HP replaces its Cisco core

Backs up April pledge to discard its new server rival

Staying true to its word, HP this week said it has replaced Cisco and other "non-HP" networking gear with its own in all six of its worldwide internal data centers.

The transition took six months, according to the company. HP pledged to do this after acquiring 3Com following Cisco's entry into HP's sacred data center server market. 

HP said its engineers replaced all of the non-HP core routers and switches connecting the data centers to each other and the Internet while installing 75 of its own A-Series routers and switches, and upgrading and replacing 30 circuits – all with no data center downtime. HP says this provides four times the bandwidth of the previously installed Cisco gear.

HP's data centers are in Houston, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta – two in each city. More than 85 worldwide internal data centers of 5,000 square feet or more, plus hundreds of smaller server locations, were consolidated into the six sites, the company says. 

To continue reading, register here to become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

Staying true to its word, HP this week said it has replaced Cisco and other "non-HP" networking gear with its own in all six of its worldwide internal data centers.

The transition took six months, according to the company. HP pledged to do this after acquiring 3Com following Cisco's entry into HP's sacred data center server market. 

HP said its engineers replaced all of the non-HP core routers and switches connecting the data centers to each other and the Internet while installing 75 of its own A-Series routers and switches, and upgrading and replacing 30 circuits – all with no data center downtime. HP says this provides four times the bandwidth of the previously installed Cisco gear.

HP's data centers are in Houston, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta – two in each city. More than 85 worldwide internal data centers of 5,000 square feet or more, plus hundreds of smaller server locations, were consolidated into the six sites, the company says. 

Recently installed A-Series products include 20 A8812 routers, six A6616 routers, 18 A6604 routers, 16 A12508 switches and 12 modular A9505 switches. The equipment supports more than 260Gbps of WAN data traffic, including 120Gbps of internet capacity. It runs high-volume operations such as HP Internet Services and online transactions through the company's Web site, the company says.

The next step in the migration plan is the installation of HP products on the edge of the network connecting company facilities worldwide.

Read more about data center in Network World's Data Center section.