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The edge network has to be more intelligent to support Bring Your Own Device or BYOD as well as existing wired desktops. But many SecOps groups would rather deny mobile access than allow it due to security threats, thanks to lack of visibility or device, user and location information mobile devices offer upon network access. To mitigate this concern, Extreme Networks launched its Intelligent Mobile Edge Network initiative including Ridgeline 3.1 to provide SecOps context-aware identity information and application visibility for mobile and fixed endpoints entering the network. In addition a new line of edge switches called the Summit x440 works closely with WiFi equipment to increase 802.11n performance and scalability. Huy Nguyen, Sr. Director of Product management at Extreme, joins me as we discuss the fundamental changes in edge networking thanks to BYOD and Extreme’s approach to securing mobile devices so corporations can gain the productivity gains of user device freedom.

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By the Lippis Report

During the Fall 2011 edition of the Open Industry Network Performance & Power Test for Cloud Networks Evaluating 10/40 GbE Switches, Extreme Networks submitted its X8 Data Center Switch. We tested this switch populated with 192-40GbE ports, the highest density in the industry. We found the lowest latency and power consumption to date in the industry.

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By Extreme Networks

High Performance Computing Clusters (HPCC) are no longer exclusive to the scientific community. “Big Data Analytics” are big business. Financial services, retail and manufacturing all require real-time analysis for real-time business decisions. This white paper discusses the cluster interconnect, its importance to HPCC and a lowest latency, higher performing solution from Extreme Networks®.

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By Extreme Networks

Colleges and universities have made large investments in wiring dormitories and residence halls. However, today’s students are using mobile devices with no wired Ethernet connector. Today’s laptops, tablets and smartphones rely on 802.11n Wi-Fi. Campus administrators require a simple and effective way to deliver wireless service quickly; leveraging existing wired investment to keep cost down. It is also beneficial to maintain a wired connection in the rooms, delivering both wired and wireless service. Extreme Networks Altitude 4511 uniquely enables administrators to meet student demands while achieving business goals, with a cost-effective solution that is a snap to install and can scale as needs grow.

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By Extreme Networks

Today’s mobile users require consistent Wi-Fi with high throughput, but traditional ceiling-mounted access points can make it challenging to extend 802.11n into facilities with many rooms, walls and other obstructions. The combination of the Altitude™ 4511 wallplate access point, fortified with Motorola radio technology and intelligent switches from Extreme Networks, makes it faster and easier to deploy and manage a converged wired and wireless network edge with security and high performance
that’s right where the mobile users are located for better access and service.

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By Jim Metzler, Ashton Metzler & Associates

This white paper proposes a new approach to architecting and designing data center networks for current dynamic and highly virtualized data centers.

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While the Lippis Report test were being conducted of the Extreme Networks BlackDiamond® X8 Core and Summit® X670V ToR data center fabric switches at Ixia’s iSimCity, Darius Goodall, Product and Technical Marketing of Extreme joined me to discuss the firm’s latest product investment. We talk cloud network architecture and what’s unique about the new X8 and X670V.

Download “Fall 2011 Open Industry Network Performance And Power Test Report” here.

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Andre Kindness, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research and Zeus Kerravala, principal at ZK Research join me to discuss the shift-taking place in data center networking. Data Center networking is at an inflection point thanks to industry transitions driving new economics, technologies and IT delivery via mobile and cloud computing. These market transitions happen only once every decade or so and we detail its dynamics in this industry analyst round table. We discuss virtualization, merchant silicon, software defined networking, the rise of best of breed products, what network designs are working and which aren’t. We end with how IT business leaders can navigate an industry is transition.

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By Extreme Networks

Several technology inflection points are coming together that are fundamentally changing the way networks are architected, deployed and operated, both in the public and private cloud. From performance, to scale, to virtualization support and automation to simplified orchestration, the requirements are rapidly changing and driving new approaches to building data center networks. This white paper does an excellent job at articulating cloud-scale network architecture via an open fabric that accounts for all major industry trends.

