MeshLinq Product Info and Links

MeshLinq Product Info and Links

Overview

IgniteNet’s MeshLinq is the first of its kind: a cloud-managed, TRILL-enabled, managed switch with power over ethernet output purpose built for flexible, redundant, future-proof network deployments. The MeshLinq brings proven, high-end datacenter technology to ISPs worldwide by bringing the TRILL mesh protocol at an affordable price-point. The sleek design of the MeshLinq allows it to be placed inconspicuously indoors or outdoors, bringing simplified, easy to install network management to any location. When paired with the MetroLinq platform, blazingly fast, secure, and robust networks are a breeze to deploy. Meshlinq features the following unique set of capabilities:
  • Trill switch mode features shortest path L2 bridging and failover in a mesh topology
  • Standard switch mode which supports port aggregation for increased capacity and seamless failover
  • Configurable Passive PoE output which can power new and existing wireless infrastructure
  • Sleek and rugged Indoor/outdoor switch enclosure which supports a variety of deployment requirements
  • Intuitive configuration, management and maintenance via a local web GUI and/or the IgniteNet Cloud
  • SNMP capability for use with various NMS.

TRILL Overview

Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL), an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocol standard, is a proven datacenter technology that uses Layer-3 (L3) routing techniques to create a Cloud of links that appear to IP nodes as a single IP subnet. TRILL capable devices known as RBridges (RBs) use IS-IS link state routing at Layer-2 (L2), which provides knowledge of the topology consisting of all the RBs and all the links between RBs, to calculate the shortest paths from itself to other RBs as well as trees for delivering multi-destination traffic. This allows RBs to be connected in an arbitrary mesh topology with Ethernet simplicity (no IP addresses or TRILL parameters need to be configured for TRILL to work) while also providing the benefits of L3 routing.

TRILL Bridging

RBs can be viewed as Layer-2.5 devices, where routers are considered L3 devices and regular switches are considered L2 devices. Connected RBs connected create a TRILL cloud such that end nodes attached to the cloud perceive it as an Ethernet.



An Ingress RB encapsulates Ethernet frames from end nodes, addressed to other Ethernet end nodes, with a TRILL header, a new destination address (DA) and a new source address (SA).

DA

SA

VLAN

TRILL Hdr

Original Frame

FCS


TRILL frame

This encapsulation, which includes ingress and egress RB information and a hop count to protect against loops, enables RBs to efficiently deliver the original frames to the egress RB where the frame is decapsulated and delivered to the end node.

Meshlinq Trill Mode and Topologies

The Ethernet ports on Meshlinq switches can be configured in one of two modes:

TRUNK – This defines the port as a hybrid TRILL trunk/access port which transmits TRILL protocol packets and TRILL encapsulated frames as well as native Ethernet frames to connected devices.

ACCESS – This defines the port as an access port only. Access ports should be connected to native Ethernet devices at the edge of the TRILL cloud and can as regular switch ports.  

Trunk ports on Meshlinq can be connected in an arbitrary mesh topology. Links between these trunk ports can consist of MeshLinq RBs, MetroLinq bridges or L2 devices such as switches in general. Encapsulated Ethernet frames traverse the shortest path within the TRILL mesh to the intended end node; If one of the paths disappears due to a link failure or for any other reason, another path is used.

Note: MeshLinq’s implementation of TRILL allows trunk ports to transmit both TRILL encapsulated frames and native Ethernet frames to intermediate L2 devices without creating loops. This allows intermediate devices such as MetroLinq within the TRILL cloud to be accessed from devices outside of the TRILL cloud.

Meshlinq Port Aggregation

Access ports on MeshLinq can be configured for port aggregation through bonding, which allows up to four ports to be combined into a single logical switch port for increased capacity and seamless failover.

Meshlinq Passive PoE

Passive PoE out can be enabled on four of the Meshlinq Ethernet ports if the Meshlinq is powered via the 24-56V DC input. The output voltage on PoE enabled ports matches the DC input and can supply 24-48V, 1A per port to 802.3at/af and passive PoE capable devices.


Downloads


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