dell-branded Brocade
Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. , based in Silicon Valley , is a vendor of storage area network hardware and software. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells networking products and management applications for local, metro, and wide area networks...
switches. Dell acquired Force10
Force10
Force10 Networks , is a United States company which develops and markets 10 Gigabit and 100 Gigabit Ethernet switches for computer networking to corporate, educational, and governmental customers. It has offices in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.In 2011 Dell announced that they...
Networks in 2011 to expand its data center
Data center
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
switch products.
Dell also offers the PowerConnect M-series which are switches for the M1000e blade-server enclosure and the PowerConnect W-series which is a Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
platform based on Aruba Networks
Aruba Networks
Aruba Networks, Inc. is a networking vendor selling enterprise wireless LAN and edge access networking equipment. The company has over 500 employees and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA...
switches.
Product line
The Dell PowerConnect line is marketed for business computer networkComputer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
ing. They connect computers and servers in small to medium-sized networks using Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
. The brand name was first announced in July 2001, as traditional personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
sales were declining.
By September 2002 Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
cancelled a reseller agreement with Dell.
Previously under storage business general manager Darren Thomas, in September 2010 Dario Zamarian was named to head networking platforms within Dell.
PowerConnect switches are available in pre-configured unmanaged models as well as more expensive managed models.
PowerConnect 2200 and 2300 series
Models 2216 and 2224 were unmanaged, 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet over twisted pairEthernet over twisted pair
Ethernet over twisted pair technologies use twisted-pair cables for the physical layer of an Ethernet computer network. Other Ethernet cable standards employ coaxial cable or optical fiber. Early versions developed in the 1980s included StarLAN followed by 10BASE-T. By the 1990s, fast, inexpensive...
switches, with 16 and 24 ports each, respectively. They were discontinued.
The PowerConnect 2324 was similar to 2224, but includes 2 Gigabit
Gigabit
The gigabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix giga is defined in the International System of Units as a multiplier of 109 , and therefore...
Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
ports for uplink
Uplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths such as those provided by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...
or server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
purposes.
PowerConnect 2600 series
The PowerConnect 2600 series included the 2608, 2616 and 2624. They are un-managed Gigabit EthernetGigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...
workgroup switches with all ports at 10/100/1000.
The 2624 model features an SFP port for fiber uplinks.
PowerConnect 2708, 2716, 2724, and 2748
Dual-mode unmanaged or Web managed all-Gigabit workgroup switches (10/100/1000). Eight, 16, 24, or 48 ports respectively. On the 2724, the last two ports may be used as normal twisted-pair ports or, with small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP) modules, for fiber-optic connectivity. The 2748 has 4 of these "combo" ports. Unlike the rest of the 2700 series, the 2708 does not support Jumbo Frames. Switches ship in a plug-n-play un-managed mode and can be managed via a graphical user interfaceGraphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
.
PowerConnect 3400 series
PowerConnect 3424, 3424P, 3448, and 3448P were fully managed 10/100 switches with gigabit uplinks. All have four Gigabit ports, two copper and two SFP modular, all of which may be used at once. The 3424 and 3424P have 24 10/100 ports, the 3448 and 3448P have 48. The 3424P and 3448P provide power over EthernetPower over Ethernet
Power over Ethernet or PoE technology describes a system to pass electrical power safely, along with data, on Ethernet cabling. The IEEE standard for PoE requires category 5 cable or higher for high power levels, but can operate with category 3 cable for low power levels...
on all 10/100 ports (PowerConnect 3448P requires EPS-470 for full 15.4W on all ports simultaneously). The switches are stackable using the copper Gigabit ports. They were discontinued.
PowerConnect 3500 series
PowerConnect 3524(P) and 3548(P) are managed 10/100 switches with gigabit uplinks and Power over Ethernet options for [applications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), denoted on the models denoted with a "P" on the end of the part number. All switches in this family support resilient stacking and have management and security capabilities.PowerConnect 5300 series
The PowerConnect 5316M was similar in software and function to other 53xx series switches but physically designed to fit one of the four IO bays in the 1855/1955 blade chassis. 16 ports, 10 of which are allocated to the 10 blade slots in the chassis, 6 are accessible via the back panel of the switch. It was discontinued.The PowerConnect 5324 was a 24 port, all-Gigabit, fully managed switch. The last 4 ports are SFP capable. Generally very similar to the 3400 series. It was discontinued.
