Extreme Networks, SARA and CERN complete world’s first long-haul 40 GbE link
SYDNEY, October 15. Revealing the future of high performance networking, Extreme Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR) today announced that the world’s first long-haul network demonstration of standards based, 40 GbE switching featuring Extreme Networks was successfully completed this week between SARA in Amsterdam and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, as part of the annual Global LambdaGrid Workshop.
Highlighting the event, data traffic containing a computer-generated video depicting the “Big Bang” as part of the CosmoGrid astrophysics project was delivered to 15 high-definition LCD screens. This demonstration was made possible with Extreme Networks first-to-market, standards-based 40 GbE switch, which features pricing of $1,000 per port.
“Today’s successful linkup would not have been possible without Extreme Networks® Summit X650 switches,” said Dr. Paul Wielinga, head of SARA’s high-performance networking department. “Remote visualization of large volumes of distributed data is one of the key challenges of the current peta-scale era. This test has demonstrated for the first time that we can cost-effectively achieve 40 Gigabit speeds using standards based Ethernet switching over a long distance to carry critical data predictably; we are very excited to have been successful.”
The high speed network links leveraged Extreme Networks first-to-market 40 Gigabit Ethernet VIM3 40G4X modules, found with its Summit X650 switch. The switch connected to CERN using a 40 Gbps lambda on the dark fiber connection between NetherLight in Amsterdam and CERNLight in Geneva. At the CERN site, a second Summit X650 switch transmitted the data to eight servers that in turn delivered it to a video wall of 15 high-resolution screens. Each server generated two 2 Gbps data streams to support two screens, which translates to a combined resolution of 12,800 x 4,800 pixels at arate of 22 fps.
The test contained a cosmological dataset, created in the Netherlands using five supercomputers worldwide, including the Dutch National Supercomputer Huygens at SARA Computing and Networking Services, and turned into visual data using a render cluster of 16 servers. The data is currently stored on 32 SSDs attached to a single streaming server at SARA in Amsterdam.
“Extreme Networks is proud to have supplied the 40 GbE switching technology in this impressive demonstration between SARA and CERN,” said Paul Hooper, Chief Marketing Officer for Extreme Networks. “With an ever increasing demand for bandwidth, Extreme Networks’ solutions deliver the performance, scale and reliability expected by our customers around the globe, and this installation represents a very good example of how we meet those expectations. Whether it’s images of the ‘Big Bang’, X-rays of patients or technology-enabled teaching environments, we rise to and meet the challenges that others vendors find too demanding.”
SARA
As the national High Performance Computing and e-Science Support Center in the Netherlands, and a supernode in International Science Grid, SARA supports researchers with state-of-the-art integrated services, facilities and infrastructure: High Performance Computing and Networking, data storage, visualization and e-Science services.
Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks, Inc. provides converged Ethernet network infrastructure that support data, voice and video for enterprises and service providers. The company's network solutions feature high-performance, high-availability and scalable switching solutions that enable organisations to address real-world communications challenges and opportunities. Operating in more than 50 countries, Extreme Networks provides wired and wireless secure LANs, data center infrastructure and Service Provider Ethernet transport solutions that are complemented by global, 24x7 service and support. For more information, visit http://www.extremenetworks.com
Extreme Networks’ distributor in Australia is Distribution Central (NetWorld Systems® business group). In New Zealand, distributors are Distribution Central and Ericsson NZ.
For more information
James Owens
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Phone: +61-2-8912 2405
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Email: jowens@extremenetworks.com
David Frost
PR Deadlines
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