Ethernet Switch - C300 (C-Series Family of Resilient Switches)

Product/Technology: C300 (C-Series Family of Resilient Switches)

Hardware or Software? Hardware

First Launched: May 2007

What it does? The Force10 C300 is a resilient chassis-based switch that cost effectively delivers reliability, network control and scalability features typically found in large enterprise-class data centers to midsized data centers and enterprise LANs.  The C300 supports FTOS, Force10’s modular operating system, which provides the tools enterprises require to optimize their networks and automate functions.  Based on a Unix-like kernel, FTOS brings inherent reliability to the switch. Line-rate GbE ports: 384; Line-rate GbE ports (PoE-enabled): 384 at full 15.4W per port; Line-rate 10 GbE: 64; Switching Capacity: 1.536 Tbps; Forwarding Capacity: 952 Mpps; I/O Line Card Slots: 8.

Network Products Guide

What makes it Innovative? The C300 backplane supports 6.25 Gbps traces, unique among this product class and found in high performance systems. As a passive copper backplane, it doesn’t act as a point of failure, increasing reliability.  These innovations accompany advances in reliability, network control and scalability.

Targeted Users: The Force10 resilient switch is targeted at midsized data centers and enterprise LANs.

Satisfied Customers: The Force10 C300 has been deployed in the production networks of many organizations.  To date, customer feedback has been very positive. 

eHarmony, the online match-making service that sees as much as 40 Gigabits of traffic per second, has deployed the C300 to improve the reliability and performance of its business operations applications, such as network management and backup, without impacting its 24x7 applications.

"The C300 complemented our network by giving us the ability to add another layer of redundancy and obtain more ports with high throughput in a very cost-effective manner," says Cyrus Mohit, manager of data center operations at eHarmony.

Support within the Force10 C300 for high-density Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet also allows eHarmony to leverage iSCSI technology to connect to its storage area network.  With 10,000 new users joining every day, eHarmony has more than doubled its server and network footprint in the past 12 months, in turn increasing its need for storage.  However, Mohit believed that simultaneously building out eHarmony’s existing fibre channel storage area network (SAN) would be cost prohibitive due to high per port costs and distance limitations.  Deploying the Force10 C300 helped eHarmony solve one of its biggest challenges: how to maximize its SAN for future growth expectations.

After deploying the C300, eHarmony was able to consolidate its network infrastructure over Ethernet, easing management tasks, such as capacity planning.

"It’s an unforgiving environment because of the huge amount of data that must be accessible 24x7," says Mohit. "In the 15 months that we have had Force10 in our network, though, uptime has increased from 99.6 to 100 percent."

3ality Digital Systems, the leading 3D technology and video production firm, deployed the C300 to power its VoIP system and connect its storage cluster into the network, simplifying its topology. 

“In deploying the C300, we consolidated six or seven PoE and non-PoE switches into a single chassis,” says CTO and COO Howard Postley.  “It was nice to clean that up and have it come on line quickly and work well.”

The University of Tennessee physics department deployed the C300 to analyze the massive amounts of data from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). 

“To analyze the data from the collider in a meaningful way, we needed a supercomputer that was scalable and predictable under all situations,” said John Lankford, senior infrastructure architect.  “The C300 brings us reliable performance to analyze the LHC data.”

LEVIEV, the world’s most exclusive diamond jeweler, deployed the C300 in its high performance network that connects its retail stores and dispersed mobile workforce.  The C300 powers LEVIEV’s VoIP and wireless access as well as its audio and visual systems. 

“Delivering excellent service to our sophisticated clientele requires equally sophisticated network infrastructure, and the C300 provides us with the always-on access to ensure our mobilized staff has the information it needs to better serve our clientele and create a true service advantage,” says CTO Gireesh Sonnad.

Company: Force10 Networks
Mailing Address: 350 Holger Way San Jose, California 95134 USA
Tel: 1-408-571-3500