HP A7446B Converged fabrics: Emerging technologies for simplifying data center - Page 4

Fibre Channel over Ethernet - single mode

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Figure 2. Message exchange between an initiator and target using the iSCSI protocol mode Initiators include software initiators and HBAs. Software initiators require CPU resources to manage the protocol stack. A more efficient approach is to offload protocol management to an iSCSI HBA, such as the HP NC373i Integrated Multifunction Gigabit server adapter. iSCSI allows Ethernet server adapters to function both as network adapters and as storage HBAs. This flexibility provides access to storage boxes and to servers over a single connection, which simplifies network infrastructure. HP multifunction adapters support hardware-assisted, or accelerated iSCSI operation―that is, offloading the iSCSI software to the server adapter for improved system performance. Fibre Channel over Ethernet FCoE is an emerging technology being developed by the International Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) T11 technical committee. FCoE relies on flow control to recognize that a buffer is almost full and to request that the sender stop transmission until the buffer has emptied and transmission can start again. FCoE is based on Enhanced Ethernet (EE), sometimes referred to as Data Center Ethernet (DCE) or Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is working to enhance the IEEE 802 Ethernet standard to allow FC to run efficiently over Ethernet. Two recent Ethernet improvements are lossless Ethernet, which prevents lost packets, and pause-based flow control, which allows the network to selectively pause different classes of traffic. FCoE encapsulates Fibre Channel (FC) frames within the Ethernet fabric and uses the same Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer as IP networks (Figure 3). In a real application environment, logic dictates using one common FCoE connection between the server and network. FCoE will use the same common driver stacks, cabling, and management applications being used today. 4

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Figure 2.
Message exchange between an initiator and target using the iSCSI protocol mode
Initiators include software initiators and HBAs. Software initiators require CPU resources to manage
the protocol stack. A more efficient approach is to offload protocol management to an iSCSI HBA,
such as the HP NC373i Integrated Multifunction Gigabit server adapter.
iSCSI allows Ethernet server adapters to function both as network adapters and as storage HBAs. This
flexibility provides access to storage boxes and to servers over a single connection, which simplifies
network infrastructure. HP multifunction adapters support hardware-assisted, or accelerated iSCSI
operation―
that is, offloading the iSCSI software to the server adapter for improved system
performance.
Fibre Channel over Ethernet
FCoE is an emerging technology being developed by the International Committee for Information
Technology Standards (INCITS) T11 technical committee. FCoE relies on flow control to recognize that
a buffer is almost full and to request that the sender stop transmission until the buffer has emptied and
transmission can start again. FCoE is based on Enhanced Ethernet (EE), sometimes referred to as Data
Center Ethernet (DCE) or Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE). The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is working to enhance the IEEE 802 Ethernet standard to allow FC to run
efficiently over Ethernet. Two recent Ethernet improvements are lossless Ethernet, which prevents lost
packets, and pause-based flow control, which allows the network to selectively pause different classes
of traffic.
FCoE encapsulates Fibre Channel (FC) frames within the Ethernet fabric and uses the same Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer as IP networks (Figure 3). In a real application environment, logic
dictates using one common FCoE connection between the server and network. FCoE will use the same
common driver stacks, cabling, and management applications being used today.