PowerConnect 5400 series
The 5400 series switches are end of development and were replaced by the 5524 and 5548 switches. PowerConnect 5400 series are based on integrated circuits from Marvell Technology GroupMarvell Technology Group
Marvell is an American producer of storage, communications and consumer semiconductor products.Founded in 1995, Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has operations worldwide and approximately 5,700 employees. Marvell’s U.S. operating subsidiary is based in Santa Clara, California and Marvell has...
.
5400 series switches have 24 or 48 ports, all-Gigabit, and are fully managed. They are marketed for data centers or as edge-switches in wiring closets connecting office-workplaces to the LAN including their VoIP phone via Power over Ethernet
Power over Ethernet
Power over Ethernet or PoE technology describes a system to pass electrical power safely, along with data, on Ethernet cabling. The IEEE standard for PoE requires category 5 cable or higher for high power levels, but can operate with category 3 cable for low power levels...
(PoE).
The last 4 ports on the switch are combo-ports: either you use the standard copper-ports or you use the SFP slots for 1Gbit/s SFPs. The front of the switch has 24/48 RJ-45 copper-interfaces and 4 open SFP slots.
The -P models support PoE) on all Gigabit Ethernet ports, but an external additional power supply is used to connect over 24 PoE devices on the 5448-P switch.
The 5400 series switches support:
- VoIP optimization and auto-configuration
- iSCSI optimization and auto-configuration
- IEEE 802.1XIEEE 802.1XIEEE 802.1X is an IEEE Standard for port-based Network Access Control . It is part of the IEEE 802.1 group of networking protocols. It provides an authentication mechanism to devices wishing to attach to a LAN or WLAN....
(Dot1x) port-authentication - IEEE 802.1QIEEE 802.1QIEEE 802.1Q is the networking standard that supports Virtual LANs on an Ethernet network. The standard defines a system of VLAN tagging for Ethernet frames and the accompanying procedures to be used by bridges and switches in handling such frames...
(Dot1q) VLANs, trunking and -tagging.
PowerConnect 5500 series
PowerConnect 5500 series switches, the successor of the 5400 series, are based on Marvell technology. They offer 24 or 48 Gigabit Ethernet ports with (-P series) or without PoE. Where the 5400 series has 4 ports for SFP tranceivers on the front and the option to place 2 stacking or 10 Gigabit ports on the back, the 5500 series have these interfaces built in and on the front: there are two stacking ports with HDMIHDMI
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
connectors and two SFP+ slots for 10 Gigabit Ethernet links.
The -P models have Gigabit Ethernet ports that are PoE capable, but connecting more than 24 ports with PoE requires the MPS-600 external power-supply together with the built-in AC power-supply. Using the MPS-600 makes the power supply redundant (although you can only power up to 24 PoE devices when one of the two power-supplies fail.). For redundant power supply on the non-PoE devices you can use the RPS-series redundant power supply in combination with the built-in supply.
The 5500 series are stackable to combine several 5500-series switches into one virtual switch. The 5500 series uses standard HDMI cables (specification 1.3a category 2 or better) to stack with a total bandwidth of 40 Gbit/s per switch. All 5500 series models can be combined in a single stack.
The 5500 series switches are mainly designed to be pure layer 2 switches but it has some very basic layer 3 capabilities. Other standard features are enhanced VOIP support where the switch automatically recognizes connected VOIP devices and ocnfigure VOIP quality of service
Quality of service
The quality of service refers to several related aspects of telephony and computer networks that allow the transport of traffic with special requirements...
and a VOIP-VLAN. This feature will only work optimal in small VOIP networks. There is also iSCSI
ISCSI
In computing, iSCSI , is an abbreviation of Internet Small Computer System Interface, an Internet Protocol -based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. By carrying SCSI commands over IP networks, iSCSI is used to facilitate data transfers over intranets and to manage...
optimization and auto-configuration. The switch also supports IEEE 802.1X
IEEE 802.1X
IEEE 802.1X is an IEEE Standard for port-based Network Access Control . It is part of the IEEE 802.1 group of networking protocols. It provides an authentication mechanism to devices wishing to attach to a LAN or WLAN....
