In this exhilarating era of the information explosion, we are witnessing an unparalleled surge in data. This information tsunami is exerting immense pressure on enterprise networks, driving them to upgrade to 25G/10G infrastructures.

In this article, we will highlight a range of Asterfusion SONiC 25G/10G switches that cater to the diverse budgetary and performance needs of various users, showcasing their unique advantages and versatile application scenarios. Additionally, we will explore how Asterfusion 25G/10G switches ingeniously integrate data center design concepts into campus networks, enhancing both performance and efficiency.

What is 25G/10G switch？

A 25G switch, or 25 Gigabit Ethernet switch, is a network switch that provides 25 Gbps (gigabits per second) connectivity. These switches are used in modern data centers and enterprise networks to offer high-speed data transfer and greater network bandwidth. They bridge the gap between the more common 10G and 40G switches, providing an efficient upgrade path for organizations looking to enhance their network performance without jumping directly to 40G or 100G speeds.

10G Ethernet is a high-speed Ethernet technology, an Ethernet standard under the 802.3ae specification, with transmission rates of up to 10 gigabits per second, which is ten times the speed of Gigabit Ethernet. Therefore, 10G Ethernet provides greater bandwidth and faster data transfer for situations that require high-performance network connectivity.

Application scenarios of 25G/10G open network switches

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, 25G/10G switches play a pivotal role across various network layers, enhancing connectivity and performance in diverse environments. Let’s explore how these powerful switches are utilized in different settings:

1. Enterprise Networks: Within the bustling corridors of an enterprise, 25G/10G switches serve as the backbone of connectivity. Acting as access layer switches, they seamlessly connect employees’ computers, IP phones, and wireless access points, ensuring that everyone enjoys high-speed network access. In larger enterprises, these switches transition to the aggregation layer, efficiently consolidating traffic from different departments or floors and channeling it to the core layer. This dual functionality not only boosts performance but also simplifies network management.
2. Home Networks: For tech-savvy families with a plethora of devices, 25G/10G switches are game-changers. They function as access layer devices, linking computers, smart TVs, and gaming consoles to create a supercharged home network. This enhanced connectivity translates to faster intranet transmission speeds, allowing for smooth streaming, gaming, and browsing experiences without the dreaded lag.
3. Data Centers: In the heart of data centers, 25G/10G switches are indispensable. Positioned in the access layer, they provide lightning-fast network access and ensure stable data transmission between servers. Additionally, these switches can connect to storage devices, supporting the high bandwidth demands of data storage and retrieval. This capability is crucial for maintaining the efficiency and reliability that modern data centers require.

By understanding the diverse applications of 25G/10G switches, organizations and individuals alike can make informed decisions to enhance their network performance and meet the demands of an increasingly connected world.

Introduction of Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC 25G/10G layer3 leaf switches

The Asterfusion SONiC 10G/25G switches are designed to elevate the performance of enterprise campus networks, primarily operating in the access and aggregation layers. With a variety of models available, including the CX20P series and CX204Y series for 10G switches, as well as the CX202P-24Y-M-H and CX308P-48Y-N-V2 for 25G switches, these devices are engineered to meet diverse networking needs.

Asterfusion Open Networking Switches: Enterprise SONiC 10G Switch

CX20P Series: Feature-Rich, Cost-Effective Layer 3 Switches

The CX20P Series switches from Asterfusion are engineered for excellence, powered by Marvell Aldrin chips. These switches offer a versatile selection of configurations, featuring 16, 24, or 48 10G SFP+ downlink ports that are backwards compatible with 1G connections. Additionally, they come equipped with 2 or 6 100G QSFP28 uplink ports, which also support 40G connections.

The Asterfusion 25G/10G switch comes with our enhanced enterprise-grade SONiC NOS pre-installed, offering more features and quicker updates than the community version. It also includes advanced virtualization capabilities, like VXLAN and BGP-EVPN, that are typically absent in standard campus switches.

Although AsterNOS is feature-rich, Asterfusion is willing to provide the most cost-effective products as an emerging white-box vendor. As an example, for a Layer 3 switch with 48x10Gb SFP+ uplink interfaces and 6x100Gb QSFP28 downlink interfaces, Asterfusion’s CX206P-48S can retail for less than $2,800, making it a very cost-effective access switch, with prices for similar configurations ranging from around $4,700 for FS to $5,700 for Edgecore. Asterfusion’s CX206P-48S is a very cost-effective access switch.

