computer science

ProCurve

ProCurve is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand ProCurve rather than just read about it. In short: HP ProCurve was the name of the networking division of Hewlett-Packard from 1998 to 2010. The name was associated with Ethernet switches that the company sold.

Key takeaways

ProCurve belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ProCurve to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ProCurve from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

HP ProCurve was the name of the networking division of Hewlett-Packard from 1998 to 2010. The name was associated with Ethernet switches that the company sold. The name of the division changed to HP Networking in September 2010, after HP bought 3Com Corporation.

History Founded in 1979, the division that eventually became known as the HP ProCurve division began in Roseville, California, although it would not be known under this name until 1998. Originally, it was part of HP's Data Systems Division (DSD) and known as DSD-Roseville. Later, it was called the Roseville Networks Division (RND), then the Workgroup Networks Division (WND), before becoming the ProCurve Networking Business (PNB). The trademark filing date for the ProCurve name was February 25, 1998. On August 11, 2008, HP announced the acquisition of Colubris Networks, a maker of wireless networking products. This was completed on October 1, 2008. In November 2008, HP ProCurve was moved into HP's largest business division, the Technology Services Group organization, with HP Enterprise Account Managers being compensated for sales. In November 2009, HP announced its intent to acquire 3Com for $2.7 billion. In April 2010, HP completed its acquisition. At Interop Las Vegas in April 2010, HP began publicly using HP Networking as the name for its networking division. Following HP's 2015 acquisition of Aruba Networks and the company's subsequent split later that year, HP Networks was combined with Aruba to form HPE's Intelligent Edge business unit under the Aruba Networks brand.

Products

A variety of different networking products have been made by HP. The first products were named EtherTwist while printer connectivity products carried the JetDirect name. As the EtherTwist name faded, most of HP's networking products were given AdvanceStack names. Later, the then-ProCurve division began to offer LAN switches, Core, Datacenter, Distribution, Edge, Web managed and Unmanaged switches. The ProCurve was also used with Network Management, Routing and Security products.

Notable uses The International Space Station makes use of customized HP switches (model 2524 Switches) sold while the HP division was known as ProCurve.

See also Aruba Networks ProCurve Products

References

External links HPE Networking

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ProCurve

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ProCurve claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ProCurve before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ProCurve ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ProCurve

In research: ProCurve appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ProCurve in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ProCurve is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Defunct computer companies of the United States, Defunct computer hardware companies, Hewlett-Packard products, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ProCurve outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study ProCurve in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ProCurve means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ProCurve out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ProCurve in simple terms?

HP ProCurve was the name of the networking division of Hewlett-Packard from 1998 to 2010. The name was associated with Ethernet switches that the company sold.

Why does ProCurve matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ProCurve?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ProCurve.