Broadcom began shipping a new 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) switch that provides 240 Gigabits of multi-layer switching capacity on a single chip based on 65 nanometer (nm) process technology.
The Broadcom BCM56820 10GbE multi-layer switch is designed for next gen data centers featuring high-densities and lower power requirements. Broadcom said one key feature of the BCM56820 is its service aware flow control (SAFC) technology, which enables data center Ethernet (DCE). In this converged 10 Gigabit Ethernet-based fabric, SAFC greatly improves performance in data centers by ensuring that there is no loss of data on the network. Other key features include:
- Broadcom's multi-stage "ContentAware" engine supporting deep packet inspection and classification for traffic flow identification and policy application
- Layer 2 (L2), VLAN switching and Layer 3 (L3) routing support including IPv6
- Advanced QoS for converged networking applications including per- priority pause/priority flow control (PPP/PFC)
- Improved Broadcom HiGig stacking technology for increased scalability
- Non-blocking performance, switching more than 375 million packets per second
- 24-port and 20-port versions available. Each port can support Fast Ethernet (FE), GbE, 2.5GbE or 10GbE connectivity.
