Hitachi Cable, Ltd. has released a newly-developed version of its Apresia *1 Ethernet *2 Switch. A 4th-Generation Apresia product, the Apresia4348GT is a Gigabit Ethernet Layer-2 Switch that provides support for 10/100/1000BASE-T on all 48 of its downlink ports.

Recent years have seen steady growth of applications based on image and voice data, as well as growing numbers of PCs supporting Gigabit Ethernet and the emergence of networks integrating data on the server rather than on user terminals in order to safeguard personal information. These trends have created growing demand for network switches that support high-capacity data communications.

To meet this demand, Hitachi Cable has offered the Apresia4224GT-PSR, a product in the Apresia series equipped with 24 downlink ports supporting 10/100/1000BASE-T. The Apresia4348GT, of which Hitachi Cable recently launched sales, offers 48 downlink ports supporting 10/100/1000BASE-T installed in a 1-U chassis (4.5 cm high; compatible with 19-inch racks), giving it the capacity to accommodate more clients than traditional products in corporate and other networks that handle high-capacity data communications.

The Apresia4348GT also provides QoS functions based on eight-stage priority control of packets and bandwidth control in 64 kbps chunks. When used with IP phones, these QoS functions enable high-quality voice data networks. Hitachi Cable intends to implement Apresia4348GT with "Apresia NA (Network Authentication)," Hitachi Cable's unique authentication function with an established track record of reliability and accuracy *3. Combined with a RADIUS server, the Apresia4348GT will maintain high network security.

To implement even more advanced refinements of these features, the Apresia4348GT is equipped with the latest hardware for the 4th Generation series, which incorporates a new high-performance switch LSI, continuing the tradition of hardware performance established with the 3rd Generation. It also provides the Advanced Access-List *4 in complete compliance with IPv6. In the future, we plan to extend the authentication function and protection functions to guard against network attacks.

Hitachi Cable has already received informal orders for approximately 500 units of the Apresia4348GT. Through our sales partners, we plan to sustain efforts to increase shares in the Ethernet switch market for communications carriers and enterprises.

Classification of Apresia switches by generation

Generation OS Switch LSI Main features 1st Model-specific Existing products Apresia NA, MMRP *5 2nd AEOS *6 Existing products Apresia NA, MMRP, RSTP *7, MSTP *8, PIM-SM *9 3rd AEOS New LSI for 3rd-generation Apresia Apresia NA, MMRP, RSTP, MSTP, PIM-SM, Stacked VLAN *10, Bandwidth control and guarantee in 64 kbps chunks; High-speed, stable hardware routing; Various packet filter settings 4th AEOS New LSI for 4th-generation Apresia Apresia NA *3, MMRP, RSTP, MSTP, PIM-SM, Stacked VLAN, Bandwidth control and guarantee in 64 kbps chunks; High-speed, stable hardware routing in compliance with IPv6; Various packet filter settings based on Advanced Access-List (IPv6-compliant)

Major Specifications of Apresia4348GT

(Specifications are subject to change without notice.)

Item Specifications Basic configuration Main unit Interface * SFP(SW) x4 10-T/100-TX/1000-T(SW) x 48 10-T/100-TX (manager) x1  Power supply 100-120/200-240VAC 50-60Hz Power consumption 150 W or less Approximate mass 6 kg or less External dimensions 436 mm (W) x 370 mm (D) x 43.8 mm (H) Operating temperature 0 to +50 degrees Celsius Bandwidth control Maximum bandwidth control in 64 kbps chunks Flow control IEEE 802.3x Flow control VLAN 802.1Q VLAN (4094 Group) * The number of switch ports simultaneously available is 48. The SFP module is an extra-cost option.

External appearance of Apresia4348GT

*1	Apresia is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. in Japan.
*2	Ethernet is a registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Corporation.
*3	The Apresia NA function is expected to be implemented in the Apresia4348GT at the end of June 2006.
*4	Advanced-Access-List is an advanced, augmented filtering function that supports detailed frame identification from Layers 1 through 4, including IPv6 header information. It can flexibly specify various actions to the target frame, including permission, destruction, mirror, QoS, remarking, and policing (in 64 kbps chunks). It also provides a function for monitoring flow using a counter based on high-speed hardware processing.
*5	MMRP stands for Multi Master Ring Protocol, a fast switching function for Ethernet ring. MMRP is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. in Japan.
*6	AEOS is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. in Japan.
*7	RSTP stands for Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol. Standardized in IEEE 802.1w, it offers faster switching than conventional switching protocols.
*8	MSTP stands for Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol. Standardized in IEEE 802.1s, it can operate STP per single domain and supports load distribution redundancy per VLAN Group.
*9	PIM-SM is a Multicast Routing Protocol that exchanges Multicast Group information between Layer-3 switches.
*10	Stacked VLAN is an extended VLAN that supports further encapsulation of IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tags and enables switching with double-tagged VLAN frames.