Alcatel-Lucent adds networking to enhance the cloud

Alcatel-Lucent has developed an architecture that addresses the networking aspects of cloud computing. Dubbed CloudBand, the system will enable operators to deliver network-enhanced cloud services to enterprise customers. Operators can also use CloudBand to deliver their own telecom services.  

“As far as we know there is no other system that bridges the gap between the network and the cloud"

Dor Skuler, Alcatel-Lucent

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Calient brings optical switching to the data centre

Calient Technologies has redesigned its 3D MEMS optical switch technology to address emerging data centre and cloud computing requirements.

Source: Calient

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Fulcrum's Alta switch chips add programmable pipeline to keep pace with standards

Briefing:  Data centre switching 

Part 2: Ethernet switch chips

Fulcrum Microsystems has announced its latest FocalPoint chip family of Ethernet switches. The Alta FM6000 series family supports up to 72 10-Gigabit ports and can process over one billion packets a second.

“Instead of every top-of-rack switch having a CPU subsystem, you could put all the horsepower into a set of server blades”

Gary Lee, Fulcrum Microsystems

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Is Broadcom’s chip powering Juniper’s Stratus?

Briefing:  Data centre switching

Part 1: Single-layer switch architectures

Juniper Networks’ Stratus switch architecture, designed for next-generation data centres, is several months away from trials. First detailed in 2009, Stratus is being engineered as a single-layer switch with an architecture that will scale to support tens of thousands of 10 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) ports.

Stratus will be in customer trials in early 2011.

Andy Ingram, Juniper Networks

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Retweet

"It's a bit like working with your wife; it has its ups and downs."

Siraj ElAhmadi, CEO of Menara Networks, on what it is like working with his brother, Salam, who is the company's CTO.

Titbits and tweets you may have missed

• ENISA has published a comprehensive report entitled Cloud Computing: Benefits, risks and recommendations for information security. The 125-page report can be downloaded from the ENISA site, click here.

• There is also a SecureCloud 2010 conference coming up in March involving ENISA and the Cloud Security Alliance, click here for details.

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Cloud computing: where telecoms and IT collide

IT directors worldwide are considering whether it makes financial sense to move their computing resources offsite into the 'cloud'. Roy Rubenstein assesses the potential opportunities for network operators and equipment vendors.

Cloud computing is the latest industry attempt to merge computing with networking. While previous efforts have all failed, the gathering evidence suggests that cloud computing may have got things right this time. Indeed it is set to have a marked effect on how enterprises do business, while driving the growth of network traffic and new switch architectures for the data centre.

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