Broadcom, a technology leader, announced a groundbreaking development in the realm of enterprise data centers — the Broadcom Trident 4-X7 Ethernet switch ASIC. This 4.0 Terabits/second fully programmable switch is specifically designed to meet the demands of enterprise data center Top of Rack (ToR) boxes.
The Trident 4-X7 represents a significant leap forward in data center networking technology. It offers native support for 400G connectivity, paving the way for next-generation spine/fabric technologies to seamlessly transition from cloud infrastructure to enterprise data centers. Compared to the current generation solution, this new device not only delivers greater performance and features but also remarkably cuts power per 100G port by more than half.
One of the key advantages of the Trident 4-X7 is its incorporation of hardware features tailored for analytics, diagnostics, and telemetry. This enables cloud customers to automate their data center operations more effectively, leading to enhanced reliability and reduced operational costs.
Key Benefits of the Trident 4-X7:
Doubles bandwidth while reducing power consumption by over 50% compared to the current generation.
Significant increase in forwarding and policy scales to support ever-expanding network sizes.
High-performance enterprise ToR, offering support for 50G or 100G to the server and 400G connectivity to the spine/fabric.
Fully programmable, allowing powerful new feature additions without the need for hardware changes.
Provides investment protection with an extended time horizon, catering to the longer life cycles and needs of enterprise data centers.
Moreover, the switch’s fully programmable nature allows for seamless upgrades in the field to support new data center requirements. This forward-thinking approach ensures that the Trident 4-X7 remains adaptable to future advancements, safeguarding enterprise investments for extended periods.
“Broadcom has made huge investments in addressing the needs of our cloud customers. We are also uniquely positioned to bring all of these cloud technologies into enterprise data centers. Enterprise customers can now take advantage of the same capabilities and innovations,” Ram Velaga, Broadcom’s senior vice president and general manager of Core Switching Group, said.
With the enterprise market poised for a major upgrade phase, as spine networks transition to 400G, the Trident 4-X7 promises to revolutionize the next generation of enterprise data centers. Its SerDes and port speeds provide ample support for the next wave of servers, particularly as artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads expand their presence in enterprise data centers. Additionally, the chip supports Enterprise SONiC and SAI, facilitating rapid and seamless integration into data center operation networks.
The availability of the Trident 4-X7 is set to usher in a new era of connectivity for enterprise data centers. Broadcom is already shipping the Trident 4-X7 devices to qualified customers, and industry experts anticipate a swift and widespread adoption of this game-changing technology.
