Data center-class switches: A buyer's guide
Editor's note
Data center-class switches have emerged over the past few years as a result of design changes in the data center. Going beyond the traditional three-tiered network model, these high-performance switches support technologies like storage area networks (SANs) and increasing traffic flows in both north-south and east-west directions.
This new class of switches also supports high-bandwidth interconnects like Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet, which are required for SAN connectivity. Finally, they can be deployed in both top-of-rack and end-of-row configurations.
In this buyer's guide, readers will learn more depth what a data center-class switch is, as well as how to identify optimal use case scenarios for its deployment. The guide will also cover important criteria to consider when purchasing a data center-class switch and will provide a head-to-head comparison of the leading data center-class switches. It also has product overviews of some of the top data center-class switches on the market today.
1The business case for data center-class switches
Data center-class switch use cases shed light on the benefits for your organization.
2How to buy a data center-class switch
Explore key features to look for when purchasing a data center-class switch for your organization.
3Which data center-class switch should I buy?
Which data center-class should you buy for your organization's infrastructure? Take a look at our comparison of the top vendors in the market and review the pros and cons of their products.
4A glance at the leading data center-class switch vendors
Data center-class switches have become integral to large and complex IT infrastructures. Take a look at the leading data center-class switch vendors on the market.
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Article
Cisco Nexus 9500 series: Data center switch overview
In this overview, learn more about the Cisco Nexus 9500 series, a family of data center switches designed for enterprises and highly virtualized data centers. Read Now
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Article
Cisco Nexus 7700 series: Data center switch overview
The Cisco Nexus 7700 series is a family of data center-class switches designed for enterprises and highly virtualized environments. Learn about the features of this series in this product overview. Read Now
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Article
HP FlexFabric 12900 series: Data center-class switch fabric overview
In this data center-class switch product overview, learn more about the HP FlexFabric 12900 series, including its capabilities, features, and pricing and support information. Read Now
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Article
HP FlexFabric 12500 series: Data center-class switch overview
The HP FlexFabric 12500 series is designed for enterprise IT environments, including highly virtualized data centers. Learn more about the series' features and capabilities in this overview. Read Now
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Article
Brocade VDX 8770: Data center switch overview
The Brocade VDX 8770 is a data center switch tailored for complex enterprise IT environments, such as data centers with extensive virtualization. Read Now
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Article
Juniper EX9200 series: Data center-class switch overview
The Juniper EX9200 series is a family of data center-class switches for enterprises and service providers with large data centers and campuses with highly virtualized and cloud environments. Read Now
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Article
Dell C9010: Data center-class switch overview
The Dell C9010 data center-class switch supports a large number of deployment scenarios, including campus networks, midsize businesses and large enterprises. Read Now
5Archive of previous releases
Here you can find information about earlier iterations of data center-class switches.