Key Features - Lenovo RackSwitch G8264 Product Manual

Key features

The RackSwitch G8264 is considered particularly suited for the following environments:
The G8264 supports several types of configurations: 1 GbE, 10 GbE, 40 GbE, vNIC, Converged
Enhanced Ethernet (CEE/DCB), NAS, and iSCSI.
The G8264 with SFP+ technology is the ideal solution for clients who want low latency and low
power consumption.
The G8264 supports stacking for up to eight switches by using a single switch image and
configuration file that shares one IP address and one management interface for simplified
management.
The G8264 supports Data Center Bridging (DCB), the group of protocols from IEEE that provide
lossless Ethernet and with which clients can reduce the costs of implementing the following
features:
NAS or iSCSI convergence and priority-based flow control
FCoE by aggregating switch ports before connecting to more costly upstream Fibre Channel
gateway devices
The G8264 can be configured in easy connect mode to allow for transparent and simple
connectivity to the upstream network, which enables easy connectivity to upstream Cisco, Juniper,
or other networks without changing those networks.
Lenovo offers the on-switch VMready® software that reduces the complexity of managing virtual
machines (VMs) in the network.
The G8264 is SDN ready with its OpenFlow support. With OpenFlow, you can easily create user-
controlled virtual networks, optimize performance dynamically, and minimize complexity when it is
used with an OpenFlow controller.
The G8264 plays a vital role with Virtual Fabric, which reduces costs and complexity in
environments in which four or more NICs are needed per server. An example is virtualization, where
clients often need up to eight NICs per server.
The RackSwitch G8264 offers the following features and benefits:
High performance
The 10 Gb/40 Gb switch provides the best combination of low latency, non-blocking line-rate
switching, and ease of management. It has a throughput of 1.28 Tbps.
Lower power and better cooling
The RackSwitch G8264 typically uses 330 W of power, which is a fraction of the power
consumption of most competitive offerings. Unlike side-cooled switches, which can cause heat
recirculation and reliability concerns, the front-to-rear or rear-to-front cooling design of the G8264
reduces data center air conditioning costs by having airflow match the servers in the rack. In
addition, variable speed fans help to automatically reduce power consumption.
Stacking
With the G8264, a single switch image and configuration file can be used for up to eight switches,
which shares only one IP address and one management interface.
Lenovo Virtual Fabric
The G8264 can help customers address I/O requirements for multiple NICs while reducing cost and
complexity. By using Virtual Fabric, you can carve a physical NIC into multiple virtual NICs (2 - 8
vNIC) and create a virtual pipe between the adapter and the switch for improved performance,
availability, and security.
Lenovo RackSwitch G8264 2