Exciting New Data Center Usage
Models
More than simply a 10x increase in per-
formance, with 10 GbE there are exciting
new usage models that are now possible,
including Unified Networking (iSCSI, FCoE
and LAN), Virtualization (VMDq and SR-
IOV), and now, Flexible Port Partitioning
(FPP).
Flexible I/O Virtualization
Virtualization changes the way server
resources are deployed and managed by
running multiple applications and operat-
ing systems independently on a single
server.
The Intel Ethernet Converged Network
Adapter X540-T2 includes Intel® Virtual-
ization Technology for connectivity (Intel
VT-c) to deliver I/O virtualization and
Quality of Service (QoS) features designed
directly into the X540 controller on the
adapter. Intel® I/O virtualization advances
network connectivity models used in
today’s servers to more efficient models
by providing FPP, multiple Rx/Tx queues,
and on-controller QoS functionality that
can be used in both virtual and non-virtual
server deployments.
Flexible Port Partitioning (FPP)
By taking advantage of the PCI-SIG SR-IOV
specification, Intel Ethernet products en-
able FPP. With FPP, virtual controllers can
be used by the Linux* host directly and/or
assigned to virtual machines. FPP allows
you to use the functionality of SR-IOV
to assign up to 63 processes per port to
virtual functions in Linux. This enables
an administrator to partition their 10 GbE
bandwidth across multiple processes,
ensuring a QoS by giving each assigned
process equal bandwidth. Network admin-
istrators may also rate-limit each of these
services to control how much of the 10
GbE pipe is available to each process.
Unified Networking
Unified Networking solutions on the new
Intel® Ethernet Converged Network Adapt-
er X540-T2 let you combine the traffic of
multiple data center networks like LAN
and SAN onto a single efficient network
fabric. You now have the choice of NFS,
iSCSI, or Fibre Channel over Ethernet
(FCoE) to carry both network and storage
traffic at speeds of up to 10 Gbps. The
X540-T2 adapter combines support for
all of these traffic types in one adapter at
no additional cost and with no additional
licensing fees for the adapter.
Intel’s Unified Networking solutions
are enabled through a combination of
standard Intel® Ethernet products along
with trusted network protocols integrated
in the operating systems. Thus, Unified
Networking is available on every Server
either through LAN-on-Motherboard
(LOM) implementation or via an add-in
Network Interface Card (NIC).
Intel has delivered high quality Ethernet
products for over 30 years and our
Unified Networking solutions are built
on the original principles that made us
successful in Ethernet:
•
Open Architecture
integrates network-
ing with the server, enabling IT managers
to reduce complexity and overhead while
enabling a flexible and scalable data cen-
ter network.
•
Intelligent Offloads
lower cost and
power while delivering the application
performance that customers expect.
•
Proven Ethernet Unified Networking
is built on trusted Intel Ethernet technol-
ogy, enabling customers to deploy FCoE
or iSCSI while maintaining the quality of
their traditional Ethernet networks.
iSCSI Simplifies SAN Connectivity
iSCSI uses Ethernet to carry storage traf-
fic, extending the familiarity and simplicity
of Ethernet to storage networking, with-
out the need for SAN-specific adapters or
switches. Intel® Ethernet X540 is the easi-
est, most reliable, and most cost-effective
way of connecting servers to iSCSI SANs.
Open FCoE Consolidates LANs and
Legacy SANs
Intel’s Open FCoE solution enables Intel®
Ethernet 10 Gigabit Server products
(adapters and controllers) to support Fibre
Channel payload encapsulated in Ethernet
frames. There is no upgrade charge for
Open FCoE on the adapter. Just as with
iSCSI, now customers can easily connect
to an FCoE network with Intel 10 GbE
solutions.
For the first time, Open-FCoE is now
supported on 10GBASE-T. As 10GBASE-T
switches come to market enabled with
FCoE support, the X540 is ready when
you’re ready. This enables you to use
cost-effective 10GBASE-T for all your
converged networking needs. The Open-
FCoE architecture uses a combination
of FCoE initiators in Microsoft Windows*
and Linux* operating systems and in
the VMware* ESXi hypervisor to deliver
high-performance FCoE solutions using
standard 10 GbE Ethernet adapters.
This approach enables IT managers to
simplify the data center and standardize
on a single adapter for LAN and SAN con-
nectivity. The Intel® Ethernet Converged
Network Adapter X540-T2 is designed to
fully offload the FCoE data path to deliver
full-featured converged network adapter
(CNA) functionality without compromising
on power efficiency and interoperability.
Data Center Bridging (DCB) Delivers
Lossless Ethernet
Conventional Ethernet does not guar-
antee successful data delivery, which is
not acceptable for SAN traffic. Ethernet
enhancements such as Data Center Bridg-
ing (DCB) overcome that limitation with
technologies that guarantee lossless deliv-
ery, congestion notification, priority-based
flow control, and priority groups.
The combination of 10 GbE and unified
networking helps organizations overcome
connectivity challenges and simplify the
data center infrastructure. 10 GbE pro-
vides a simple, well-understood fabric for
virtualized data centers, one that helps
reduce cost and complexity as the number
of virtual machines continues to grow.
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