This development is part of the strategy to support administrative governance of Iraq, and it will be the ICT infrastructure framework to deliver government specific services and applications.

The infrastructure shall provide ip network as a means to run applications and services not limited to government support application, VOIP, disaster recovery, video conferencing, internet, distance learning, IP TV/ VOD etc. and allow the data, voice and video and mobility application to run.

We evaluates product and technology to be implemented for this infrastructure

Objective

The Objective of this activity is to identify technology that meets the requirements to support business and administrative applications and services as a whole.  All Technology providers shall be given equal opportunity to conduct POC (Proof of Concept) activity.

the document provides report of evaluation and analysis of each product that can be used to properly select the appropriate product/technology for the implementation.

hmm, … ok let us list some technology vendors. Cisco, Juniper, Nortel, 3Com, Alcatel-Lucent, Force 10, Extreme, … ummm … what else?
Procurve? .. HP? … Neee … let them do servers !!!

Product and Technology Requirement

In order to successfully answer the product and technology requirements, Technology partner shall support the following requirements and not limited to:

• OSPF [RFC 1247] with fast convergence configuration
• 802.3ad [link aggregation LACP] across different chassis
• non-stop forwarding and QOS IEEE 802.1p
• application not limited to IP Telephony, VoD, IPTV, Video Conference etc.
• stackable switching configuration
• 10GbaseT [802.3an] and 10GBase over fiber [802.3ae]

Let’s Evaluate them … :-p

Qardner Inc. produces Magic Quadrants and MarketScope to evaluate the … almost any vendors …he he he read “Magic Quadrants and MarketScopes: How Gartner Evaluates Vendors Within a Market ”

It will give you a first impression of what is the position of a vendor compare to similiar ones. Although it is easy to understand, It uses more to a qualitative analysis instead of quantitative analysis which is better in my oppinion. But as it is easy to follow, it is nothing harmful to do the analysis using its method.

Gartner Magic Quadrants … my Own Version !!!

I will simply list the strength and Weaknesses of a product or technology, .. following the gartner’s term, I will use Cautions instead.

Product and Technology Overview

There are 3 (three) technology partners under evaluation, namely Cisco Catalyst Switch from Cisco System Inc., Summit and BlackDiamond Switch from Extreme Networks and Juniper EX Switch from Juniper Networks.
Each technology proposes core routing switching, access distribution switching and fiber aggregation switching.

Core Routing Switching

Core Routing Switching is designed to provide access and connectivity to remote locations, and functioned as a hub to the applications and services within data center. It will be using 2 (two) units of Core switching that will be configured as one using virtualization for high availability. It shall have 10G Ethernet module, 1G Base X and 10/100/1000 Base T module. These switches will run OSPF routing protocol for interconnectivity with other remote locations.

Cisco System Inc. (http://www.cisco.com)

Cisco Specification and Configuration

WS-C6509-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced 9-slot chassis with 2x 10G Base SR for VSS interconnection and 16x 10G Base LR X2 for remote connections.  The Catalyst 6500 supplied with Supervisory Module 720 with 2-10GE ports, Distributed Forwarding Card, MSFC III and redundant Power Supply. The IOS comes with VSS 720 IOS IP Services.

Strength
§    Cisco’s technology of VSS (Virtual Switching System) provide the capability of combining 2 physical core switches to act and function as one virtual core switch. This feature provides better performance, higher availability and reliability and easier management.
§    Catalyst 6500 is one of the most rich-featured services products from Cisco like Firewall, VPN, Load Balance, Network Analysis, Anomaly Guard, Content Switching, and SSL etc.
§    As Catalyst 6500 has been long time in the market, the communities, professionals, knowledgebase and supports of this product are readily and easily available.

