High-Performance Ethernet for the Enterprise - Force10 Networks

High-Performance Ethernet for the Enterprise
Application
NOTE
Storage Connectivity and Cluster/Grid
Computing
Enterprises that once turned to mainframes or
supercomputers for their most processor- and
data-intensive applications are now turning to
server clusters and Grids. Clusters and Grids
are made up of tens to thousands of small
commodity servers interconnected with scalable,
high-performance Ethernet networks. Both
clusters and Grids deliver scalable, high-performance
computing "on-tap" — the equivalent of
supercomputer capacity that can be allocated to
authenticated users and applications in real time.
These clusters and Grids require high-speed
connectivity to large storage systems. In the
past, every server had separate connections
to storage systems across a SAN. Now, with
high-performance 10 GbE and iSCSI, servers can
be connected to both the backbone network
and to storage systems via Ethernet.
The Force10 E-Series possesses the ideal attributes
for building scalable, high-performance clusters
and Grids: a high density of GbE and 10 GbE
ports, line-rate performance, and robust L2/L3
capabilities. With the E-Series, non-blocking
clusters of up to 312 server nodes (including
uplink connections), can be built with a single
chassis. Networked, the E-Series allows nonblocking
clusters of well over 3000 server nodes
— a level of scale impossible with products
offering less density and performance.
Conclusion
The widespread deployment of 10 GbE in
Enterprise backbones is no longer a matter of
"if" but now a matter of "when." 10 GbE will
be the next backbone technology because
1) it provides a simple and cost effective means
of relieving backbone congestion, and 2) it
enables the entire Enterprise to be united into
a commonly managed LAN. Force10 offers
Enterprises the industry’s most scalable and
cost-effective solution for building backbones
that will deliver line-rate performance now
and well into the future.
Figure 2: The E-Series delivers the scalability needed for high-performance cluster
and Grid computing
Force10 Networks, Inc.
1440 McCarthy Boulevard
Milpitas, CA 95035 USA
www.force10networks.com
© 2004 Force10 Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Force10, the Force10 logo, EtherScale, and FTOS are trademarks of
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Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Certain features may not yet be generally available. Force10
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