Force10 Networks^®, the pioneer in building and securing reliable networks, today announced that Rails Machine has deployed the TeraScale E-Series^® family of switch/routers and S-Series family of access switches to provide the network transparency required to monitor and optimize traffic on up to 10 virtual machines per physical server. Rails Machine, a web hosting company optimized for Web 2.0 applications, is leveraging the Force10 Reliable Networking product portfolio to deliver maximum network uptime to its demanding customer base of professional developers.

“Virtual machines have allowed us to deliver a unique service to our customers, and we needed a network that could support this service without complicating management,” said Bradley Taylor, CEO of Rails Machine. “The combination of the Force10 E300 and S50s allows us to scale our network infrastructure as traffic dictates, giving us the capacity to expand without a huge upfront cost.”

Rails Machine is deploying the Force10 S50 switches in a modular rack solution to efficiently add capacity on demand. Each server rack contains up to 300 virtual servers that are aggregated by a single S50 while a second S50 is dedicated to network storage traffic. At the core of the network, the Force10 TeraScale E300 provides the reliability, network control and scalability Rails Machine requires to seamlessly expand the edge of its network. With the Force10 solution, Rails Machine has a modular way to expand its network for future capacity and the ability to easily and accurately assess network costs and service prices.

To build transparency into the network that will enable traffic monitoring on multiple virtual machines within a single physical server, Rails Machine is leveraging the network control features of the Force10 operating system, FTOS. Using inline tools, Rails Machine can easily monitor and diagnose problems without shutting down the network or disrupting traffic while enhanced serviceability commands provide a complete hardware and software diagnostic suite to analyze and solve a problem, rather than simply react to its symptoms.

“As virtualization emerges in the data center, transparency becomes crucial in ensuring the health and performance of the network,” said James Hanley, senior vice president of worldwide sales at Force10 Networks. “The flexibility of the Force10 product portfolio allows Rails Machine to optimize its network with a modular solution that provides redundancy while enabling seamless growth in the network as the need arises.”

The Force10 Reliable Networking product portfolio delivers the reliability, network control and scalability required to support emerging and evolving applications and technologies within the enterprise and the data center. With a portfolio that spans from the data center core to the enterprise wiring closet, Force10 can optimize solutions for the unique needs and requirements of customers.