Kalpana ProStack System

Click Picture for More Information.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Building on its expertise in Ethernet switching, Kalpana has developed the ProStack System, a high performance stackable switching platform. The Kalpana ProStack provides the user with a system that can be expanded as bandwidth demands dictate. The basic EtherSwitc@ol6 Ethernet switch supports 16 Ethernet ports, with expansion slots for two high speed modules. Using the ProStack Matrix, a cross-point switch, the user can expand bandwidth carrying capacity by connecting up to eight EtherSwitch Pro l6s for support of up to 192 switched Ethernet ports. By populating the expansion slots with high speed modules, the ProStack can support connectivity to Fast Ethernet and ATM.

The EtherSwitch Pro 1 6 breaks new ground in switch management. A new set of management options provide automated run-time and monitoring capabilities. Error-Free Cut-Through switching provides the low latency characteristic of cut- through switching with the data checking of store-and-forward switching. The EtherSwitch Pro I 6 can be configured on a per-port basis to automatically change from cut-through switching to store-and-forward switching if error rates exceed the user-defined threshold. This capability provides customers the best of both worlds, low latency cut-through switching and data protection.

The EtherSwitch Pro l6 is easily configured to meet users' unique network requirements. All interconnected EtherSwitch Pro 16s can be managed as a single SNMP entity, allowing users to configure address filters and Virtual EtherSwitch connections through a single console, Telnet, or SNMP session. Network statistics can be gathered on a per-port basis, either from the embedded Ethernet MIB or by using a SwitchProbe RMON agent connected to the EtherSwitch Pro l6. Either method provides the user with a wealth of information regarding the EtherSwitch Prol6 network operation.

HIGHLIGHTS

Error-Free Cut-Through Switching

Like all Kalpana EtherSwitches, the EtherSwitch Pro16 supports low latency on-the-fly or cut-through switching. It also supports automatic error-packet detection and elimination. Thus the EtherSwitch Pro 16 offers users the best of two worlds: the low latency characteristics of cut-through switching and the data checking capabilities of store-and-forward switching.

When switching between ports in the cut-through mode, the EtherSwitch Pro 16 reduces latency by forwarding packets as soon as their source and destination addresses are read. However, should CRC errors on a segment exceed the user-configured effor level, the offending port's operation automatically goes into the store-and- forward mode so that the bad CRC packets are discarded. When CRC errors on the segment fall below the threshold level, the port automatically reverts to the cut-through switching mode to optimize network latency.

Further error-free attributes allow the EtherSwitch Pro 16 to be configured to operate in runt-free operation. In runt-free mode, the EtherSwitch Pro 16 is configured to discard packets less than 64 bytes. This ensures filtering and elimination of collision fragments while maintaining the low latency characteristics of cut-through switching.

Stackable Bandwidth

Using the basic building block of the EtherSwitch Pro 16, the user is able to add switching ports and high speed connectivity. The EtherSwitch Pro16 supports sixteen 10 Base-T ports that can be individually configured for Full Duplex Ethemet. Bandwidth can be expanded by connecting two EtherSwitch Pro 16s together with the 280 Mbps Kalpana ProStack Port module at the Pro 16's back panel. Interconnecting two EtherSwitch Pro 16s with a cable provides connectivity for 32 10Base-T ports and four expansion slots.

For greater bandwidth demand, the user can connect up to eight EtherSwitch Pro 16s using the Kalpana ProStack Port and the ProStack Matrix cross-point switch. EtherSwitch Pro 16s can be added, automatically assuming the parameters of the stack, or removed, without disrupting stack operation. When EtherSwitch Pro16s are connected together, the entire stack is managed as a single entity.

Each EtherSwitch Pro16 expansion slot located on the front panel can be populated with a mix of modules to suit the user's requirement. If additional 10 Mbps ports are needed, the user populates the expansion slots with ProPort4T modules. If high-speed connectivity is required, the user selects the appropriate Fast Ethernet or ATM module. The following list illustrates the port-availability options:

                     Port Mix in a ProStack

                        | Ethernet Only |   Mixed Speeds  |
------------------------|---------------|-----------------|
10 Mbps Switch Ethernet |     192       | 128 | 128 | 128 |
Ethernet 100 Mbps       |               |  16 |         8 |
ATM 155 Mbps            |               |     |  16 |   8 |
-----------------------------------------------------------

ProStack Matrix - Fault Tolerant Stackable Switching

The ProStack Matrix is an eight port, cross-point matrix switch designed to connect up to eight EtherSwitch Pro16 devices. The standard chassis supports one cross-port matrix module with a bay for the second, redundant module. Each module is a self-contained unit with its own logic and power supply. The redundant configuration provides the user with a fault tolerant switching fabric to ensure maximum uptime for the stack. Should the primary module go offline, the secondary module will detect and resume operation in less than one second, preventing lost sessions and reduced productivity.

