S6520X-54QC-EI Series Switches

H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series is the next-generation high-density 10GE core/aggregation Ethernet switches. It offers powerful switching, high-density 10GE/40GE line-rate forwarding, and a variety of Layer 3 features. The switch supports two hot-swappable power modules and fan modules.

Large table size for next generation campus network

S6520X-EI/HI switch series is the first of its kind in enterprise to provide large table size for next generation campus, which brings customer highly flexibly to be deployed as mini-core of small and middle size campus network, access of carrier network or leaf node in latest EVPN solution.

EVPN (Ethernet Virtual Private Network)

H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series supports MP-BGP EVPN (Multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol Ethernet Virtual Private Network) uses standard-based BGP protocol as the control plane for VXLAN overlay networks, providing BGP based VTEP auto peer discovery and end-host reachability information distribution. MP-BGP EVPN delivers many benefits, such as eliminating traffic flooding, reducing full mesh requirements between VTEPs via the introduction of BGP RR, achieving optimal flow based end to end load sharing and more.

Open application architecture

In H3C open application architecture (OAA), the switch can accommodate high-performance OAP modules to offer dedicated services such as firewall, IPS, or load balancing in addition to conventional forwarding services. By installing OAP modules, the switch can be used as a multiservice device without separated service appliances, such as a firewall device.

High-density 10GE forwarding

The switch offers high-density 10GE forwarding and can expand 10GE ports flexibly. It provides forty-eight 10/1GE autosensing SFP+ ports, two QSFP ports, and two expansion slots that support 10GE/40GE fiber interface modules. Using a QSFP to SFP+ splitter cable, you can split a QSFP port into four line-rate 10GE SFP+ ports.

Industry leading 100G uplink switch

H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series brings the latest HC series to the family, which features fixed 2-port 100G QSFP28 interface, together with 2-port 100G expansion module, one S6520X HC model can provide upto 6 100G QSFP28 ports.

Smart Management Center (SmartMC)

SmartMC is H3C’s latest offering and innovation that helps small and middle size enterprise network to address management issue and is free of charge, easy to use web management tool. SmartMC is embedded network management tool into the switch, it includes commander switches and other access switches.

SmartMC delivers the following benefits:

• Intelligent operation: once the switch is powered on and SmartMC function is enabled, topology will be created automatically and user can go enhanced web GUI to check the latest status.
• Centralized management: all management can be achieved via commander switch such as centralized configuration backup, and software version management, increasing working efficiency.
• One key device replacement: in case of one switch failure, the new added same type switch can download the same configuration and work as old switch immediately

H3C Intelligent Resilient Framework 2 technology

H3C Intelligent Resilient Framework 2 (IRF 2) virtualizes multiple S6520X-EI/HI switch series into one virtual switch and provides the following benefits:

• Scalability—IRF 2 allows you to add devices to the IRF 2 system easily. It provides a single point of management, enables switch plug-and-play, and supports software auto-update for software synchronization from the master to the new member devices. It brings business agility with lower total cost of ownership by allowing new switches to be added to the fabric without network topology change as business grows.
• High availability—The H3C proprietary routing hot backup technology ensures redundancy and backup of all information on the control and data planes and non-stop Layer 3 data forwarding in an IRF 2 fabric. It also eliminates single point of failure and ensures service continuity.
• Redundancy and load balancing—The distributed link aggregation technology supports load sharing and mutual backup among multiple uplinks, which enhances the network redundancy and improves link resources usage.
• Flexibility and resiliency—The switch uses standard 10/40GE ports instead of specialized ports for IRF links between IRF member devices. This allows customers to assign bandwidth as needed between uplink, downlink, and IRF system connections. In addition, an S6520X-EI/HI IRF fabric can span a rack, multiple racks, or multiple campuses.

Wide range of features

H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series offers a wide range of features, including:

• Modular hardware and software design—The switch uses modular, hot swapping, and redundancy design for hardware, including power modules and fan trays. The switch also uses modular design for software, which enables feature installation and removal on an as-needed basis. Refined physical architecture and optimized software workflows greatly reduce the end-to-end packet processing delay.
• Software-defined networking (SDN)—An innovative network architecture that separates the control plane from the forwarding plane, typically by using OpenFlow. SDN significantly simplifies network management, reduces maintenance complexities and costs, enables flexible traffic management, and offers a good platform for network and application innovations.
• Virtual eXtensible LAN(VXLAN)—A MAC-in-UDP technology that provides Layer 2 connectivity between distant network sites across an IP network. VXLAN enables long-distance virtual machine and data mobility and is typically used in data centers and the access layer of campus networks for multitenant services. The H3C implementation of VXLAN supports automatic VXLAN tunnel establishment with EVPN.
• In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) and Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM)—Ensure business continuity and improve Ethernet management and maintainability.

Comprehensive security control policies

H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series supports AAA authentications (including RADIUS authentication) and dynamic or static binding of user identifiers such as user account, IP address, MAC address, VLAN, and port number.

Using the switch in conjunction with H3C iMC, you can manage and monitor online users in real time and take prompt action on illegitimate behaviors.

The switch offers a large number of inbound and outbound ACLs and VLAN-based ACL assignment. This simplifies configurations and saves ACL resources.

High availability

In addition to node and link protection, H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series offers the following hardware high availability features:

• 1+1 power module redundancy and 1+1 fan tray redundancy.
• Hot-swappable interface modules.
• Automatic power and fan tray status monitoring and alarming mechanisms.
• Automatic fan speed adjustment based on the change in temperature.
• Self-protection mechanisms that protect power modules against overcurrent, overvoltage, and over temperature conditions.

Outstanding management capacity

H3C S6520X-EI/HI switch series provides a variety of management features and is easy to manage. It offers the following device management features:

• Provides multiple management interfaces, including the console port, out-of-band management Ethernet port, and USB port.
• Supports configuration and management from CLI or a general-purpose Web-based manager, including H3C IMC Intelligent Management Center.
• Supports multiple access methods, including SNMPv1/v2c/v3, Telnet, and more secure SSH 2.0 and SSL.
• Uses OAM to enhance system management capability.
• Supports FTP for system upgrade.