Juniper QFabric QFX3008-I, Manual, Page: 32 / 472

Essentially, a QFabric system can be viewed as a single, nonblocking, low-latency switch
that supports thousands of 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports or 2-Gbps, 4-Gbps, or 8-Gbps Fibre
Channel ports to interconnect servers, storage, and the Internet across a high-speed,
high-performance fabric. The entire QFabric system is managed as a single entity through
a
Director group , containing redundant hardware and software components that can be
expanded and scaled as the QFabric system grows in size. In addition, the Director group
automatically senses when devices are added or removed from the QFabric system and
dynamically adjusts the amount of processing resources required to support the system.
Such intelligence helps the QFabric system use the minimum amount of power to run
the system efficiently, but not waste energy on unused components.
As a result of the QFabric system architecture, data center operators are now realizing
the benefits of this next-generation architecture, including:
•
Low latency—Because of its inherent advantages in this area, the QFabric system
provides an excellent foundation for mission-critical applications such as financial
transactions and stock trades, as well as time-sensitive applications such as voice and
video.
•
Enhanced scalability—The QFabric system can be managed as a single entity and
provides support for thousands of data center devices. As Internet traffic continues to
grow exponentially with the increase in high-quality video transmissions and rise in the
number of mobile devices used worldwide, the QFabric system can keep pace with
the demands for bandwidth, applications, and services offered by the data center.
• Virtualization-enabled—The QFabric system was designed to work seamlessly with
virtual servers, virtual appliances, and other virtual devices, allowing for even greater
scalability, expandability, and rapid deployment of new services than ever before.
Migrating to virtual devices also results in significant costs savings, fueled by reduced
space requirements, decreased needs for power and cooling, and increased processing
capabilities.
•
Simplicity—Although the QFabric system can scale to hundreds of devices and
thousands of ports, you can still manage the QFabric system as a single system.
• Flexibility—You can deploy the QFabric system as an entire system or in stages.
• Convergence—Because the congestion-free fabric is lossless, all traffic in a QFabric
system can be converged onto a single network. As a result, the QFabric system
supports Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet, and native Fibre Channel packets and
frames.
Flat, nonblocking, and lossless, the network fabric offered by the QFabric system has the
scale and flexibility to meet the needs of small, medium, and large-sized data centers
for years to come.
Related
Documentation
Understanding QFabric Switch Terminology
•
•
Understanding the QFabric System Hardware Architecture on page 7
•
Understanding the QFabric Switch Software Architecture
Copyright © 2012, Juniper Networks, Inc. 6
QFX3000 Hardware Documentation