Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x8100 Series - Manual (Page 3)

SwitchBlade x8100 Series System Overview | 3
SwitchBlade x8100 Series | System Overview
Introduction
The SwitchBlade x8100 Series next generation intelligent Layer 3+ chassis switches are designed to deliver high availability, wire-speed
performance, and a high port count. Allied Telesis advanced features make them the ideal solution for the modern enterprise network
where resiliency, reliability and high performance are the key requirements.
The SwitchBlade x8100 is available in 6-slot and 12-slot models, with an extensive range of connectivity options. Dual control cards are
partnered with the line card slots. Gigabit and 10 Gigabit line card options ensure a system capable of meeting the requirements of
today’s networks, and the flexibility to expand when required.
Two control card options, the CFC400 and CFC960, are available, which allow the SwitchBlade x8100 Series to be deployed in
medium to large scale networks. The CFC960 is a more powerful control card to support larger networks, and can double the
backplane bandwidth of the chassis. It also supports advanced features like VCStack Plus and VRF-Lite. VCStack Plus allows two chassis
to be stacked together into a single virtual unit. This creates a powerful and completely resilient network core, which can even be
distributed over long distance
The SwitchBlade x8100 Series, along with other Allied Telesis SwitchBlade and X Series switches, runs the AlliedWare Plus operating
system, providing an industry standard CLI and a comprehensive feature-set. As an alternative to the CLI, a GUI (Graphical User
Interface) allows for web based monitoring and configuration of the SwitchBlade x8100 Series.*
This document provides an overview of the SwitchBlade x8100 Series hardware, internal architecture and switch operation. Appendix
A highlights two CFC400 based network scenarios and two CFC960 based network scenarios where the SwitchBlade x8100 Series
can provide powerful solutions. A 5th scenario shows how the SwitchBlade x8100 Series can be the center of an Allied Telesis
Management Framework (AMF) network. AMF automates many everyday network administration tasks. The complete network can
be managed as a single virtual device with powerful centralized management features. Growing the network can be accomplished with
plug-and-play simplicity, and network node recovery is fully zero-touch.
*The GUI for a CFC960 based system will be available Q2 2014