HPE Unveils 102.4T Data Center Switch and 1.6T Edge Router After Juniper Integration
Just five months after completing its $14B acquisition of Juniper, HPE showcased the first wave of integration results at HPE Discover 2025 in Barcelona. The company revealed:
- A unified AIOps platform
- A new AI-optimized hardware portfolio
- Full-stack management integrations from data center to edge
The highlight was the debut of the QFX5250āa 102.4 Tbps AI fabric switch powered by Broadcomās Tomahawk 6, engineered for high-speed GPU-to-GPU connectivity in large-scale AI training and inference environments.
š QFX5250: 102.4T AI Data Center Switch #
The QFX5250 enhances HPEās Networks for AI portfolio, targeting the backbone of modern AI cluster fabrics.
Key Capabilities #
-
Tomahawk 6 Architecture:
Delivers 102.4 Tbps total bandwidth optimized for dense GPU cluster fabrics. -
UET (Ultra Ethernet) Standard:
Positions Ethernet as a scalable, open alternative to InfiniBand for inter-rack GPU networking.
As Rami Rahim emphasized: āInfiniBand is steadily migrating to Ethernet.ā -
Integrated Cooling & Automation:
Combines HPEās liquid cooling expertise with Junos OS automation for power efficiency and simplified ops. -
Target Applications:
- High-scale AI inference
- GPU cluster scale-out networks
- Next-gen AI training fabrics
Expected availability: Q1 2026.
š¤ Unified AIOps Strategy Across Aruba Central & Juniper Mist #
Rami Rahim announced HPEās commitment to cross-functional integration between Mist and Aruba Central through a unified Agentic AI microservices architecture.
Core Components #
-
Bi-Directional Feature Integration:
- Mistās LEM video assurance ā Aruba Central
- Arubaās Agentic Mesh anomaly engine ā Mist
-
Unified Microservices Backbone:
Shared models, automation pipelines, and telemetry workflows across both systems. -
Flexible Deployment:
Customers choose either Mist (cloud-first) or Aruba Central (flex deployment), without replacing hardware. -
New Wi-Fi 7 APs:
Native compatibility with both AIOps platforms.
Availability: Q3 next year.
š§© Full-Stack AI Networking Ecosystem #
HPEās strategy goes beyond switches, forming an end-to-end AI-native network architecture:
MX301 Multi-Service Edge Router (1.6 Tbps) #
- Throughput: 1.6 Tbps
- 400G-ready for metro/edge deployment
- Designed for AI inference distribution, mobile backhaul, and edge compute fabrics.
Data Center Interconnect (DCI) & Long-Distance AI Links #
- Deep integration with MX and PTX routing platforms for cross-cloud and cross-region AI cluster connectivity.
Collaboration with AI Chip Vendors #
- Extending NVIDIA Spectrum-X and long-range DCI solutions.
- A scale-up switch for AMD Helios systems (72 Ć MI455X GPUs):
- Based on Broadcom silicon
- Supports UALoE (Ultra Accelerator Link over Ethernet)
- Provides 260 TB/s intra-rack training bandwidth
Unified Ops & Telemetry #
- OpsRamp + GreenLake Intelligence integrates telemetry from:
- Apstra
- Compute Ops Management
- Aruba Central
- Mist
- Provides predictive assurance & AI-driven root cause diagnostics.
šÆ Strategic Outlook: AI for Network + Network for AI #
HPE outlined a two-pronged strategy:
AI for Network #
Unified AIOps will drive autonomous provisioning, remediation, and optimizationāpushing the network toward a self-driving operational model.
Network for AI #
A full-stack portfolioā
from GPU scale-up links ā scale-out cluster fabrics ā edge access ā long-haul DCIā
built to meet the extreme bandwidth and reliability requirements of AI workloads.
With AI workloads reshaping global infrastructure, network fabric is evolving into a critical component of the AI compute stack, not just a transport layer. By merging Juniper and Aruba technologies, HPE is positioning itself with an AI-native networking ecosystem spanning edge-to-cloud, hardware-to-software, and operations-to-telemetry.