Dell expands networking equipment portfolio

published 24 September 2015

Dell has extended its portfolio of networking equipment with the launch of its new Dell Networking C9010 Network Director switch and companion C1048P Rapid Access Node. It also unveiled its Dell Networking S6100-ON in-rack datacentre switch.

The former two devices are aimed at mid- to large-scale campus environments. It claimedthat both of these would help in improving scalability and simplify management.

It added these would provide a single point of control for quality of service, policy provisioning and software upgrades, as well as for programming software-defined attributes.

The new Dell Networking C9010 Network Director is a next-generation multi-rate capable modular switch and is the first platform based on the new Dell campus network architecture. It scales up to 4,000 virtual ports managed centrally, with support for 10Gb and 40Gb Ethernet today, and a tool-free upgrade to 100GbE in the future to meet the growing bandwidth requirements, according to the firm.

Dell said the C9010 can be deployed as a traditional campus switching platform without the Dell Networking C1048P Rapid Access Node, serving to aggregate legacy switching platforms in wiring closets.

It added that when this was paired with the C1048P Rapid Access Node, this would extend the capabilities of the C9010 Network Director by providing enhanced power over Ethernet as well as user access and connectivity back to the C9010. The C1048P can be deployed either stand-alone or in a stacked configuration.

The Dell Networking S6100-ON is aimed at datacentres and combines multi-rate connectivity with chassis-level modularity and open networking. Through multiple expansion modules, customers have the flexibility to deliver various combinations of port speeds ranging from 10 100 GbE with both QSFP28 and CXP port choices for flexibility in deployment.

The Dell Networking C9010 and C1048P switch and node will be available in October, 2015 with the Dell Networking S6100-ON switch available in the first quarter of 2016.

Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.