HPE 25GbE 48SFP28 12QSFP28 Power to Connector Airflow Switch SN3420M with NVIDIA Cumulus
In today's data-intensive environments, network performance can be the critical bottleneck that limits the ROI of your flash storage and hyperconverged infrastructure. Applications demand predictable, low-latency connectivity to function optimally, and traditional network hardware often struggles to keep pace with the bursty, high-throughput traffic generated by modern workloads.
The HPE 25GbE 48SFP28 12QSFP28 Power to Connector Airflow Switch SN3420M with NVIDIA Cumulus is engineered to eliminate these bottlenecks. Delivering a staggering 3.58 Bpps of throughput with zero packet loss at line-rate, this switch ensures your network can handle the most demanding server and storage traffic. With its ultra-low port-to-port latency of under 425 ns and high-density 25/100GbE ports in a compact 1U form factor, it provides the ideal foundation for building scalable, high-performance storage fabrics.
The HPE SN3420M is designed for maximum flexibility and performance. It combines 48 high-speed 25GbE SFP28 ports for server and storage connectivity with 12 versatile 100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports. This configuration allows for various blocking ratios, enabling you to design a cost-effective architecture tailored precisely to your application needs. The switch’s support for a wide range of speeds—from 1GbE to 100GbE—provides investment protection and a clear path for future network upgrades.
Powered by the open and flexible NVIDIA Cumulus Linux Network Operating System, the SN3420M integrates seamlessly into automated, software-defined data center environments. Its advanced buffering architecture is specifically designed for superior microburst absorption, ensuring fair and consistent performance for bursty traffic patterns common in storage, AI, and cloud workloads. This combination of hardware performance and software intelligence makes it a formidable solution for unleashing the full potential of your storage infrastructure.
Selecting the right high-performance switch is a critical decision that impacts your entire data center's efficiency and scalability. With numerous configurations and complex technical specifications, aligning a product's capabilities with specific business outcomes and existing infrastructure can be a significant challenge. Nexus ITX helps organizations navigate this complexity through a structured, requirements-focused evaluation process.
We facilitate a clear path to an informed decision, ensuring the chosen solution is a precise fit for your technical and operational goals. Our approach is centered on understanding your unique environment and performance needs before considering any specific hardware.
Q: What are the primary benefits of the HPE SN3420M's ultra-low latency?
A: The sub-425 nanosecond latency is crucial for modern storage systems, especially all-flash arrays. It minimizes the time data spends traversing the network, shifting the performance bottleneck away from the network and allowing the storage media to operate at its full potential. This results in faster application response times and higher storage ROI.
Q: How does the switch support port speed flexibility?
A: The SN3420M is highly versatile. Its 48 SFP28 ports can operate at 1, 10, or 25 GbE, while its 12 QSFP28 ports can operate at 40, 50, or 100 GbE. Furthermore, the 100GbE QSFP28 ports can be split into multiple lower-speed ports (e.g., 4x25GbE), offering exceptional flexibility to connect a diverse range of devices and scale connections as needed.
Q: What is NVIDIA Cumulus Linux, and why is it included?
A: NVIDIA Cumulus Linux is a powerful, open-source network operating system (NOS) based on Debian. Including it with the SN3420M allows for greater automation, customization, and visibility using familiar Linux tools. It enables organizations to manage their network switches like servers, simplifying operations and integrating seamlessly into DevOps and NetDevOps workflows.
Q: What does "zero packet loss at line-rate" mean for my applications?
A: It means the switch can forward traffic at its maximum theoretical capacity (3.58 billion packets per second) across all ports simultaneously, regardless of the packet size, without dropping any data. This ensures predictable, consistent, and reliable performance for your most critical applications, even under heavy load.
Q: How does the "Power to Connector Airflow" design benefit my data center?
A: "Power to Connector Airflow" (also known as front-to-back airflow) means that cool air is pulled in from the front of the switch (port side) and exhausted out the back (power supply side). This aligns with the standard hot-aisle/cold-aisle cooling design of most data centers, improving thermal efficiency and preventing hot air from recirculating into server intakes.
Q: How can Nexus ITX help me determine if this is the right switch for my HCI environment?
A: Nexus ITX can help you analyze the specific east-west traffic patterns and latency requirements of your HCI cluster. We can assist in evaluating how the SN3420M's performance, port density, and buffering capabilities align with the demands of your HCI platform to ensure stable, high-performance internode communication.
Contact us to evaluate how the SN3420M's performance and density can align with your specific data center and storage network architecture.
