what is fast path
technology?
what are the benefits of
fast path technology?
high performance local
workgroup traffic
isolation
The HP Procurve Switch 4108gl, with
Fast Path Technology
, has taken the concept of “Switch
on a Chip” and applied it to a modular 10/100/1000 mini-chassis form factor. As with the
HP Procurve 2300 series and 2500 series switches, these modules use a single ASIC “Switch
on a Chip” similar to that in the 2300 and 2500 switches. This provides reduced complexity
and higher reliability than traditional chassis switches. With Fast Path Technology, each
module of the Switch 4108gl is an independent switch. Each module is capable of
forwarding packets at full media speed to ports on the same module without crossing the
central switching fabric that interconnects the individual modules!
The 4108gl eight slot chassis, can in effect, house up to eight independent “switches” or
connectivity modules! These modules are all interconnected with an HP proprietary multi-path,
high performance 36.6Gbps central switch fabric that acts as a “switch of switches” (patent
pending).
Each 4108gl module has its own switch ASIC and CPU and is able to act as an independent
switch. All modules connect to the central parallel Ethernet switching fabric with two trunked
internal full-duplex Gigabit links. Each of these internal links goes to one of two gigabit
Ethernet switch ASICs in the central switching fabric. The two Ethernet switch ASICs run in a
parallel fashion providing multiple paths between all modules in the 4108gl. This architecture
is able to provide throughput rates up to 21.6 Mpps across the central switching fabric and up
to 71.4 Mpps when traffic is switched locally on each module.
The unique architecture of
Fast Path Technology
makes it ideal for today’s demanding
workgroup/desktop network requirements. This can probably best be described by presenting
several practical applications for the HP Procurve Switch 4108gl.
Today’s typical work environments can usually be divided into several smaller workgroups
with heavy local traffic as well as lighter traffic flows between these workgroups. This makes it
desirable to isolate workgroup traffic to such devices as high-speed printers, digital scanners,
and local servers. By simply connecting devices that are in the same workgroup to the same
module in the 4108gl, all traffic within that workgroup will be switched locally on the module
and never traverse the central switching fabric of the 4108gl. Workgroups on other modules
will not have to contend with traffic local to that workgroup, thus minimizing traffic congestion
through the central switching fabric as would be the case with traditional chassis switches.
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