HP Makes More Energy Efficient Ethernet Switches

Hewlett-Packard is rolling out what officials say are the first energy-efficient network switch modules from a major vendor that adopt the new EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) standard and takes advantage of new HP software to further drive efficiency and performance.

The 10 new E-Series zl modules also are another key differentiator for HP as it ramps up the competition against top networking vendor Cisco Systems, according to HP officials.

The IEEE Energy Efficient Ethernet standard, or IEEE 802.3az, is designed to automatically adjust the power consumption of IT devices based on the actual network traffic running between switches and other networked devices, a capability designed to reduce the overall power usage, according to HP.

The vendor’s new E-Series zl modules, for HP’s E8200 zl and E5400 zl networking platforms, can enter in to a sleep mode when there is no traffic being sent. The sleep mode not only lets EEE-enable devices to use consume less power while idling than they would idling at full power, but also to power up instantly when network traffic starts flowing. Combined with HP’s use of new ASICs, the modules can help cut the power consumption of the Ethernet ports by more than half.

For more, read the eWeek article: HP Makes Ethernet Switches More Energy Efficient.