rudedog,
Would you be so kind as to translate this and summarize in a
thumbs up or thumbs down sorta way?????
Thanks,
hio
News article received, Saturday, May 08, 1999 9:36:50 PM EST
The Price Is Right, Maybe
May. 07, 1999 (InternetWeek - CMP via COMTEX) -- We asked each vendor to provide us with two figures.
The first is the "as tested" figure, which should be the list price of all the equipment and extra-cost software
we tested in our University of Hawaii lab. The second figure is a point-by-point response to our test RFP.
You can see the RFP at http:// ancl.ics.hawaii.edu/gig99.
The RFP is a basic description of what the University of Hawaii would be looking for in a Gigabit Ethernet
(GbE) backbone migration, and it uses a 4-year-old map of the university's network as its foundation. We
designed the RFP so it would offer a glimpse of each vendor's policies on hardware, software, training and
support pricing. Description: Option 1 was designed to meet every request in the RFP, with full redundancy.
Option 2 was a more economical choice.
Both designs used an SSR 8600 as the core, with a meshed configuration that allowed for full link
redundancy for all devices, and WAN management running off the core. Option 1 populated the edge with
SSR 8000s, while Option 2 used SSR 2000s.
Where the 8000s can handle up to 14 gigabit ports or 56 10/100 ports, the 2000s are fixed configuration
switches that handle four gigabit ports and 16 10/100 ports.
But both options still centralize WAN traffic off the core, as well as the university's two token ring LANs and
the high-performance computer center. And they both drop in a series of medium-traffic routers straight off
the core 8600 via 100-Mbps segments. While the University might opt for an additional 8600 for core
redundancy, both designs meet all our RFP requirements.
Cabletron's service policies average 80 percent of the product's list price, while a spare parts depot costs up
to 75 percent.
The university already runs Spectrum EMS software, so Cabletron didn't include pricing for it in the RFP. For
reference purposes, base pricing runs around $80,000, which buys you the software, 12 days of service and
training, and 24-by-7 support with free automatic upgrades. Cabletron includes an on-site consultant for
implementation.
Description: This figure is Compaq's version of an "estimated street price." You can expect a higher quote
when in initial negotiations. It also doesn't include the cost of support, parts or training.
Service and support charges for the RFP solution run from $4,603 for off-site service to $14,095 for 24-by-7
on-site service with a four-hour response time. Compaq also offers a host of other on-site service options.
Remember though that the prices quoted don't include support for their CNMS management software.
Compaq's single design response closely resembles Cabletron's Option 2 design. The 16-slot GIGAswitch
acts as a core switch and also absorbs the functions presently being run by the Cisco 7000, the Wellfleet
(IHM), the Imp, and Building 37 as well as WAN services. Edge duties are handled by five SW5411s and
one SW5450.
The SW5411s and SW5450 are fixed-configuration switches that may limit growth on the edge. A second
16-slot GIGAswitch might also be in order to provide full redundancy.
Description: Like Cabletron, Extreme also offered us two design responses: one that followed the RFP to the
letter, and a second that offered full functionality but made concessions for price.
Design 1 was a full ring/mesh topology, which still utilizes the university's existing FDDI ring for WAN
connectivity. It also drops Black Diamonds on all the edges and turns the Astrea router into a Summit48.
Design 2 did away with the ring and provided full redundancy by meshing all the edge switches into a pair of
Black Diamonds acting as the core. This design also leverages the FDDI ring for WAN connectivity.
These figures don't include an on-site consultant for implementation. Instead, Extreme provided us with
figures for three on-site representatives for training purposes, each for three days, totaling $3, 600.
Spare parts also were listed in Extreme's response, but were not detailed in the above numbers. Black
Diamond spares came out to $33,995 per switch minus a 40 percent discount. The Summit48 switches
were listed at $13,995 in spare parts for both designs.
Description: Foundry kept prices somewhat low by leveraging the existing FDDI connections for WAN
services and dropping IMH, Leslie and IMP into 100-Mbps segments off the core. Option 1 has two BigIron
4000s on the core, while Option 2 has a single BigIron 4000. Also, the edge in Option 1 uses the more
expensive FastIron II switches, while Option 2 uses more economical NetIrons and it keeps the IHM, Leslie
and IMP devices via trunked 100-Mbps connections.
Foundry sells the FastIrons as Layer 2-only devices, which centralizes routing on the core. All the edge
devices are dependent on a single connection rather than a meshed design.
Description: Packet Engines also presented us with two designs to meet our RFP, but delivered pricing only
for the full-featured deployment. The design as priced is quite robust. Dual PowerRail 5200s act as a fully
redundant core, while all edge devices are replaced with PowerRail 2200s.
This leaves room for expansion and lets the vendor offer meshed redundancy to both core switches, and
implements ring redundancy between all the edge devices.
One area where Packet Engines differs from much of the competition is in its approach to the Kellers, IHM,
IMP and Leslie. Most of the others dropped one or all of these either directly into the core or segmented
them off the core via trunked 100-Mbps connections. The vendor treats them the same as any other edge
device with their own 2200s.
Packet Engines leverages the existing FDDI and Sonet infrastructure for WAN routing.
---
Cabletron: As tested: $223,645
Description: Price includes two SSR 8600 chassis (core), two SSR 8000 chassis (edge), with a total of four control modules, 30 GbE
ports, and 64 10/100 ports.
RFP (option 1): $551,110 (hardware); $229,550 (service); $109,771
(parts)
Total: $890,431
RFP (option 2): $243,050 (hardware); $91,489 (service); $45,009 (parts)
Total: $379,548
---
Compaq: As tested: $101,806
Description: Price includes two, eight-slot GIGAswitch/Routers for the core, each with eight gigabit ports, 16 10/100 ports, one
management module and two power supplies. On the edge were two SW5450s, each with two gigabit ports and 48 10/100 ports.
RFP: $152,039
---
Extreme: As tested: $130,935
Description: Price includes a single Black Diamond chassis with two power supplies, two management switch module fabrics, eight
gigabit ports, and 64 10/100 ports. It also includes a single Summit4 and two Summit48 fixed-configuration switches. The
ExtremeWare Enterprise Manager management software also figures into this price, running $1,995 for unlimited seats.
RFP (option 1): $554,432 (24-by-7 support); $538,699 (9-5 support)
RFP (option 2): $312,345 (24-by-7 support); $301,826 (9-5 support)
---
Foundry: As tested: $153,405
Description: Price includes two BigIron 8000s on the core, each with 28 gigabit ports, 48 10/100 ports and three power supplies. Two
BigIron 4000s were placed on the edge, each with 16 gigabit ports, 48 10/100 ports and two power supplies.
RFP (option 1): $301,980 (hardware); $23,990 (optional Astrea upgrade); $43,273 (Silver Plan spares); $8,931 per year (Silver Plan
support); $39,945 (Gold Plan spares); $14,500 per year (Gold Plan support)
Total: $354,184 (Silver) $356,425 (Gold)
RFP (option 2): $120,615 (hardware); $11,990 (optional Astrea upgrade); $36,569 (Silver Plan spares); $6,271 per year (Silver Plan
support); $33,756 (Gold Plan spares); $10,752 per year (Gold Plan support)
Total: $163,455 (Silver), $165,123 (Gold)
---
Packet Engines: As tested: $145,415
Description: Price includes two PowerRail 5200s, each with 28 gigabit ports and 40 10/100 ports. There also were two PowerRail
1000 edge switches and the vendor's TrackView management software.
RFP: $615,050 (hardware); $277,500 (24-by-7 support); $2,995 (management software)
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