CX204Y-48S：Best Value for Money on the Market: Incredibly Affordable Layer 3 Switch

The CX204Y-48S is a feature-rich 10G switch with 48 uplink interfaces for 10G SFP+ and four downlink interfaces for 25G SFP28. Its compact design, about half the depth of similar switches on the market, measures just 440 × 220 × 44 mm, making it easy to install in a wall-mounted network cabinet. This makes it ideal for corridor placement in operators’ optical fiber to the home setups.

Offering the same rich software features as the CX20P series but at half the price, the CX204Y-48S stands out as the most cost-effective campus Layer 3 switch available today.

Asterfusion 10G optical module choices :SFP+ & RJ-45 Packaging

While the Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC 10GbE switches are all SFP+ ports, the supported 10GBASE-T transceiver modules include both SFP and RJ-45 ports, as shown below:

Asterfusion Open Networking Switches: SONiC Enterprise 25G Switch

Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC 25G switches are categorized into two models, CX202P-24Y-M-H and CX308P-48Y-N-V2. Like 10G switches, they are pre-installed with enhanced enterprise SONiC NOS with rich and diverse interfaces, and Asterfusion provides different port choices for different users’ budgets. Due to the different chipset, there are some differences in the performance of these two 25G switches.

CX202P-24Y-M-H: More flexible, feature-rich 25G switches

The CX202P-24Y-M-H from Asterfusion is a robust 25G switch designed to cater to a variety of networking needs across different layers of a three-tiered campus network. With 24 x 25G SFP28 downlink ports (backward compatible with 10G) and 2 x 100G QSFP28 uplink ports (backward compatible with 40G), this switch is highly adaptable, serving effectively in the access, aggregation, and core layers, as well as functioning as a leaf switch in data center environments.

Equipped with the Enterprise SONiC Distribution, the CX202P-24Y-M-H offers a rich set of software features that enhance its functionality. The integration of the Marvell Aldrin3 chip elevates its performance significantly compared to its predecessor, the Aldrin2. Key advantages include:

• Enhanced Chip Programmability: The Aldrin3 chip provides greater programmability, allowing for more tailored configurations to meet specific network needs.
• Increased Message Cache Capacity: This ensures efficient handling of data packets, particularly during high or bursty traffic scenarios.
• Higher TCAM Capacity: A larger TCAM capacity supports more complex and flexible network configurations and security policies.
• Improved PCIe Interface: This facilitates better integration with other network devices and enhances overall performance.

As a result, when faced with high or bursty traffic, the CX202P-24Y-M-H demonstrates superior load balancing capabilities, ensuring reliability and stability in data transmission. It also supports more complex network configurations, adapting to a wider array of application scenarios and improving overall data processing speeds while reducing latency.

Despite these upgrades, the CX202P-24Y-M-H is priced competitively, matching the cost of the CX20P series switches. This makes it an incredibly cost-effective option for organizations looking to enhance their network infrastructure without exceeding their budgets. Users benefit from advanced capabilities while enjoying significant savings.

CX308P-48Y-N-V2: Data center grade 25G campus switch

Both the CX308P-48Y-N-V2 and the CX202P-24Y-M-H switches come pre-installed with Asterfusion’s enhanced enterprise-grade SONiC NOS. However,the CX308P-48Y-N-V2 is equipped with the NOS specifically optimized for data center environments.

Unlike the other switches mentioned above, the CX308P-48Y-N-V2 uses the Falcon chip, which is far more powerful than the Marvell Aldrin3 in every statistic,this makes it suitable for deployment as a top-of-rack (ToR) switch, focusing on high-performance networking within data centers,which makes it perform better in advanced features such as virtualization, VxLAN tunneling, and system management than CX202P-24Y-M-H.

In terms of port count, the CX308P has 48 25G downstream ports, which is twice the number of ports of the CX202P, and eight 100G upstream ports, which greatly improves the bandwidth, reliability, and scalability of the network, thus providing users with a better network experience and management convenience.

(The yellow markings in the figure are the functions that can be realized by CX308P-48Y-N-V2, and the unmarked ones are the functions that can be realized by both CX308P-48Y-N-V2 and CX202P-24Y-M-H.)