Cautions
§    Cisco has shipped this catalyst 6500 series since 1999 and the hardware architecture has limitation to keep the demand for more speed I/O and faster processor. Each slot module has 32 Gbps shared bus and Full platform has 720 Gbps back plane speed.
§    Catalyst 6500 can support up to 24 ports 1G BaseX only, compare to other offers that support up to 48 ports.
§    The life cycle of this product is suspected to last not for much longer as the next generation Nexus with NXOS is starting to offer the same feature sets. No clear information on Catalyst 6500 roadmap in the future.
§    Cisco IOS is dependent to the product platform which resulting to one features and/or one technology sometime cannot be implemented to cross platform product.

Extreme Networks (http://www.extremenetworks.com)

Extreme Networks Specification and Configuration

Extreme Networks proposes Black Diamond 8810 10-Slot Chassis (Includes Fan Tray) with 16 port 10G Base-X mini GBIC for remote connection. The Black Diamond supplied with BlackDiamond 8800 Management Switch Module, ExtremeWare XOS Core software and redundant Power Supply

Strength
§    Extreme Black Diamond 8810 is one of the fastest core switches available in the market, with 256 Gbps per slot switching capacity and 3.8 Tbps for the one platform. This model has 10 slot chassis, bigger than Cisco with 9-slot module and Juniper with 8-slot module.
§    EAPS (Ethernet Automatic Protection System) from Extreme Networks provide higher service resilience to the Ethernet L2 compare to Spanning Tree (802.1d) and Rapid Spanning Tree (802.1w)
§    Extremenetworks is specializing and focusing on Ethernet technology and has a clear road map for adopting the 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps Ethernet in the future.

Cautions
§    Black Diamond 8810 doesn’t have the capability of combining two (2) cores switching to act and function as a single virtual switch. Therefore instead of implementing LACP (802.3ad) in core switch, Black Diamond offers a combination of EAPS and ECM (OSPF).
§    Extremenetworks is currently not supplying the 10GbaseT [802.3an] Ethernet module, critical for server connectivity.
§    Playing in niche and very focused market, BB 8810 population is very limited; make it difficult to get the communities, professionals, knowledgebase and supports of this product in the market.

Juniper Networks (http://www.juniper.net)

Juniper Networks Specification and Configuration

Juniper Networks offers Redundant EX8208 system bundle:  8-slot chassis with passive back plane and 1x fan tray, 2x routing engine with switch fabric, 1x switch fabric module, 6x 2000W AC PSUs with power cords, and all necessary blank panels. The chassis also supplied with 8 port 10G Base SFP+ for remote connectivity and JUNOS software.

Strength
§    Juniper EX8200 switch is modular platform with high port density, scalability and high availability with new architecture supporting 320 Gbps per line card switch and up to 3.1 Tbps per chassis.
§    Juniper provides Virtual Chassis Technology to allow multiple chassis to act and functions as single virtual switch. However this feature will be running for EX 8200 with additional XRE200 engine on Q4 year 2010. High availability (HA) features such as graceful Routing Engine switchover, nonstop active routing, and nonstop bridging are still on the roadmap.
§    JunOS operating system is a uniform operating system with modular architecture that operates similarly across Juniper’s routing, switching and security product lines.

Cautions
§    Virtual switch implementation in Juniper is using external routing engine XRE200 which acts as enabler to interconnect multiple individual switch EX8200 into single virtual switch.
§    Juniper is currently not supplying the 10GbaseT [802.3an] Ethernet module, critical for server connectivity.
§    Juniper has long been producing powerful Internet router, however to just start shipping the switching portfolio with its EX series in 2008. Implementing juniper solutions shall be done with cautious.

Distribution Access Routing Switching

The design of Distribution Access Routing Switching is using 10/100/1000 Mbps port Switch with 2x 10G Ethernet port as an uplink. The switches will be stacked together with the Fiber Aggregation Switching in each location. Depend upon the data device population in each location; the number of port is 24 for small location and 48 for bigger location. There are 4 switches using 24 ports and 7 switches using 48 ports.

