BLADE Network Technologies Supports HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 With RackSwitch Products To Provide Data Center-Wide Network Consolidation And Virtualization Platform

Santa Clara, CA - BLADE Network Technologies, Inc., the industry leader in network virtualization and high-performance solutions for servers and storage, announced that its top-of-rack RackSwitch data center switch products and open network virtualization software are fully interoperable with HP's new industry standard Virtual Connect Flex10 technology for HP BladeSystem.

BLADE's 10 and 1:10 Gigabit Ethernet RackSwitch products can aggregate network traffic and connections across multiple HP BladeSystem enclosures, each with HP Virtual Connect 10Gb Flex-10 modules, so that an entire data center network can be operated as one large virtual switch. Bandwidth, VLANs, security policies and other network parameters can be set once for an entire rack of servers, regardless of the number or type of servers. Additionally, network settings and security policies move as machines are added or moved to meet changes in demand without introducing security vulnerabilities. BLADE's RackSwitch enables IT departments to leverage a new set of rules called Rackonomics to scale out their data center networks affordably and holistically at the rack level to decrease the total cost of ownership of data center infrastructures, reduce IT complexity and enable incremental scalability.

"The combination of HP Virtual Connect Flex-10, with its ability to allocate and fine tune NIC bandwidth, and BLADE's RackSwitch provide IT managers an ideal data center virtualization platform for consolidating LAN connections and simplifying server administration in today's wire-once virtual machines environments," said Vikram Mehta, President and CEO, BLADE Network Technologies. "BLADE's RackSwitch products are designed to be 'Virtual, Cooler and Easier' so that data centers can ease deployment and ensure the success of virtualization."

BLADE's RackSwitch uplink failure detection functionality complements HP Virtual Connect's SmartLink technology, providing robust high-availability functionality that enables customers to deploy a standard and highly cost-effective virtualization platform with greater confidence. In addition, BLADE's RackSwitches are designed for the green data center with very low power consumption and highly efficient front-to-rear cooling, complementing the industry-leading power and cooling design of HP BladeSystem.

"Customers want a cost-effective approach to consolidating and virtualizing data center networks," said Mark Potter, vice president and general manager, BladeSystem, HP. "Network traffic from racks of HP BladeSystem enabled with Virtual Connect Flex-10 seamlessly interoperate with BLADE's Rackswitch products, providing simplified LAN connections and a faster and lower cost way to implement and manage virtual servers."

SOURCE: BLADE Network Technologies