Asterfusion is excited to announce the upcoming release of their revolutionary high-performance 800GbE Ethernet (51.2T) switch, the CX864E-N. This cutting-edge switch is designed to meet the demanding requirements of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and high-performance computing. By providing high-density and high-performance solutions, Asterfusion aims to cater to the ever-evolving needs of data center networks.

Set to be released in Q3 2024, the CX864E-N switch boasts 64 powerful OSFP 800GbE ports, delivering a remarkable 51.2 Tbps Ethernet-based switching fabric solution. What sets this switch apart is its sleek and compact 2U form factor, while still offering power and fan tray redundancy for optimum performance and reliability, ensuring next-generation high-performance networking.

The phenomenal CX864E-N switch is built on the foundation of the Marvell Teralynx 10 Ethernet switch chip. This remarkable chip, based on a 5nm architecture, packs a punch with its impressive 51.2 Tbps capacity .It delivers the world’s fastest switch with port-to-port latency under 560ns for 800GE ports. As a single chip, Teralynx 10 has the capability to replace four 12.8T switches (equivalent to 32x 400GbE switches), resulting in an incredible 80% reduction in power consumption without compromising on capacity. Moreover, Teralynx 10 supports a wide range of real-time network telemetry, including P4 in-band network telemetry (INT), enabling predictive analytics, faster problem resolution, and automation. This versatility makes it ideal for diverse applications, including leaf and spine configurations in next-generation data center networks, as well as AI/ML and high-performance computing (HPC) fabrics.

Asterfusion CX864E-N 800G Ethernet Switch is optimized for:

• AI Training Fabric
• AI Inference Fabric
• Big data analytics
• Hyperscale data centers and cloud computing
• High Performance Computing (HPC)
• Network backbone (800GbE data center leaf/backbone)
• Ethernet Storage Fabric
• Supercomputer

The CX864E-N, as well as Asterfusion’s entire CX-N network switch portfolio, supports SONiC Community OS as well as the Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC Distribution – AsterNOS. In addition, Asterfusion CX864E-N integrates the Open Network Installation Environment (ONIE) installer into the CX864E-N to support other open and third-party network operating systems.

Asterfusion 800G Ethernet Switch Hardware Highlight:

• OSFP800 switch ports, each supporting 1 x 800 GbE (100G PAM4), or via breakout cables 2 x 400G GbE,4x 200 GbE, or 8 x 100 GbE.
• 512 x 112G Long Reach (LR) best-in-class SerDes, supporting 64x800G, 128x400G, or 512x100G interfaces via optical modules/splitters
• Up to 14.4Bpps of L2/L3 full wire-speed forwarding
• Load-aware per flowlet/packet balancing to prevent congestion and ensure efficient utilization of available bandwidth
• Extra two 10G SFP+ ports for network telemetry management on front panel
• Up to 24 W power budget per OSFP800 port.
• Incorporates Marvell Teralynx10 switch series silicon.
  • Offering the industry’s lowest port-to-port latency under 560ns for 800GE ports
  • Proven, robust 112G Serdes, the industry’s lowest bit error rate (BER).
  • Comprehensive data center feature set: including IP forwarding, tunneling, rich QoS and robust RDMA.
  • Programmable forwarding: offers permutable flex-forwarding to enable operators to program new packet forwarding protocols as network requirements evolve, with no compromise to throughput, latency or power.
  • Extensive real-time network telemetry, including P4 in-band network telemetry (INT).
  • Advanced shared buffering: 200+ MB of on-chip buffer, dynamically shared by every port, ensures superior network quality with fewer packet drops
• Intel Xeon 8-core CPU for line-rate programmability, enabling future networking protocols through software upgrades
• 2 RU form factor
• 10ns PTP and SyncE performance supports strictly synchronized AI parallel computing
• BMC module with serial-over-LAN support
• Supports hot/cold aisles with front-to-back airflow
• Hot-swappable, load-sharing, redundant 3200W AC PSUs.
• 3+1 hot-swappable fans
• Hardware switch pre-loaded with Open Network Install Environment (ONIE)
• Compatible with heterogeneous GPUs and SmartNICs from all leading vendors
• Line-rate programmability to support evolving UEC (Ultra Ethernet Consortium) standards
• Hardware switch pre-load with Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC Distribution (AsterNOS)

Enterprise SONiC Distribution (AsterNOS) Highlits:

◼ Pre-installed AsterNOS is an enterprise version of SONiC with SAI as the kernel
◼ Integrated rich L2/L3 network features, complete support for network virtualization, QoS policies and other services
◼ Advanced functional containerized & event-driven system architecture to accelerate network service development/customization
◼ Provides an open REST API interface that can be centrally managed and invoked by third-party applications such as cloud management platform
◼ Provides KLISH command line for traditional network engineers

800G Ethernet Switch Software features:

Ultra Low Latency Network

• Unmatched Speed: Featuring Marvell Teralynx10 silicon, the world’s fastest switch, with port-to-port latency under 560ns for 800GE ports. Perfect for latency-sensitive applications like AI/ML, HPC, and NVME.
• Enhanced Performance: RDMA enables direct memory access, improving latency performance to microsecond-level.

Lossless Network

• Zero packet loss: ROCEv2 ensures microsecond-level low latency, high throughput, and near-zero packet loss, ushering in an era of AI-driven network performance and reliability.
• Advanced Congestion Control: Benefit from rich QoS features including ECN, PFC, DCBX, QCN, DCQCN, and DCTCP for large-scale RDMA deployments.
• Intelligent Network Telemetry (INT): Monitor packet delays, drops, and path traversal for advanced congestion control algorithms.

High Reliability Network

• Robust Load Balancing and Redundancy: Up to 8192-way equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing.
• Seamless Connectivity: BGP multi-homing for multiple server connections with automatic load balancing and failover.
• Active/Active Multipathing: Multi-chassis link aggregation group (MC-LAG) for superior L2 multipathing.
• Rapid Failover: BFD for BGP and OSPF in just 50ms.

Time-Sensitive Network

• Precise Synchronization: Achieve 10ns PTP and SyncE performance, essential for synchronized AI parallel computing.

Automated O&M Network

• Effortless Operation: Integrated with Python and Ansible to support automated operations and maintenance.
• Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP): Automatically obtain and load deployment files, simplifying device setup.

Open Network

• Open Enterprise SONiC Distribution: AsterNOS provides the best SAI support, ensuring robust and reliable performance.
• Future-Proof: Line-rate programmability to support evolving UEC (Ultra Ethernet Consortium) standards.

Asterfusion RoCEv2 AI Network Solution with NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD

Embrace the Future of AI Data Center Network Infrastructure with Asterfusion

Overall, the reveal of the CX864E-N switch from Asterfusion showcases their commitment to innovation and addressing the ever-expanding demands of the data center network landscape. The enhanced performance, efficiency, and advanced features of the CX864E-N make it a valuable asset for industries reliant on AI, ML, and HPC.

Stay tuned for our 800G switch release in 2024,Q3!