ONPATH Launches All-Optical Switching Blade To Support Applications Up To 100Gbps And Beyond

ONPATH Technologies, the leader in scalable connectivity and monitoring solutions for high performance networks, today announced the release of an all-optical blade, called the O-Blade. The O-Blade uses a 3D MEMS-based optical switch supporting 96 ports of non-blocking, any-to-any optical connectivity. The O-Blade has been designed to operate in the same physical UCS 3900 chassis as the company's other switching blades. It can be simultaneously managed locally or remotely through ONPATH's HorizON management software.

ONPATH's O-Blade supports all optical protocols and speeds, from the lowest to the highest, including new 16 Gbps Fibre Channel and 40 and 100 Gbps Ethernet devices that are currently cost- prohibitive in electrical switching technologies. Special applications, including WDM (wavelength-division multiplexing), RF (radio frequency), video networking, lawful intercept, and proprietary protocols are also now enabled. Unlike some 3D MEMS-based optical switches, the O-Blade optimizes connections without the need to constantly perform dithering, a process which can increase bit error rates (BER) in networks that have little tolerance for such events. As the O-Blade is an all-photonic solution, it offers incredible investment protection for future network upgrades to even higher speeds. With a  latency of less than 5 ns, the O-Blade is perfectly suited for applications that are ultra sensitive to delay.  
The O-Blade is a complement to ONPATH's universal switching blades (S-Blades) that provide any-to-any connectivity supporting Ethernet, Fibre Channel and SONET applications within the same blade across a range of data rates from 1Gbps to 10Gbps. The lower initial cost and unlimited TAP and multicast features in the S-Blade offer unique advantages to round out the hybrid system concept. Both blades are designed to operate across the company's entire UCS 3900 product line and have flexible port-based software licenses.

The UCS 3900 is a family of scalable physical layer switching systems for high-performance connectivity and monitoring applications - offering the smallest, most flexible and future proof platform on the market. HorizON, ONPATH's software solution, coupled with the company's UCS product line, adds the highest levels of network intelligence, user simplicity, and system security. Together, the solution is the industry's leading platform for Cloud Networking, Network Monitoring, Test Automation, and Cyber Security applications.

"The O-Blade release marks a significant innovation milestone for ONPATH by offering the first hybrid all optical and electrical switching system optimized for Enterprise and Federal applications," said Brian McCann, CEO of ONPATH. "This solution will provide our customers with incredible speed, flexibility and cost savings across their applications.  It will also enable them to simplify the operations of their network by utilizing a common software management platform."

ONPATH Technologies is the leading provider of scalable connectivity and monitoring solutions for high-performance networks. ONPATH's Universal Connectivity System and HorizON Software deliver an advanced platform that automates and secures data center and test infrastructure to help network managers conserve time, increase utilization, and save money compared to manual patching or complex mesh switching architectures. ONPATH currently has over one million installed ports throughout Fortune 1,000 and Government customers. For more information, visit www.onpathtech.com.