Home > Storage > PowerScale (Isilon) > Product Documentation > Networking > PowerScale: Ethernet Back-end Network Overview > Overview
Isilon scale-out NAS platforms offer increased back-end networking flexibility. With PowerScale platforms, customers may choose to use either an InfiniBand or Ethernet switch on the back end. For customers electing to use an InfiniBand back-end network, the configuration and implementation will remain the same as previous generations of Isilon systems. Customers looking to add Isilon platforms (Isilon F800/F810, H600, H5600, H500, H400, A200, and A2000) to an existing Isilon IB cluster that consisted of earlier Isilon systems must configure the nodes with an InfiniBand back-end interface. The Ethernet back-end network option is only supported in clusters that consist entirely of Ethernet back-end nodes. In these configurations, only Ethernet back-end switches that are provided and managed by Dell are supported.
The PowerScale Ethernet back-end connection options are detailed in the following table:
Back-end option | Compute compatibility |
10 GbE SFP+ | Isilon H400, Isilon A200, or Isilon A2000 |
40 GbE QSFP+ | Isilon F800/F810, Isilon H600, Isilon H5600, Isilon H500, Isilon H400, Isilon A200, or Isilon A2000 |
Note: Dell does not support connecting any other devices to the back-end switches.