Nortel Passport 8608GTE Specifications page 3

Resiliency, intelligence and
security — without the
design complexity
The Ethernet Routing Switch 8600
is a proven and tested resilient, secure
and intelligent network solution that
can deliver many hundreds of gigabits
per second (Gbps) and hundreds of
millions of packets per second (Mpps)
performance to the network core. This
powerful and flexible switch combines
resilient high performance with intel-
ligence and security, while taking the
complexity out of network design.
Ideal for medium to large enterprise
campuses and data centers, the Ethernet
Routing Switch 8600 leverages tech-
nology from industry-leading products
to create an integrated intelligence
with the Web Switch Module, SSL
Acceleration Module and the Service
Delivery Module.
The Ethernet Routing Switch 8600 is:
• Available in a 3-, 6- and 10-slot
chassis, supporting dedicated 1G and
10G pluggable modules, and 10/100
and 10/100/1000 copper and fibre
modules
• A highly redundant solution with
optional redundant, high-availability
Switch Fabrics, N+1 Power Supplies
and dual AC input 1500 Watt to
enhance redundancy by connecting
two separate AC inputs
• The flagship product for Nortel's
"Switch Cluster" technology based on
SMLT/RSMLT, delivering non-stop
end-to-end application availability
The Ethernet Routing Switch 8600 meets enterprises' increasing demands for
scalability, simplification, maximized application uptime, value and security. The platform
takes the complexity out of network design by simplifying the network architecture and
increasing value per port per slot with advanced features on high-density modules.
The high-density and high-speed server
connectivity in large deployments is
matched by a suitably high-performance
switching architecture that is based on
NPU rather than ASIC technology.
This RSP delivers fastpath flexibility
and investment protection due to soft-
ware-upgradeable data path technology
— while still providing 10-Gbps line
rate switching/routing capabilities. This
results in a balanced solution without
the constraints or bottlenecks imposed
by inferior designs.
In addition to establishing a solid
foundation for unified communica-
tions, Ethernet Routing Switch 8600
provides enterprises with the basic
network building blocks to grow their
business operations and evolve their
network as future applications and
technologies emerge.
Resiliency to ensure
business continues
Network resiliency is the most basic
requirement when implementing a
converged network. The Ethernet
Routing Switch 8600 supports redun-
dant connectivity for virtualized solu-
tions such as VRF-lite, VPN-Lite for
edge/core and MPLS LER IP-VPN for
edge networks. With Nortel's VRF-lite,
organizations can use the same hard-
ware platform to create multiple Layer
3 routing domains to support multiple
customers. Nortel VPN-Lite makes it
possible for these same organizations
to also deploy VPN over the existing
IP infrastructure (campus or metro)
without incurring additional capital or
operational expense.
The Ethernet Routing Switch 8600
addresses resiliency at multiple levels
for maximum coverage. At the hard-
ware level, the switch provides hot
swappable modules including fan trays
and N+1 power supplies, and dual AC
input power supplies. The Ethernet
Routing Switch 8600 software ensures
resiliency for the network core with
industry-leading features, including
VLACP (Virtual Link Aggregation
Control Protocol) for Layer 1-2 link
failure detection, BFD (Bidirectionally
Forwarding Detection) for Layer 3
link failure detection, Split Multi-Link
Trunking (SMLT), VRRP Active/Active
and Switch Clustering (Routed Split
Multi-Link Trunking, R-SMLT).
Additionally, organizations can effec-
tively dual-connect to servers, desktops
and switch clustering with minimum
investment, maximum flexibility and
sub-second failover.
Intelligence for a smarter
way to do business
Network devices need to be keenly
aware of traffic types and be able to
handle specific types of traffic differ-
ently. This sense or awareness of
differing traffic types, combined with
the ability to process each type differ-
ently, is what sets intelligent networks
apart from typical LANs. The Ethernet
Routing Switch 8600 combines intelli-
gence and performance to create a next-
generation intelligent network solution.
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