Cisco System Inc. (http://www.cisco.com)

Cisco Specification and Configuration

Cisco proposes WS-C3750E-48PD-E for 48 ports and WS-C3750E-24PD-E for 24 ports, the catalyst line of product Catalyst 3750E 48 10/100/1000 PoE+2*10GE(X2), 750W,IPS s/w.

This device comes with 2 unit of X2 module for 10G Ethernet uplink connection. IOS IP services feature sets will be used to run OSPF routing protocol. This model doesn’t have redundant power supply; supplied with stack cable and stackwise technology supporting 64 Gbps back plane speed with switch fabric of 128 Gbps.

Strength
§    Cisco Stackwise Technology provides the ability to increase the reliability by allowing multiple chassis switch up to 9 chassis act as a single virtual switch.
§    Supporting LACP (802.3ad) over multiple chassis is one of Cisco initiatives to implement link redundancy in stacked switch.
§    Cisco Catalyst 3750E series provide stacking speed of 64 Gbps will ensure that there will be bottleneck in the box.

Cautions
§    Stack speed on the Catalyst 3750G –12S is only 32 Gbps, when mixed C3750E series with stack speed 64 Gbps, effective stack speed will reduce to 32 Gbps.
§    Catalyst 3750-E does not support Redundant PS.
§    Stacking multiple series 3750-E and 3750G requires both common features and technology should be supported

Extreme Networks (http://www.extremenetworks.com)

Extreme Networks Specification and Configuration

Extreme Networks proposes Summit X450a that is a Gigabit Ethernet switch available in three versions: 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T plus 4-port SFP interfaces; 48-port 10/100/1000BASE-T plus 4-port SFP interfaces; and 24-port 1000BASE-X SFP plus 4-port 10/100/1000BASE-T. In Distribution Access Routing Switching Extreme uses both Summit X450e-48p supporting 48 ports and Summit X450e-24p supporting 24 ports with CORE license. Summit X450e-48p supports 256 Gbps switch fabric bandwidth and 130.9 Mpps frame forwarding rate while Summit X450e-24p supports 128 Gbps switch fabric bandwidth and 95.2 Mpps frame forwarding rate.

The Device comes with optional redundant power supply, 2 port 10G Ethernet for uplink connections with XFP, and stacking cable with 40Gbps stacking speed.

Strength
§    Summit X450 supports Stacking configuration for higher reliability and easier management.
§    It support 40 Gbps Stack Speed, and can be increased by higher stacking speed.
§    Summit X450 support LACP (802.3ad) over multiple chassis. Even the stacking can be done using other Summit platform like X480 and X250.

Cautions
§    Summit X450 doesn’t have the internal redundant power supply, but it is available in external DC power supply for redundancy.
§    Summit X450 supports Stacked configuration up to maximum 8 chassis.

Juniper Networks (http://www.juniper.net)

Juniper Networks Specification and Configuration

Juniper Networks offers EX4200-48P and EX4200-24P a 48-port and 24 port 10/100/1000BaseT PoE + 930W AC PS, includes 50cm VC cable. It has 24 port and 48 port with additional 2x 10G Base X (SFP) for uplink. This is fixed platform switches with stacking capabilities. The product comes with redundant power supply.

Stacking speed for Juniper is 128 Gbps with Virtual Chassis Technology that support up to 10 Unit to be stacked together.

Strength
§    EX4200-48P and EX4200-24P support Virtual Chassis technology capable of virtualizing up to 10 single element switches to act as a single switch.
§    Virtual Switch provides 128 Gbps Stack Speed, and with 2X10G or 4x1G link the Virtual chassis member can be extended to different location while maintaining VC configuration.
§    EX4200-48P and EX4200-24P support dual Redundant PS

Cautions
§    Juniper Networks start shipping EX enterprise switching series in 2008; some compatibility issues are expected to come. Implementing juniper solutions shall be done with cautious.
§    EX4200 Series provide 3 fans in single fan module, however the insertion and removal of this module require stack cable to be dismantled.

