IBM Nortel Layer 2/3 Copper GbE

Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESM

The BladeCenter switch module offers BladeCenter customers Nortel’s latest fiber and copper Gigabit Ethernet switching technology which is integrated into the BladeCenter chassis. It further enhances the BladeCenter value proposition by seamlessly interfacing to a customer’s existing data network using six external multimode fiber or copper GbE interfaces. When installed in the BladeCenter chassis, Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESM provides both full L2 switching and L3 routing capabilities and significant added value not found in commodity switching solutions. This value includes:

- VLAN tagging - 802.1Q
- Link Aggregation and LACP - 802.3ad and 802.3-2002
- Spanning Tree - 802.1D, 802.1w, 802.1s
- Routing Information Protocol - RFC1058 and RFC2453
- Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) - RFC1257, RFC2328, and others
- Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) - RFC 3768

Each Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESM provides one Gigabit per second Ethernet (GbE) connectivity to each of the 14 blade slots and six GbE uplink interfaces external to the IBM Eserver BladeCenter. The customer can install as few as one Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESM or as many as four Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESMs in one BladeCenter chassis. With four Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESMs installed, you can obtain 24 GbE uplink interfaces as well as 56 GbE internal switching capability. The flexibility of the Nortel Networks L2/3 GbESM allows you to address a variety of performance and redundancy needs.