TABLE OF CONTENTS Although GigE was just introduced in 1998, some customers are already clamoring for faster technologies. The average IT shop probably isn t feeling the squeeze on its 1 Gbps backbone yet, but vendors are still preparing for the next level of speed and performance. 10 GigE is well beyond the concept stage, and although there might not be a need for 10 billion bits per second of capacity today, it would behoove enterprises to build their network infrastructures to support this technology in the near future.
Many IT shops only recently migrated to GigE technology in their network backbones, and the idea of yet another technology migration may seem daunting. Although some experts predict that network spending will drop sharply well into 2003, the evolution of technology and applications will still drive the need for more bandwidth, especially in the network core.
The traffic load on a network is directly proportional to the amount and type of systems attached. As enterprises continue to deploy GigE links toward the network s edge (the users), the demand for more bandwidth at the core will inevitably increase.
Why all the fuss about 10 GigE? Because GigE has done so well. Because Ethernet, at all speeds, has a proven track record. As the dominant LAN protocol, Ethernet is well understood with very few integration problems and no special CPE requirements. Ethernet prices per port are declining 30 percent annually, making it an incredibly cost-effective technology. 10 GigE can be...
