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  RFP: Gigabit Ethernet Networks May 3, 1999
For 3Com Corp.'s Proposed Backbone Data Center graphic in PDF format 3Com's three-tier networking plan meets all the basic requirements, but the solution, which includes desktop NIC replacement, puts a significant burden on the network administrator.
3Com's CoreBuilder 9000 and CoreBuilder 3500 products make up the vendor's proposed core. The Layer 2-only CoreBuilder 9000 provides the necessary port density to support MediaMagik's campus backbone, while the CoreBuilder 3500 provides Layer 3 routing capability. This implementation makes the CoreBuilder 3500 a single point of failure in the network, a condition MediaMagik prefers to avoid. Should the CoreBuilder 3500 fail, no routing functionality would be available. At the edge, 3Com deploys four 24-port SuperStack II Switch 3300s, each with a Gigabit Ethernet uplink. Alternatively, 3Com offers a lower-cost solution that uses Fast Ethernet as the downlink from the wiring closet. We prefer the Gigabit Ethernet option because it provides a backbone with much higher performance. To its strength, 3Com builds in significant expandability. The network backbone can be expanded from 2 Gbps to 4 Gbps by adding more modules to the CoreBuilder 6000s. Likewise, 3Com plans integrated routing in the CoreBuilder 9000, which will remove the single points of failure in the current design. 3Com's pricing policy includes a 28 percent premium for a 24x7, four-hour replacement policy. Including 3,080 end-user ports, network management software, installation costs, training costs and a three-year, 24x7, four-hour support contract, the total cost of ownership is $791 per port, more than double HP's figure. Send your comments on this article to Joel Conover at jconover@nwc.com.
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