(Dot1x) port-authetication.
PowerConnect 6024
The PowerConnect 6024 with 24 Gigabit Ethernet over twisted pair ports was annonced in early 2004.The PowerConnect 6024F was a 24 port, layer 3, all-Gigabit, fiber-optimized switch. It had 24 SFP ports, eight of which doubled as copper ports. This switch was capable of routing
Routing
Routing is the process of selecting paths in a network along which to send network traffic. Routing is performed for many kinds of networks, including the telephone network , electronic data networks , and transportation networks...
, with static routes, Routing Information Protocol
Routing Information Protocol
The Routing Information Protocol is a distance-vector routing protocol, which employs the hop count as a routing metric. RIP prevents routing loops by implementing a limit on the number of hops allowed in a path from the source to a destination. The maximum number of hops allowed for RIP is 15....
(RIP), and Open Shortest Path First
Open Shortest Path First
Open Shortest Path First is an adaptive routing protocol for Internet Protocol networks. It uses a link state routing algorithm and falls into the group of interior routing protocols, operating within a single autonomous system . It is defined as OSPF Version 2 in RFC 2328 for IPv4...
(OSPF). It was replaced by the PowerConnect 6224/6248 models
PowerConnect 6200 series
The 6224 and 6248 switch was introduced in early 2007 as the logical follow-up of the 6024 switch. It had 24 (6224) or 48 (6248) Gigabit Ethernet ports and two sockets for 10 Gigabit Ethernet10 Gigabit Ethernet
The 10 gigabit Ethernet computer networking standard was first published in 2002. It defines a version of Ethernet with a nominal data rate of 10 Gbit/s , ten times faster than gigabit Ethernet.10 gigabit Ethernet defines only full duplex point to point links which are generally connected by...
modules (with two ports per module) or stacking.
Many of the Dell PowerConnect offer 'combi' ports where the last 4 ports on the switch are either copper (UTP/RJ-45) or fibre (SFP) ports: for example the PC6224 offers 20 'copper only' interfaces while ports 21-24 can be found twice on the front of the switch: as standard UTP ports and also as SFP slots, but you can only use one of them: by default the UTP port is enabled but when you insert a SFP module in port 21-24 it switches over to fibre mode and the UTP link goes down. Any combo ports are always the highest 4 standard ports (21-24 on the PCxx24 models and 45-48 on PCxx48 models)
Features include 24/48 ports, Layer 3 routing, all-gigabit, fully managed (web+cli), stackable switch with up to 4 10Gb ports. High availability routing, edge connectivity, traffic aggregation and VOIP applications all supported in the 62xx series. Flexible, high-speed stacking, fiber support, and MS NSP Certification included.
The 6224 (P and F) and 6248P series switches are end of development: new firmware versions will only repair bugs, no new features are being developed for these switches. While other PowerConnect switches based on Broadcom
Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
hardware have firmware versions 4.x, the 6200 series continue to run on version 3.x and features introduced in the 4.x firmware are not available for the 6200 series switches.(note: this does NOT apply to the PCM 6220 blade-switch)
PowerConnect 7000 series
The PowerConnect 7024 and 7048 were introduced April 1, 2011. They had the same ports as the 6224/6248, QoS features for iSCSI, and incorporate 802.3az Energy Efficient EthernetEnergy Efficient Ethernet
Energy-Efficient Ethernet is a set of enhancements to the twisted-pair and backplane Ethernet family of computer networking standards that will allow for less power consumption during periods of low data activity. The intention was to reduce power consumption by 50% or more, while retaining full...
. A variant with reversible air flow is available for top of rack data center applications. The 6000 series remained on the market.
Powerconnect 8000 series
The PowerConnect 8024 and 8024F are rack-mounted switches offering 10 Gigabit Ethernet10 Gigabit Ethernet
The 10 gigabit Ethernet computer networking standard was first published in 2002. It defines a version of Ethernet with a nominal data rate of 10 Gbit/s , ten times faster than gigabit Ethernet.10 gigabit Ethernet defines only full duplex point to point links which are generally connected by...
on copper or optical fiber using enhanced small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP+) modules on the 8024F. On the 8024 the last 4 ports (21-24) are combo-ports with the option to use the 4 SFP+ slots to use fiber optic connections for longer-distance uplinks to core switches. On the 8024F the 4 combo ports offer 10GBASE-T copper-ports.