Fiber Aggregation Routing Switching

The design of Fiber Aggregation Routing Switching for each location is using 2 unit 1G 24 port Switch with 2x 10G Ethernet port as an uplink. The switches will be stacked together with the Distribution Access Switching in each location. This switch functions as distribution switch for all access switches on remote sites. All remote access switches will have dual uplink (2x1Gb fiber) to these switches. There are 10 switches all-together, 2 switches for each remote location.

Cisco System Inc. (http://www.cisco.com)

Cisco Specification and Configuration

Cisco proposes WS-C3750G-12S-E; 12 port 1Gb SFP Catalyst 3750 12 SFP + IPS Image. IOS IP services feature sets will be used to run OSPF routing protocol. This model doesn’t have redundant power supply; supplied with stack cable and stackwise technology supporting 32 Gbps back plane speed.

Strength
§    Cisco Stackwise Technology provides the ability to increase the reliability by allowing multiple chassis switch up to 9 chassis act as a single virtual switch.
§    Supporting LACP (802.3ad) over multiple chassis is one of Cisco initiatives to implement link redundancy in stacked switch.

Cautions
§    Cisco Catalyst WS-C3750G-12S-E support stack speed up to 32 Gbps with switching performance 17.8 Mbps
§    Cisco Catalyst WS-C3750G-12S-E provides only 12-port fiber with no uplink module.
§    Cisco Catalyst WS-C3750G-12S-E is not supporting dual redundant Power Supply

Extreme Networks (http://www.extremenetworks.com)

Extreme Networks Specification and Configuration

Extreme Networks proposes Summit X450a-24x 24 port 1000BASE-X mini-GBIC ports, 4 10/100/1000BASE-T ports, option slot for 10 Gigabit option card XGM2-2xn/xf, 1 AC PSU, ExtremeXOS STM Advanced Edge license, connector for EPS-500 or EPS-LD external redundant PSU. In Fiber Aggregation Routing Switching Extreme uses Summit X450a-24x supporting 24 ports fiber SFP with CORE license.

The Device comes with optional redundant power supply, 2 port 10G Ethernet for uplink connections with XFP, and stacking cable with 40Gbps stacking speed.

Strength
§    Summit X450 supports Stacking configuration for higher reliability and easier management. It support 40 Gbps Stack Speed, and can be increased by higher stacking speed.
§    Summit X450 support 24 port fiber and support LACP (802.3ad) over multiple chassis. Even the stacking can be done using other Summit platform like X480 and X250.
§    Summit X450a-24x support 128 Gbps switch fabric bandwidth and 95.2 Mpps frame forwarding rate.

Cautions
§    Summit X450 doesn’t have the internal redundant power supply, but it is available in external DC power supply for redundancy.
§    Summit X450 supports Stacked configuration up to maximum 8 chassis.

Juniper Networks (http://www.juniper.net)

Juniper Networks Specification and Configuration

Juniper Networks offers EX4200-24F a fixed form switch, with 24-port 1000BaseX SFP + 320W AC PS and includes 50cm VC cable. These switches will be stacked together to provide redundant and high availability connection for access switch in each location. Juniper EX4200-24F comes with dual power supply, and stacking capability up to 10 switch with stacking speed of 128 Gbps.

Strength
§    EX4200-24F support Virtual Chassis technology capable of virtualizing up to 10 single element switches to act as a single switch.
§    Virtual Switch provides 128 Gbps Stack Speed, and with 2X10G or 4x1G link the Virtual chassis member can be extended to different location while maintaining VC configuration.
§    EX4200-24F supports 24 port fiber and support dual Redundant PS

Cautions
§    Juniper Networks start shipping EX enterprise switching series in 2008; some compatibility issues are expected to come. Implementing juniper solutions shall be done with cautious.
§    EX4200 Series provide 3 fans in single fan module, however the insertion and removal of this module require stack cable to be dismantled.

… hmm

I think it is the time for me to say … ” to be continued ” …