EtherSwitch Pro16

The EtherSwitch Pro I 6 is a high performance stackable Ethernet switch. The chassis supports sixteen 10Base-T ports and slots for optional high speed modules. In addition, the Pro 16 can be expanded from a single switch to a high port-density stack of switches.

NETWORK MANAGEMENT

The ProStack System can be configured as an individual switch from the universal console port, Telnet session, or SNMP station. The EtherSwitch Pro 16's new network management features fit into two categories: automated run-time management and network- monitoring attributes. Run-time management capabilities include error-free cut-through switching; monitoring capabilities include support for the Ethernet MIB (RFC-1643), SwitchProbe, and RMON monitoring.

Network Monitoring

Statistics Gathering

The EtherSwitch Pro 16 introduces new levels of network management monitoring to switching products. The EtherSwitch Prol6 supports the Ethernet MIB, which allows users to characterize each port's broadcast packets, collisions, octets, utilization, and more. This feature provides the user with the detailed information characterizing an attached segment.

The EtherSwitch gathers statistics associated with each particular MAC address attached to the port. This feature allows the user to characterize user-specific segment traffic.

Further, Kalpana MIB extensions allow the user to gather data that associate a source or destination address with a port. This attribute permits the user to characterize the port-to-por-t traffic patterns with- in the EtherSwitch Pro 16.

Kalpana SwitchProbe Network Analyzer Port

The SwitchProbe port allows the user to connect a protocol analyzer or the Kalpana SwitchProbe RMON probe to the EtherSwitch Pro 16. Any single 1O Mbps port on the EtherSwitch Pro 16 can then be selected and monitored as if the probe or protocol analyzer were directly connected to that port. All packets are duplicated to the SwitchProbe port, whether the selected port is configured for Full or Half Duplex Ethernet.

THE ETHERSWITCH PRO16 GROWS AS NETWORK DEMANDS INCREASE

The stackable nature of the EtherSwitch Pro16 allows it to expand as network demands dictate. With a single EtherSwitch Prot 6, users can migrate a single collision domain Ethernet with 10 Mbps of throughput to 80 Mbps of throughput. A ProStack provides the user with up to 4.8 Gbps of network capacity to boost performance in the workgroup or department.

The EtherSwitch Pro16 has been designed to accommodate connectivity to existing Kalpana EtherSwitches using Full Duplex EtherChannel connections. Then, as network demands increase, high speed connections, either 100 Mbps Ethernet or ATM, can be installed for server and workstation connectivity.

As the number of workgroup connections increase, multiple EtherSwitch Pro 16s can be stacked to provide up to 192 switched Ethernet ports, with a mix of IO Mbps Ethernet to desktops and 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet to servers or workstations. Finally, ATM ports can be installed to interconnect Kalpana ProStacks or for connectivity to standard-based ATM switches.

Switch of Hubs

A typical starting application for the EtherSwitch Pro 16 is to resolve bandwidth congestion in the workgroup as a switch of hubs. Here, EtherSwitch ports are connected to existing workgroup hubs while servers receive their own 10 Mbps dedicated Ethernet. Connectivity to existing Kalpana EtherSwitches is provided by Full Duplex EtherChannel connections.

Switch of Servers

As end-user demands on the server increase, the network manager can improve server performance by giving each server a dedicated 100 Mbps connection. Inserting a 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet expan- sion module into the EtherSwitch Pro 16 increases server availability yet allows users to retain their current network technology and architecture. Each EtherSwitch Pro 16 can support two 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet connections.

Switch of Desktops

As network bandwidth and port-count demands continue to increase, additional EtherSwitch Pro 16s can be stacked together to provide expanded connectivity. With the flexibility to provide up to 192 switched Ethernet ports in a single Kalpana ProStack, network managers have the option of providing users with a mix of shared Ethernet, dedicated Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or ATM connections to servers or workstations. The Kalpana ProStack provides network capacity of up to 4.8 Gbps.

Interconnecting Multiple Kalpana ProStacks As the network further expands, ATM or Fast Ethernet connections can be installed to provide connectivity to network backbones of multiple Kalpana ProStacks. And, as standards evolve, the ATM connection can be used to provide connectivity to standard-based ATM switches.

Send me some Information!
Back to the Products Page.