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Extreme Networks has added to its Extreme Open Fabric cloud networking portfolio by introducing a unique 10/40GbE ToR switch in its Summit X670; an ultra low latency switch thanks to a PHY-less design and cut-through switching. For the core, the new BlackDiamond X8 is a massive core switch built for virtualized infrastructure. It boasts 192x40GbE or 768 10GbE ports, 5 Watts/10GbE port power consumption, 128K VMs, high reliability and compact size being only one-third of a rack or 14.5 RUs. In this Lippis Report podcast, I talk with Shehzad Merchant, VP of Technology at Extreme Networks, about Extreme’s new cloud networking products and the architecture it now offers to IT architects and designers.

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By Extreme Networks

This white paper is targeted to enterprise and service provider IT managers who may be evaluating the ability of iSCSI SANs to satisfy the performance requirements of their most demanding storage applications. Storage application performance is dependent on more than just the performance of the storage array. The full data path and the integration with the other layers of the data center architecture must be taken into consideration. Optimizing the full data path from the server, through the network to the storage can contribute to significant improvements in performance and service levels.

This white paper and the accompanying configuration guide details the work of Intel, Extreme Networks® and NetApp to demonstrate the impact on iSCSI performance in real-world environments, using Extreme Networks CLEAR-Flow technology to help you achieve optimal iSCSI performance.

The output of the collaborative testing is presented in two separate documents:

• White Paper: provides an overview of the latest advancements around iSCSI SAN capabilities and performance, including real world, end-to-end performance results with CLEAR-Flow.

• Configuration Guide: provides a sample reference architecture with step-by-step configuration details for all the components and describes the end-to-end solution performance across a number of configurations.

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By Jon Oltsik, Principal Analyst at the Enterprise Strategy Group

Say “identity management” and what usually comes to mind is LDAP directories, strong authentication and Single Sign-On (SSO) systems. These technologies are used for access to Windows networks, e-mail and other internal applications. Generally, network identity is associated with IP and MAC addresses, VLAN tags and subnets. It also plays a role in security in areas like device authentication, VPNs and IPSEC. ESG believes that the historical differences and separation between application- and network-layer identity no longer make sense. This white paper describes why and proposes a new model for identity-aware networking.

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By Extreme Networks

Server virtualization brings with it a set of network operational challenges: from configuration challenges around Virtual Machine (VM) switching to managing virtual machine mobility, to providing VM location and inventory in the network. There are few tools available to the network administrator that provides visibility, control and insight into the VM environment until now. Extreme Networks® XNVTM provides network-level visibility and control of the server VM environment in a hypervisor-agnostic manner and without requiring any changes to the server virtualization operating environment.

Find out how by downloading this white paper:

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A typical “non-virtualized” data center has three network layers, Top-of-Rack, End-of-Row and Core switches. But virtualized infrastructure adds two additional layers—the virtual switch and blade switch—raising the number of tiers from 3 to 5. This significantly increases latency plus the number of network elements within the data center resulting in increased data center management complexity. I talk with Shehzad Merchant, Senior Director for Strategy at Extreme Networks, about Extreme’s flattening approach to data center network fabric through its DirectAttach.

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Move a Virtual Machine (VM) from one physical server to another, and network port profile, VLANs, security settings, etc., have to be reconfigured. Many networking companies haven’t taken the critical step of giving complete visibility and control of the VM lifecycle from an infrastructure perspective. But with XNV, Extreme Networks is bringing this functionality and visibility to network administrators, tracking VMs and applying policy as they move throughout the network. Shehzad Merchant, Senior Director for Strategy at Extreme Networks, joins me for a discussion about Extreme’s approach to network automation and visibility of virtualized infrastructure through its XNV software module.

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By Extreme Networks

St. Johannes Hospital in Troisdorf-Sieglar, Germany, with just over 400 staff members, has more than 182 beds and treats approximately 8,800 inpatients and equally as many outpatients each year. The hospital introduced Gigabit Ethernet at the core and switched fast Ethernet at the edge in 1998 to support its Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) for digital medical imaging. The Hospital Information System (HIS) was looking to create a virtually paperless hospital operations chain. Ideally, the intent was to have all patient information processed and stored digitally and made available to its staff whenever and wherever needed. The latest goal in making the hospital completely digital was to introduce mobile rounds with the use of Wireless Ethernet and laptops at patients' bedsides. This capability would mean the availability of all relevant patient information at each patient's bedside with each bed check. At the same time, the new infrastructure solution would have to support the hospital's mission-critical life-saving applications, all of which are bandwidth-intensive.

