Metamako Unveils 48-Port Switch for Expanded Data Distribution

Metamako released a 16-port version of the switch─which transports data between devices, such as servers, switches, FPGAs, WAN links and computers with a latency of four nanoseconds, with low standard deviation─in December. However, the vendor has now launched a new version of the switch with 48 ports to meet demand from latency-sensitive organizations─such as trading firms, brokers and exchanges─with large data distribution or trading infrastructures that run large numbers of devices.

One of the main functions of the switch is to replicate incoming data packets on one port to other ports, allowing clients to use the switch for market data distribution. For example, large brokers or trading firms can use the switch to distribute one market data feed to multiple devices within their organization, says David Snowdon, founder and co-chief technology officer of Metamako.

"The reason it's so quick is because it's not doing very much in between. It's basically just replicating the packages at the bit level.... It doesn't have to understand packet structure; it just has to get bits from one port to another," Snowdon says.

Meanwhile, exchanges can use the switch to ensure they are distributing market data fairly to all customers─for example, by taking a market data feed from one port and distributing it out via the 47 other ports to clients in a co-location center, Snowdon says. "It's a beautiful thing for an exchange that is trying to assert that it's fair and is going to deliver market data to clients at the same time."

Exchanges can also use the switch to achieve greater determinism around network and device performance, so market data is delivered to all subscribers at the same time. "One of the problems with a traditional switch is that there are shared resources inside the device, so if a switch is busy it might take longer than usual for a packet to come through," Snowdon says. "MetaConnect, on the other hand, provides dedicated paths between ports that are preconfigured so we get this perfect determinism," he adds.

In addition to patching different devices together for data distribution purposes, the switch can perform timestamping and network tapping, to monitor the performance of signals such as market data.

"We've had a lot of interest in the 16-port switch from proprietary trading desks who are using it for tapping connections, timestamping packets and monitoring connections. But now, with the larger device, firms can plug everything in their rack into one device," Snowdon says.