Accton Technology Joins Open Compute Project and Open Sources Designs for Top-of-Rack Switch and Open Rack Adapter
| Hsinchu, Taiwan, Big Cloud Symposium and OCP Workshop - Accton Technology Corporation, a leading network ODM, announced today that it has joined the Open Compute Project (OCP), and will open source via OCP the design of a 10GbE top-of-rack switch and the design of an adapter to allow standard 19” rack switches to function in an Open Rack. Edgecore Networks Corporation, Accton’s go-to-market subsidiary, has donated switch equipment to the Open Compute Certification and Solutions Laboratory at the University of Texas at San Antonio and is partnering with UTSA in their Cloud and Big Data Laboratory. Accton’s and Edgecore’s broad involvement in OCP and with open infrastructure industry initiatives will provide customers with more choice of open switches to deploy more easily managed and cost-effective data center infrastructures. Accton is contributing hardware designs through OCP of the following networking products. Edgecore AS5712-54X Top-of-Rack Switch. The switch is a cost-optimized hardware design for volume rack deployments, with forty-eight 10GbE SFP+ and six 40GbE QSFP ports in a 1U form factor. The switch is based on Broadcom’s StrataXGS® Trident II Ethernet Switch silicon, and has a CPU daughter module with an IntelTMAtom® C2538 processor. Open Rack Switch Adapter. The adapter is a mechanical sled that enables any standard 19” rack-mountable 1U network switch to slide into an Open Rack, with a means to secure the adapter to the Open Rack and provide cabling to the 12VDC bus bar. Complete design files for the hardware, including schematics, Gerber files, and mechanical design files for the AS5712-54X switch will be contributed by Accton when the designs are accepted by OCP. ‘Edge-Core Networks offers a complete portfolio of data center switches for top-of-rack and spine deployments, supporting 1GbE, 10GbE or 40GbE,’ said George Tchaparian, Accton’s SVP of Engineering.‘Accton’s submission of the complete hardware design for a cost-optimized top-of-rack switch, based on leading Broadcom® StrataXGSTrident II switch silicon, Intel x86 processor, and with the Open Network Install Environment, demonstrates our commitment to provide open network solutions.’ Contributions to UTSA and OCP Laboratories Edgecore is supporting the UTSA Open Compute Certification and Solutions Laboratory by donating bare-metal data center switches for use by the newly formed laboratory in its OCP infrastructure and its certification of bare-metal switches with ONIE. Edgecore is a member of ONIE.org and the entire portfolio of Edgecore bare-metal switches ship with ONIE, enabling the automated installation of independent switchOS software from partners including Big Switch Networks, Broadcom, and Cumulus NetworksTM. Edgecore is also supporting the UTSA Cloud and Big Data Laboratory with switches and technical support. ‘Edgecore’s recognizes the importance of partnering with switchOS providers, SDN software solution companies, and data center and cloud infrastructure integrators to enable customers to deploy our switches in a robust data center fabric,’ said Min Chao, President of Edgecore Networks. ‘The UTSA’s work in providing validation and research into open infrastructures based on OCP, SDN and OpenStack technologies is extremely valuable to help make these solutions deployable by the broad enterprise market.’ Accton is a sponsor of the Open Big Cloud Symposium at UTSA on May 7-8, and will be exhibiting the AS5712-54X and Edgecore’s complete portfolio of data center switches at the event. Accton will be presenting the specifications for its switch and open rack adapter design contributions at the OCP Network Workshop meeting at UTSA on May 8. Top-of-Rack Switch Design The Edgecore AS5712-54X switch, whose hardware design is being contributed to OCP by Accton, is designed for top-of-rack or leaf switch deployments, in a compact 1U form factor, mountable in a standard 19 inch rack or with the Open Rack Switch Adapter in an Open Rack. The AS5712-54X provides forty-eight 10GbE SFP+ and six 40GbE QSFP ports, and is based on Broadcom’s StrataXGS Trident II Ethernet Switch silicon, which enables line rate performance with low latency, and on-chip support for VXLAN and NVGRE tunneling protocols for network virtualization. The switch has a CPU daughter module which includes an IntelTM Atom® C2538 processor, to enable software partners and data center operators to run network operating systems, scripts and applications built with standard Linux tools. The AS5712-54X switch is designed with direct SERDES connections from the Trident II Switch silicon, without PHY or retimer components, to reduce cost, latency, and power consumption while maximizing reliability. The switch has redundant power supplies with options available for AC, 48VDC, or 12VDC power inputs, and redundant fans with port-to-power or power-to-port airflow options. The AS5712-54X will be available through Edgecore channel partners as a bare-metal switch in July. Partner Quotations Open Compute Project ‘We are excited to welcome Accton to the OCP community,’ said Frank Frankovsky, chairman and president of the Open Compute Project Foundation. ‘By contributing its top-of-rack switch and the Open Rack adapter design to the foundation, Accton will further open up the data center and lay the groundwork for greater flexibility and innovation to be incorporated in future open switching solutions.’ Broadcom Corporation ‘Broadcom made the first design contribution to the OCP Network group, and welcomes a submission by Accton of a top-of-rack switch design that is optimized in configuration and cost for volume deployments, while leveraging the leading performance and features of the StrataXGS Trident II Ethernet silicon,’ said Sujal Das, director of Product Marketing and SDN at Broadcom Corporation. Cumulus Networks TM ‘Since our launch, Cumulus NetworksTM has partnered with Accton to deliver customers choice, control, and transparency in their data center, based our Linux network operating system and Edgecore bare-metal switches,’ said Reza Malekzadeh, Vice President of Business, Cumulus Networks. ‘ Accton’s submission of hardware designs to OCP and Edgecore’s contribution of switches to UTSA laboratories will result in the availability of more open and robust solutions for our joint customers.’ Big Switch Networks ‘It is exciting to see Accton's switch submission to the Open Compute Project,’ said Rob Sherwood, CTO of Big Switch Networks. ‘Multiple Edgecore switches already support Big Switch’s Switch Light SDN OS, and we look forward to working closely with the Accton team to bring Open Network Linux to additional switch platforms.’ University of Texas at San Antonio ‘Bare-metal switches from leading network ODMs are an important enabler of the open cloud infrastructures based on OCP, SDN and OpenStack that are the focus of the UTSA Cloud and Big Data Laboratory’, said Carlos Cardenas, Associate Director of Applied Research at UTSA. ‘UTSA appreciates Accton’s commitment to open infrastructure, its OCP contributions, and Edgecore’s donation of switch equipment to UTSA.’ About Edgecore Networks Edgecore Networks is the go-to-market subsidiary of Accton. Edgecore delivers network solutions through channel partners worldwide that keep information moving and connections strong for SMB, enterprise, data center, and service provider customers. Additional information at www.Edgecore.com. About Accton Technology Accton Technology Corporation is the industry's leading networking ODM vendor. With more than 650 network engineers, worldwide operations, and investments in network technology made over its 25 year history, Accton develops and manufactures high performance and cost effective network infrastructure products for data center, enterprise, and service provider deployments. |