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By Extreme Networks and New Jersey Township

Middletown, New Jersey is a 42-square mile community located in Monmouth County, home to more than 67,000 people. The Township had many of its municipal buildings networked together, including its main administration building (which houses the police and court) as well as the Department of Public Works, three parks department buildings, and the Johnson Gill annex (which houses the tax and MIS departments). The network was facing constant and massive congestion problems with users often pulling down streaming videos. "œIt bogged things down, causing troublesome bottlenecks. We needed a more complete, leading-edge network foundation that would allow us to build an intelligent, segmented network", according to Todd Costello, IT Manager with the Township of Middletown.

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By Extreme Networks and Marysville Schools

The Marysville Exempted Village School District is a growing school district located approximately 20 miles northwest of Columbus, Ohio. The district has over 5,000 students within its six elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. In mid-2007, it had an outdated and under-performing network that wasn't able to support some of the applications the schools planned to deploy, including Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and video streaming for on-demand educational presentations within the classrooms. There was also the need for fast Internet access. Not all Marysville Schools were on the same network, so the plan was to standardize on one infrastructure that could support Internet access, streaming video and a stable backbone for VoIP, as well as other educational and administrative applications that the faculty and staff needed.

Marysville Schools wanted a comprehensive wired and wireless solution, preferably from one vendor, and issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to leading equipment providers. Placing priority on feature functionality, ease of use and management, and cost-effectiveness, Marysville Schools chose Extreme Networks and the Summit WM200 solution.

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Data centers are the largest single IT investment CIOs and business leaders appropriate. Data center networking is leading edge by default and where high-speed links and new approaches are first deployed. While data centers are consolidating and becoming increasingly virtualized, networking requirements are fundamentally changing. High performance end-of-row and top-of-rack network switches are uniquely positioned to increase network throughput and reduce operational spend. I talk with Doug Murray VP/GM of Extreme Networks about new data center design options thanks to its Summit X650 high end Ethernet switch. If you're designing a data center network, then you need to listen to this podcast.

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Scott Lucas, Senior Director of Solutions Marketing for Extreme Networks is my guest as we discuss Extreme Networks' major product portfolio expansion and the launch of its widget central. Extreme launched its new Summit X350 fixed configuration switch for network edge applications plus 802.11n access points and controllers. A new version of ExtremeXOS with enhanced automation capabilities to help IT leaders reduce operational spend is now available too. Extending the usefulness of its flagship BlackDiamond 8800, it launched the "œC" Series of core switch interface and management blades for increased scalability and density of 1GbE and 10GbE ports plus PoE support. Extreme has created an ecosystem around the development of application widgets by exposing features and providing software developers access to its ExtremeXOS. This ecosystem is called Widget Central. I talk with Scott about the new design options and widgets available to network architects afforded by this launch.

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Total cost of ownership (TCO) is always a difficult metric to measure. So many business and IT leaders focus on purchase price or product acquisition without giving full attention to operational and facilities cost, which dominate network TCO. Conventional wisdom is that for LAN and WLAN switching acquisition cost represents between 20 to 25% of TCO with operational and facilities spend representing between 75 to 80% over a 3-year period. So the question is what can IT leaders do to optimize TCO and bring balance to network acquisition and operations? Scott Lucas, Senior Director of Solutions Marketing for Extreme Networks is my guest as we discuss best practices to balance TCO.

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By Extreme Networks

Wireless LANs have become pervasive in today's business environment. Mobile applications are driving innovations in wireless LAN technology as the exponential growth in users has put increasing demands on wireless bandwidth. This paper discusses the emerging 802.11n WLAN technology and suggests migration strategies for Enterprise customers.

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By Extreme Networks

Extreme Networks® products have the features it takes to protect an enterprise network from the inside-out. This paper discusses the advanced security features that Extreme Networks builds into its switches and routers. Extreme Networks offers a rich portfolio of network infrastructure and security devices, ranging from 1U appliances to gigantic enterprise switches. Extreme Networks products provide connectivity, and protect converged networks from security threats using network access control, network segmentation and threat mitigation.

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