Overview
Ruckus Campus Fabric technology integrates high-performance, fixed-form-factor switches to create a single distributed logical switch that is independent of physical location and that allows organizations to add ports across the campus whenever and wherever needed without adding complexity. Traditional three-tier network designs with a "big-box" chassis at the aggregation and core layers require a significant up-front investment, but with Ruckus Campus Fabric, switches can be added when needed and they still perform like one big switch. Switch Port Extender, abbreviated as SPX, is the name of this Campus Fabric solution.
Attention: The SPX architecture simplifies network management by unifying core, aggregation, and access functions. A core stack (distributed chassis) serving as the control bridge connects to downstream Switch Port Extender (PE/SPX) units that aggregate large numbers of access devices. Switch Port Extender creates a more scalable architecture based on IEEE 802.1BR standards.
Advantages of the SPX architecture:
A centralized point of control and management
IEEE 802.1BR open-standard-based solution
STP-free Layer 2 design
Policy and feature inheritance
Scale-out using fixed switches
The following devices from the Ruckus ICX product family support SPX configurations in FastIron 08.0.50 and later releases:
Ruckus ICX 7250 Switches (ICX 7250): port extenders
Ruckus ICX 7450 Switches (ICX 7450): port extenders
Ruckus ICX 7750 Switches (ICX 7750): control bridge
Note: The Ruckus ICX 7250 and ICX 7450-ZP switches are not supported as port extenders in FastIron 08.0.40.
The Ruckus ICX 7750 is a powerful stackable switch that enables simplified distributed chassis deployments for the scale-out campus aggregation and core networks; helping organizations seamlessly add network capacity in an agile, cost-efficient manner.
The Ruckus ICX 7250 and ICX 7450 switches deliver the performance, flexibility, and scalability required for enterprise gigabit Ethernet access deployment. These switches offer market chassis-level performance and reliability with the flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and "pay as you grow" scalability of a stackable solution.
The components of the Ruckus SPX architecture are the Ruckus ICX 7250 and ICX 7450 routers configured as port extenders (PEs), or PE units, to a set of Ruckus ICX 7750 stack units configured as the 802.1BR control bridge. The ICX 7750 control bridge (CB) provides a single point of management for the extended network. Active and standby controller functions are retained in the ICX 7750 (control bridge) stack and continue to provide hitless recovery and extended administrative functions. SPX widely increases the number of access devices in the network that can be controlled and managed from a single point. The distributed CB at the center of the SPX architecture manages PE units and hundreds of ports at the network edge.
