Dell Active Fabric

Dell Active Fabric is a modern network architecture. It is constructed on the basis of the latest technologies, opportunities of flexible scaling in process of growth.

Architecture

Dell Active Fabric provides a fast, peer-to-peer network architecture with complete coherence and reserve ways, flexible and more suitable for the growing traffic volume between nodes of one level (the East – the West) in the virtualized DPCs and private clouds. The solutions Active Fabric do flat traditional architecture of DPC network, using 10/40 Gbps switches with the fixed form factor with a high density of configuration and short delay which it is possible just to implement quickly and, providing at the same time building of network to hyper scales.

Profitability

The solution Dell Active Fabric provides economy of costs, on average, of 59% and consumes 77% less than the power in comparison with traditional network equipment in the chassis.

Integration

• The solution provides support of NVO technologies, using the leading hypervisors of Microsoft, VMware and OpenStack.

• The solution provides support of controllers based on OpenFlow from the leading vendors, including Big Switch Networks.

• The solution supports legacy programming interfaces, including Telnet/CLI, TCL, REST, SNMP, scripts of Perl and Python.

Advantages

• The solution is developed especially for virtualized, convergent and SDN Wednesdays;
• High-performance 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps the distributed switching network of L2/L3 levels with multiple ways;
• Convergence of LAN/SAN using the Data Center Bridging protocols: iSCSI, Fibre Channel (FC) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE);
• OpenFlow support;
• Standard interfaces to the higher and subordinate systems.

Additional solutions "in a set"

Dell Active Fabric Manager – the most advanced software of automation of switching network.

Dell Active Fabric Manager (AFM) is the first, in own way, software tool which automates the tasks connected with planning, design, building and monitoring of the distributed switching network. AFM is capable to reduce an implementation time by value to 86% in comparison with the process executed manually.

Functionality

• Master of development. Considerably simplifies design process of network, offering the intuitive graphical interface executing all necessary calculations to provide the optimal project of the distributed switching network, and eliminating errors.

• Computer-aided planning, check and configuring. Provides step-by-step approach on the way from design of the distributed switching network to its full-function implementation, eliminating need of use of the command line interface – the process which is taking away a lot of time and integrated to errors.

• Simplicity of integration, role access – AFM abstracts the distributed switching network as a unit, but not at the level of devices, allowing other software tools in DPC it is easy to be integrated. In combination with it, access on the basis of roles allows different divisions (e.g., to administrators of servers and DWH) to perform monitoring of different aspects of functioning of switching network, without breaking its work.

In iron

Dell Networking S5000 is the compact modular convergent switch.

Dell Networking S5000 is the first modular 10/40 Gbps the LAN/SAN switch of Dell company size 1RU with the built-in FC and FCoE interfaces placed at the top of a rack (Top-of-Rack). This innovative system solution is implemented on the basis of the approved in the industry, functional operating system providing the maximum reliability and non-failure operation. The Dell Open Automation platform provides the integrated automation, scripting and administration with a possibility of programming, expanding flexibility of network in the virtualized environment.

Distinctive features

• Modularity, scaling in process of growth. Provides big flexibility of implementation and distribution of the IT budget in comparison with switches with the fixed set of ports. The S5000 chassis is expected four modules, allowing customers to install one module and then to add new as required, but not to buy all four at once.

• Convergence of LAN/SAN with a high density of configuration. Allowing to save on the number of switches and required space in a rack, S5000 has density of ports on a compartment 1.3-2.6 times higher, than the similar equipment includes in the industry.5 of S5000 at most 64 ports of 10 Gbps Ethernet, or 48 Ethernet/FC ports and 16 ports 10-Gbit/s Ethernet.

• Networks of storage with extensive functionality. A full support of the distributed switching on iSCSI, RoCE, NAS, FCoE and FC, all on the same platform.

• Readiness for the future, maximum protection of investments. Thanks to modularity and system approach the hardware platform of S5000 is ready to the future and will provide support of new functionality and options which will be offered, without loss of the existing investments into infrastructure.

Simplicity of integration, the checked functional compatibility with products of the leading vendors of network adapters, switches and DWH, including Broadcom, Brocade, Emulex, Intel and Qlogic.

Availability

Solutions 10GbE and 40GbE Active Fabric are delivered by Dell corporation and its partners by means of the PartnerDirect program.

To software of Active Fabric Manager v1.5 it will be available to the order since the end of May, 2013.

Dell Networking S5000 will be available for sale around the world since July, 2013.