Performance

• High-performance architecture: 128 Gbps switching fabric with up to 95 Mpps (24-port switches) and 176 Gbps switching fabric with up to 131 Mpps (48-port switches)
  
  
• Selectable queue configurations: increase performance by selecting the number of queues and associated memory buffering that best meet the requirements of your network applications

Resiliency and high availability

• IEEE 802.1s Multiple Spanning Tree: provides high link availability in multiple VLAN environments by allowing multiple spanning trees; provides legacy support for IEEE 802.1d and IEEE 802.1w
  
  
• IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Protocol (LACP) and ProCurve trunking: support up to 24 trunks, each with up to 8 links (ports) per trunk
  
  
• Optional redundant power supply: supplies backup power in case of power failure (Note: HP ProCurve 620 Redundant/External Power Supply provides only RPS functionality for the 2910al series)

Manageability

• RMON, XRMON, and sFlow: provide advanced monitoring and reporting capabilities for statistics, history, alarms, and events
  
  
• Uni-Directional Link Detection (UDLD): monitors a link between two switches and blocks the ports on both ends of the link if the link goes down at any point between the two devices
  
  
• Command authorization: leverages RADIUS to link a custom list of CLI commands to individual network administrator's login; it also provides an audit trail
  
  
• Dual flash images: provides independent primary and secondary operating system files for backup while upgrading
  
  
• Multiple configuration files: allow multiple configuration files to be stored to flash image
  
  
• Friendly port names: allow assignment of descriptive names to ports
  
  
• Find-Fix-Inform: finds and fixes common network problems automatically, then informs administrator
  
  
• Software updates: free downloads from the Web
  
  
• Troubleshooting: ingress and egress port monitoring enable network problem solving

Layer 2 switching

• VLAN support and tagging: supports the IEEE 802.1Q (4,094 VLAN IDs) and 256 VLANs simultaneously
  
  
• GARP VLAN Registration Protocol: allows automatic learning and dynamic assignment of VLANs
  
  
• Jumbo packet support: supports up to 9,220-byte frame size to improve performance of large data transfers
  
  
• IEEE 802.1v protocol VLANs: isolate select non-IPv4 protocols automatically into their own VLANs

Layer 3 routing

• Static IP routing: provides manually configured routing; includes ECMP capability
  
  
• RIP: provides RIPv1 and RIPv2 routing

Security

• Multiple user authentication methods:
  • IEEE 802.1X: industry-standard method of user authentication using an IEEE 802.1X supplicant on the client in conjunction with a RADIUS server
    
    
  • Web-based authentication: similar to IEEE 802.1X, it provides a browser-based environment to authenticate clients that do not support the IEEE 802.1X supplicant
    
    
  • MAC-based authentication: client is authenticated with the RADIUS server based on the client's MAC address
• Authentication flexibility:
  • Multiple IEEE 802.1X users per port: provides authentication of up to eight IEEE 802.1X users per port; prevents user "piggybacking" on another user's IEEE 802.1X authentication
    
    
  • Concurrent IEEE 802.1X and Web or MAC authentication schemes per port: switch port will accept any of IEEE 802.1X and either Web or MAC authentications
• Access control lists (ACLs): provide IP Layer 3 filtering based on source/destination IP address/subnet and source/destination TCP/UDP port number
  
  
• Identity-driven ACL: enables implementation of a highly granular and flexible access security policy and VLAN assignment specific to each authenticated network user
  
  
• Dynamic ARP protection: blocks ARP broadcasts from unauthorized hosts, preventing eavesdropping or theft of network data
  
  
• DHCP protection: blocks DHCP packets from unauthorized DHCP servers, preventing denial-of-service attacks
  
  
• Port monitoring for network threats: provides sampled port traffic using sFlow technology to the HP ProCurve Network Immunity Manager application for Network Behavior Anomaly Detection (NBAD) analysis to detect threats and mitigate threats at the port where the threat originated
  
  
• Source-port filtering: allows only specified ports to communicate with each other
  
  
• RADIUS/TACACS+: eases switch management security administration by using a password authentication server
  
  
• Secure Shell (SSHv2): encrypts all transmitted data for secure, remote command-line interface (CLI) access over IP networks
  
  
• Secure FTP: allows secure file transfer to and from the switch; protects against unwanted file downloads or unauthorized copying of switch configuration file
  
  
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): encrypts all HTTP traffic, allowing secure access to the browser-based management GUI in the switch
  
  
• Port security: allows access only to specified MAC addresses, which can be learned or specified by the administrator
  
  
• MAC address lockout: prevents particular configured MAC addresses from connecting to the network
  
  
• Switch management logon security: can require either RADIUS or TACACS+ authentication for secure switch CLI logon
  
  
• STP BPDU port protection: blocks Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) on ports that do not require BPDUs, preventing forged BPDU attacks
  
  
• USB Secure Autorun (requires HP ProCurve Manager Plus): deploys, diagnoses, and updates switch using USB flash drive; works with secure credential to prevent tampering
  
  
• STP Root Guard: protects root bridge from malicious attack or configuration mistakes
  
  
• Custom banner: displays security policy when users log in to the switch
  
  
• Per-port broadcast throttling: selectively configures broadcast control on heavy traffic port uplinks

Convergence

• IP multicast snooping and data-driven IGMP: automatically prevents flooding of IP multicast traffic
  
  
• LLDP-MED (Media Endpoint Discovery): a standard extension of LLDP that stores values for parameters such as QoS and VLAN to automatically configure network devices such as IP phones
  
  
• IEEE 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP): automated device discovery protocol for easy mapping by network management applications
  
  
• PoE and PoE+ allocations: supports multiple methods (automatic, IEEE 802.3at dynamic, LLDP-MED fine-grain, IEEE 802.3af device class, or user specified) to allocate and manage PoE/PoE+ power for more efficient energy savings

Quality of Service (QoS)

• Traffic prioritization (IEEE 802.1p): allows real-time traffic classification into eight priority levels mapped to eight queues
  
  
• Layer 4 prioritization: enables prioritization based on TCP/UDP port numbers
  
  
• Class of Service (CoS): sets the IEEE 802.1p priority tag based on IP address, IP Type of Service (ToS), L3 protocol, TCP/UDP port number, source port, and DiffServ
  
  
• Rate Limiting: per-port ingress enforced maximums

Monitor and diagnostics

• Port mirroring: enables traffic on a port to be simultaneously sent to a network analyzer for monitoring

Model specifications