The HP 5900 Switch Series is a family of high-density, ultra-low latency, top-of-rack (ToR) switches. It is part of the HP FlexNetwork architecture's HP FlexFabric solution. Ideally suited for deployment at the server access layer of large enterprise data centers, the HP 5900 Switch Series is also powerful enough for deployment at the data center core layer of medium-sized enterprises. With the increase in virtualized applications and server-to-server traffic, customers now require ToR switch innovations that will meet their needs for higher-performance server connectivity, convergence of Ethernet and storage traffic, the capability to handle virtual environments, and ultra-low latency all in a single device.

Quality of Service (QoS)
• Powerful QoS features: Flexible classification: creates traffic classes based on access control lists (ACLs), IEEE 802.1p precedence, IP, and DSCP or Type of Service (ToS) precedence; supports filter, redirect, mirror, remark, and logging. Feature support: provides support for Strict Priority Queuing (SP), Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ), Weighted Deficit Round Robin (WDRR), SP+WDRR together, configurable buffers, Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN), and Weighted Random Early Detection (WRED).

Data center optimized
• Flexible high port density: the HP 5900 Switch Series enables scaling of the server edge with 1 GbE and 10GbE ToR deployments to new heights with high-density 48-port solutions delivered in a 1RU design; the high server port density is backed by 40 GbE QSFP+ uplinks to deliver the availability of needed bandwidth for demanding applications; each 40 GbE QSFP+ port can also be configured as four 10GbE ports by using a 40-GbE-to-10GbE splitter cable

Manageability
• Full-featured console: provides complete control of the switch with a familiar CLI

Resiliency and high availability
• HP Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology: enables an HP FlexFabric to deliver resilient, scalable, and secured data center networks for physical and virtualized environments; groups up to four HP 5900 switches in an IRF configuration, allowing them to be configured and managed as a single switch with a single IP address; simplifies ToR deployment and management, reducing data center deployment and operating expenses

Layer 2 switching
• MAC-based VLAN: provides granular control and security; uses RADIUS to map a MAC address/user to specific VLANs

Layer 3 services
• Address Resolution Protocol (ARP): determines the MAC address of another IP host in the same subnet; supports static ARPs; gratuitous ARP allows detection of duplicate IP addresses; proxy ARP allows normal ARP operation between subnets or when subnets are separated by a Layer 2 network

Layer 3 routing
• Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) and VRRP Extended: allow quick failover of router ports