IBM BladeCenter Layer 2-7 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module

The IBM BladeCenter Layer 2-7 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module serves as a switching and routing fabric for the IBM BladeCenter server chassis. It also introduces Layer 4-7 functionality for application-based and server-based load balancing, advanced filtering, content-aware intelligence, embedded security services, and persistence support. The Switch Module supplies four Gigabit Ethernet External copper ports, 14 Gigabit Ethernet internal ports and two 10/100 Ethernet management ports.

The IBM BladeCenter Layer 2-7 Gigabit Ethernet Switch is the only blade switch in the industry to provide enhancements to the standard Layer 2 switching functions by introducing Layer 3 Routing, Layer 4 through Layer 7 Virtual Server Load Balancing, application availability, and security features consolidated into a standard form factor I/O module. It supports up to 300,000 simultaneous Layer 2 through Layer 7 sessions and full wire-speed packet forwarding for all connections. This switch is ideal for infrastructure applications requiring load balancing such as TCP/UDP, firewalls, VPN, SIP for Voice-over-IP, Microsoft Terminal Server (RDP), and IBM Enterprise Workload Manager.