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arrival of frames as demanded by FC), and additions that provide better granularity of bandwidth allocation to ensure it is used more effectively.
For “converged” networks - i.e., those also running TCP/IP - FCoE builds on a new set of capabilities and standards which have collectively become known as “Data Center Bridging” (DCB) to provide a suitable transport
environment.These capabilities (congestion management, priority handling, shortest-path frame bridging, routing and more) are currently work items within the IEEE 802 committees.
As of now, we’re beginning to see FCoE HBAs on high end arrays and development of DCB switches and networking equipment. FCoE adoption has been slow, but given the economic advantage of Ethernet-based networks, we anticipate much higher rates of adoption in the next few years.
FCoE and DCB doesn’t spell the end of Fibre Channel attached storage, but rather expands the physical network connectivity options to include Ethernet using the same FC protocol. Customers can confidently buy FC solutions today, and have the option in the future of either following the FC bandwidth roadmap to 8Gbit, 16Gbit and beyond, or of moving to a 10GbE “converged” fabric for the data center with 40GbE and 100GbE as a future option, with no disruption to existing Fibre Channel hardware (HBAs and arrays), fabric management or storage admin knowledge base.
Conclusion Ethernet is one of the few fundamental and truly ubiquitous technologies in IT today. It holds an unassailable position in
data communications, with a strong future roadmap. 10GbE is now seeing widespread use in network backbones, network aggregation and high-performance storage environments. Cloud storage and server virtualization will further drive the adoption of 10GbE, replacing existing 1GbE deployments.
The arrival of FCoE as a standard will drive growth not only in data centers with a significant investment in NAS and iSCSI storage solutions, but also in Tier 1 and Tier 2 data centers with significant FC storage investments. 40GbE and 100GbE will further enable datacenter network convergence, and will be adopted by those looking for a high speed data center
infrastructure.These new developments provide the industry reassurance that Ethernet storage is keeping pace with new demands.
Bottom line – 10GbE is here to stay, and has eclipsed 1GbE in the data
center.And 40GbE and 100GbE Ethernet will shortly be a realistic option for a unified data center network that can support all forms of NAS, SAN and non-storage related communications.
About the Ethernet Storage Forum The Ethernet Storage Forum (ESF) is the marketing organization within the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) focused on Ethernet-connected storage networking solutions. Through the creation of vendor-neutral educational materials, ESF thought leaders leverage SNIA and Industry events and end-user outreach programs to drive market awareness and adoption of Ethernet-connected storage networking technologies, worldwide. For more information, visit
http://www.snia-
europe.org/ethernet_storage/ or our blog at
www.sniaesfblog.org
FCoE and DCB doesn’t spell the end of Fibre Channel attached storage, but rather expands the physical network connectivity options to include Ethernet using the same FC protocol
WIN 2010
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