Creating Large Physical Layer Switch Matrices
Many Apcon customers initially purchase a single IntellaPatch Switch such as a 144 port model. While this purchase may satisfy the original customer requirements, over time the need for a larger switch matrix is apparent. Customers who need a larger switch matrix are usually connecting hundreds or thousands of devices. One example of this type of environment is a SAN interoperability test lab. These large test lab environments contain thousands of devices and need the ability to connect any device to any other device in seconds.
One common question we receive at APCON is “What is the largest any-to-any configuration that IntellaPatch switches support?” The largest single chassis APCON manufactures is a 288 port switch. Many of our customers believe they are limited to making connections within the same chassis; however, this is not accurate. Multiple IntellaPatch physical layer switches can be connected together or "cascaded" to create a large virtual matrix. Management software enables the user to view and control multiple APCON switches as if it they were single large switch. Creating a virtual matrix with many IntellaPatch switches increases the total port count to more than 288 ports, such as 480 x 320, 576 x 432, 864 x 864, etc. These virtual matrices allow any device to connect to any device independent of which specific APCON switch to which it is physically cabled. Careful planning should be involved since virtual switch matrices can be architected for minimum cost, maximum non-blocking ports, or maximum expandability.
If you would like to discuss your company’s needs for a larger physical layer switch matrix than one IntellaPatch chassis can currently handle (more than 288 ports), contact APCON. Our applications engineering group can help you get started building the right size matrix for your application.
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