In terms of hardware architecture, TOR switches are front-to-rear ventilation channels, and common switches are left-to-right air channels.
In terms of software features, TOR switches support virtualization features such as VXLAN and support SDN. Common switches do not support this feature.
1.The environment is different
Tor switches are mainly used in industries with high security requirements, such as governments, finance, and data centers. The TOR switches are used in scenarios such as network convergence and server access in data centers. However, the network management and security performance of common switches are not strong.
2. The performance is different
The TOR switch is a new-generation multi-service high-performance Ethernet switching product based on the domestic CPU and domestic switching chip. Provides secure, controllable, stable, and reliable high-performance L2/L3 switching services from chips to hardware to software. The functions of common switches are small and the stability is not guaranteed.
3. The operating system is different
The overall architecture of TOR switches is similar to the EOS of Arista, which is mature and stable. The hardware platform is compatible with the CPU system of the x86 architecture and PowerPC architecture. The hardware platform supports the complete Enterprise/Data Center/Metro Ethernet feature, including basic L2/L3/ACL/QoS/Security, support NVGRE/VXLAN and open RPC API. Common switches are used to meet interconnection requirements and do not have diversified operating systems.
4. The cache technology is different
The TOR switch changes the outbound interface cache mode of the common switching system. The distributed cache architecture is adopted. The cache is much larger than that of common switches. The cache capability is more than 1G, while that of common switches can reach only 2-4M. For each port, the burst traffic can be buffered at 200 ms in the case of 10G line speed. In this case, the large buffer can ensure zero packet loss in the case of burst traffic.
5. The device capacity is different
Common switches cannot accurately identify and control data. In the case of big data, fast response and zero packet loss cannot be achieved. As a result, data continuity cannot be ensured. Tor switches have high capacity forwarding features and support high-density 10GE ports. In addition, with the popularity of 40G and 100G, high-density 40G ports and 100G ports are also being put into commercial use. TOR40G/100G switches have already entered the market, meeting high-density application requirements of data centers.
6. The port is different
Generally, the number of ports on a common switch is 24-48. Generally, the number of ports is 1000 Mbit/s or 1000 Mbit/s. It is mainly used to access user data or aggregation switch data at the access layer. The backplane bandwidth is relatively small. The TOR switch has a large port density, which can be used together with Ethernet ports and optical ports. The port transmission rate can reach 100G. The access layer, aggregation layer, and core layer can be used. The backplane bandwidth is far higher than that of common switches. Generally, the backplane bandwidth is used as the active/standby mode.