The Linley Group

A Guide to Backplane Switch Chips,
Fifth Edition

Formerly "A Guide to Switch Fabrics"

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2006

Authors: Jag Bolaria and Bob Wheeler
Price: $2,995 (single copy)
Pages: 150

What's New in this Edition
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables

Ordering Information

PDF (145 KB) This downloadable PDF contains the complete table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, preface and executive summary.

An In-Depth Look at Backplane Switches

Market research firms are forecasting strong growth for data center applications, which include blade servers and storage networking equipment. This projected growth is fueling new switching solutions for the data center. Backplane switch requirements vary between networking and data center applications. Additionally, backplane switches for networking application have traditionally been proprietary ASICs, leaving little room for merchant vendors. In contrast, OEMs of data center equipment want standard and converged solutions for the backplane. Consequently several vendors are developing backplane switches specifically for data center applications.

"A Guide to Backplane Switch Chips" provides extensive coverage of processors for backplane switches and fabrics. Traditional switch-fabrics target primarily networking applications, while new backplane switching chips target data center applications. The report provides coverage of switch components from Fulcrum Microsystems, StarGen, Fujitsu, and NextIO. This edition includes new products from Enigma, PMC-Sierra, and Mercury Computer. Also covered are proprietary switches, RapidIO switches, ASI switches as well as Ethernet switches for the backplane. In addition, the report delivers background on data center equipment—such as blade servers and Ethernet over the backplane.

"A Guide to Backplane Switch Chips" brings you up to date on the traditional fabric vendors and their products, including the latest information on acquisitions and consolidations. It also delivers competitive analysis for different types of switches and fabrics.

Get the Facts Fast

"A Guide to Backplane Switch Chips" is your ultimate guide for this dynamic market. The report covers switch and fabric requirements, features, architectures, and trends. Following these invaluable introductory sections is complete coverage of who's doing what, from the market leaders to the latest startups.

The report delivers in-depth analysis of each vendor and each product, explores the strengths and weaknesses and presents key details in a consistent, easy to compare fashion. Particular attention is paid to features, performance, architecture, system design, and vendor roadmaps along with our own analysis and conclusions. The report also provides market growth trends and forecasts of the available business opportunities.

Make Informed Decisions

This report doesn't simply recycle vendors' words and diagrams; every word is written by senior analysts Jag Bolaria and Bob Wheeler bringing you the same deep analysis and technology savvy as in other reports from The Linley Group.

Whether you are looking for the right backplane switch chip for your application or seeking to partner with or invest in a backplane switch company, this report will cut your research time and save you money. Make the smart decision. Order "A Guide to Backplane Switch Chips" today.

This report is written for:

• Engineers who are designing switches, routers, or blade servers that need to select a backplane switch chip.
• Marketing and engineering staff at companies that sell backplane switches who desire competitive information.
• Technology professionals who wish an introduction to backplane-switch architectures and technology.
• Financial analysts and investment professionals who desire a detailed analysis of backplane switcch vendors and their chances of success.
• Press and public-relations professionals who need to get up to speed on this new technology.