Extreme networks Summit X450a-24x 16155 Data Sheet

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Summit X450a Series—Page 3

When deployed as an access switch, 
Summit X450a, with its modular 10 
gigabit integrated fiber gigabit ports, 
provides the bandwidth required by the 
most demanding applications. With more 
than 20 gigabits of uplink capacity, uplink 
bandwidth bottlenecks are eliminated. 
Providing line-rate throughput and 
supporting jumbo frames up to 9,216 
bytes, Summit X450a allows transfers to 
be completed in minimal time. 

The Summit X450a switches provide ideal 
performance and functionalities for the 
aggregation layer. They eliminate the need 
to funnel traffic through a low bandwidth 
gigabit trunk by providing non-blocking 10 
gigabit links to the core. As an option 
module, Summit X450a provides a variety 
of choices for 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks: 
dual port 10GBASE-T for UTP connectivity, 
dual port SFP+ for fiber and passive copper 
connectivity, dual port XFP and dual port 
XENPAK.

Aggregation switches are located in the 
network crossroads with high-density 
traffic from many users. Because of its 
location, every connection to and from an 
aggregation switch must be redundant in 
order to allow a safe failover of traffic to a 
secondary path in case of link or device 
failure. The Summit X450a series offers 
superior link redundancy features that 
provide a highly available aggregation layer. 

For example, where voice-grade resiliency 
is required, EAPS allows links to failover 
rapidly so that voice call sessions are not 
dropped. Other link resiliency features 
include OSPF, ECMP and VRRP, providing 
standards-based Layer 3 dual homing, 
ESRP that offers dual homing at both 
Layer 2 and Layer 3, and a unique software 
redundant port that does not require any 
loop detection protocol and is easy to 
configure. 

Supporting core deployments requires full 
protocol support. Summit X450a switches 
support advanced protocols for an efficient 
and productive small network core. The 
switches provide static, RIP and Edge-OSPF 
protocols with policy-based routing 
capabilities. An optional ExtremeXOS core 
license extends the feature set to include 
other important core functions such as:  

•  Full OSPF for much greater extensibility 

than RIP can provide 

•  BGP for inter-autonomous system 

forwarding 

•  PIM, sparse and dense modes for 

routing of multicast streams 

•  IPv6 hardware forwarding with 

OSPFv3 

•  IPv6 tunnels, IPv6-to-IPv4 translation, 

and IPv6 multicast discovery for 
extensive IPv6 support 

The Summit X450a series provides eight 
hardware queues per port to support 
granular traffic classification, and up to 
2,048 centralized ACLs per 24-port block 
that can use information from Layers 1 – 4 
to prioritize and meter incoming packets at 
line-rate. When metering traffic, the switches 
can drop out-of-spec traffic or flag it for 
later action. To expedite upstream traffic 
handling, a packet’s classification can be 
carried forward with Layer 2 (802.1p) and 
Layer 3 (DiffServ) markings. Summit X450a 
provides advanced traffic management 
features that support the high quality triple 
play of voice, video and data services. 

Summit X450a switches support  
Extreme Networks vMAN tag stacking 
mechanism, which is compliant with the 
IEEE 802.1ad Provider Bridges standard. 
vMAN allows service providers to aggregate 
subscribers by using stacked Q-tags.  

Summit X450a switches provide low 
latency and hardware-based support for 
multicast traffic, making them excellent 
solutions for IPTV deployment over Carrier 
Ethernet infrastructures. The DC-powered 
version of Summit X450a switches provides 
an internal DC PSU and an optional 
redundant PSU and can be deployed in a 
POP where AC is not available.