The 8024 can be used as pure Data Link Layer
Data link layer
The data link layer is layer 2 of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking. It corresponds to, or is part of the link layer of the TCP/IP reference model....
/Layer2 switch or as Network Layer
Network Layer
The network layer is layer 3 of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking.The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers, whereas the data link layer is responsible for media access control, flow control and error checking.The network...
/Layer3 switch.
These switches were introduced in early 2010, in the same single rack unit
Rack unit
A rack unit or U is a unit of measure used to describe the height of equipment intended for mounting in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack...
(1U) size.
The 8024/8024F is marketed as a high-performance data center switch.
M-series
The PowerConnect M-series switches are classic Ethernet switches based on BroadcomBroadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
fabric for use in the blade server
Blade server
A blade server is a stripped down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Whereas a standard rack-mount server can function with a power cord and network cable, blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power...
enclosure M1000e
Dell M1000e
The Dell blade server solutions are built around their new M1000e enclosure that can hold their complete range of server blades and an extensive range of I/O modules like ethernet switches, fibre-channel switches etc....
.
All M-series switches offer a combination of internal interfaces and external interfaces. The internal interfaces connect to the mezzanine card of the blade-servers in the M1000e enclosure. These internal interfaces can be one or 10 Gbit/s. The M6220 offers a total of 20 interfaces: 16 internal 1 Gbit/s interfaces and 4 external 1 Gbit/s ports. Optionally two extension-modules can be installed that offers 10 Gbit/s ethernet or stacking-interfaces to stack multiple M6220 switches together as one virtual switch.
The M6348 has 32 internal ports (2 per blade) and 16 external 1 Gbit/s ports. The M6348 can be stacked via CX4 modules and/or create 10 Gbit/s SFP+ uplinks.
The M8000 series offer 10Gb on all interfaces: the M8024-k has 16 internal 10Gb ports, 4 SFP+ slots and the option to install a FlexIO module that can offer 4 SFP+ ports, 3 CX-4 or 2 10GBaseT copper interfaces.
The M8024-k was announced in May 2011.
Also under the M-series name Dell offers the Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. , based in Silicon Valley , is a vendor of storage area network hardware and software. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells networking products and management applications for local, metro, and wide area networks...
M5424 Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
switch and the M8424 Fibre Channel over Ethernet
Fibre Channel over Ethernet
Fibre Channel over Ethernet is an encapsulation of Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet networks. This allows Fibre Channel to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol...
switch.
Other switches and I/O modules for the M1000e blade-enclosure are the Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
3032 and 3130 switches and several pass-through modules that bring the internal interfaces from the midplane to the exterior to connect these server-NIC's to external switches
B-, J- and W-series
The B-series, J-series and W-series are Dell branded versions of switches from Brocade Communications SystemsBrocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. , based in Silicon Valley , is a vendor of storage area network hardware and software. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells networking products and management applications for local, metro, and wide area networks...
, Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks is an information technology and computer networking products multinational company, founded in 1996. It is head quartered in Sunnyvale, California, USA. The company designs and sells high-performance Internet Protocol network products and services...
and Aruba Networks
Aruba Networks
Aruba Networks, Inc. is a networking vendor selling enterprise wireless LAN and edge access networking equipment. The company has over 500 employees and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA...
respectively.
Due to the aquisition of Force10 te available PowerConnect-J series and PowerConnect B-series are reduced: only product lines for which there is NO alternative (yet) from Force10 are still available as OEM PowerConnect switch. Examples of still available products are the Juniper security products (SRX series)
and the Brocade FCoE
Fibre Channel over Ethernet
Fibre Channel over Ethernet is an encapsulation of Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet networks. This allows Fibre Channel to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol...
and pure Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
switches.
The normal (datacenter)ethernet switches from Juniper and Brocade are being replaced by Dell Force10 models
``
Force10
In July 2011 Dell announced the acquisition of Force10 Networks, another company that designed and marketed Ethernet switches.The deal completed on August 26, 2011.
This led to speculation that relationships with other vendors such as Cisco and Brocade would change because they overlap the data center market.
In September 2011 Dell announced plans to expand the staff from Force10 in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.