Having discussed the performance advantages of the CX308P-48Y-N-V2 and CX202P-24Y-M-H switches, it’s essential to turn our attention to another critical component that complements these switches: 25G optical modules. These modules are vital for enabling high-speed data transmission, extending network coverage, and enhancing overall network performance.

Asterfusion 25G optical module choices

According to the encapsulation form and transmission medium, 25G optical modules are mainly divided into SFP28 optical modules, CWDM and DWDM optical modules, AOC (Active Optical Cable) and DAC (Directly Attached Copper Cable), Asterfusion has both SFP28 optical modules as well as AOCs and DACs, which can be selected by users according to their needs.

Build Data Center Grade Campus Network with Asterfusion Open Network Switches

The Asterfusion Cloud-enabled Campus solution brings data center technology to the campus, introducing cloud-based Spine-Leaf open architecture to the campus network, and is designed to facilitate the transformation to a more open, secure, and non-flooded next-generation campus network.

For more:https://cloudswit.ch/blogs/asterfusion-data-center-campus-network-switch/

1.Pure Layer 3 network forwarding to avoid loop risk

Asterfusion cloud clusters all utilize a Layer 3 network, avoiding the risk of Ethernet loops and broadcast storms found in traditional Layer 2 campus networks. In addition, it fully utilizes network resources compared to a Layer 2 network running STP.

For simplicity, the cloud cluster uses unified BGP instead of the complex IGP+EGF architecture. MP-BGP is used to synchronize routing information between different subnets and distributed gateways. By utilizing the ECMP load sharing capability of the L3 network, all bandwidth between switches can be fully utilized for the transmission of packets, thus improving performance.

2.Remove stacking and using ECMP to achieve a more secure network

In the traditional campus network, stacking technology is frequently employed to ensure highly reliable access services for specific terminals. However, with the advent of cloud computing, the issue of stacking has gradually come to the fore. Asterfusion CLOS-based spine-leaf cloud campus architecture preserves the benefits of stacking while addressing some of its shortcomings. This solution eliminates the necessity for the stacking of intricate networking logic, device configuration, and vulnerable state synchronisation. Instead, the entire campus device network will function as a vast virtual switch with thousands of access ports, all of which can be managed in a unified manner. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://cloudswit.ch/blogs/asterfusion-next-generation-campus-networks-bye-stacking/.

3.Strong scalability, maximum access to 3200K terminals

Asterfusion uses Spine-Leaf network architecture, which can easily cope with the rapid expansion of campus network, and realize 3200K terminal access through open network technology.For more:https://cloudswit.ch/blogs/campus-network-scalability-3200k-accesses/

4.Free Management Software: Asterfusion OpenWifi Compatible Controller – Asteria

Managing a large number of switches can present significant challenges, often requiring extensive time for manual configuration, ongoing management, and regular upgrades. Asterfusion’s SONiC-based 10G switches address these issues by offering complimentary management software, the Asterfusion OpenWifi Controller—Asteria. This software features a user-friendly management interface that facilitates comprehensive monitoring and management of Wi-Fi access points, as well as Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches, ensuring no blind spots in oversight. By streamlining these processes, Asteria allows IT operations and maintenance personnel to concentrate on more strategic initiatives while ensuring the network operates efficiently and effectively. This enhances overall productivity and reliability in network management.

Optimize your network with the Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC 25G/10G Switches!

Experience the power of an open and flexible operating system with the Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC 10G/25G switches. Designed with rich Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality, these switches offer versatile ports and come equipped with free management software, making it easier than ever to configure and monitor your network.

With a variety of models available, Asterfusion provides a comprehensive selection of 10G and 25G switches and optical modules to meet your specific needs. These products are not only at the forefront of industry performance, but they also enhance the overall efficiency of your network, delivering an exceptional price/performance ratio that ensures you receive the best value for your investment.

By choosing Asterfusion, you are making a smart decision to elevate your network management capabilities. Embrace this new era of networking with solutions that prioritize performance, flexibility, and scalability. Experience the difference with Asterfusion and transform the way you manage your network today!

If you have a need to build a data center network or enterprise network, you can contact us at bd@cloudswit.ch .

Reference

Unlock the Power of Campus Network with Asterfusion SONiC Gigabit Switches