 |
|
||||
|
Eliminating Network Clutter via a Unified Fabric: Cisco Talks FCoEBy Drew RobbJanuary 21, 2010
Analyst firm Dell'Oro Group estimates approximately 10,000 Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) ports shipped in 2008, and it anticipates that number will rise to about 1 million in 2011. Cisco is front and center in the push for FCoE. "As of July 31, 2009, Cisco had over 850 Nexus 5000 customers and has shipped over 100,000 ports," said Kash Shaikh, product management manager, Data Center Solutions, Cisco Systems. In data centers around the world, organizations have to run parallel network infrastructures for their LANs and Fibre Channel SANs at the server access layer. Separate switches, host bus adapters (HBAs), network interface cards (NICs) and cables are required. Using a virtualization solution (such as that provided by VMware) actually increases the number of network adapters to carry traffic out of the servers. With lots of NICs, HBAs, and switches and cables, the cost to run a data center can increase significantly — thus the value proposition of FCoE. It can drastically reduce the number of cards, switches, adapters and assorted cabling. "Lossless 10 Gigabit Ethernet is a new protocol which is based on the IEEE 802.1 Data Center Bridging (DCB) standard," said Shaikh. "This new enhanced Ethernet to the server can be seen as the stepping stone to FCoE. 10-gigabit Ethernet connected to servers greatly reduces the number of server adapters and cables required." With lossless 10 Gigabit Ethernet in place, customers can deploy what Cisco has styled as a Unified Fabric. Shaikh said that this provides enough flexibility to run either LAN, Fibre Channel storage or IP-based storage (such as iSCSI or NAS), or different combinations of these technologies. Cisco's game plan, of course, is to dominate all networking, including storage networking, and also supply the building blocks for virtualization via its new Nexus switch line, as well as the servers used via its Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS). "FCoE between the servers and Cisco Nexus switches further simplifies infrastructure by reducing server adapters and cables, and it reduces costs without disrupting the existing storage architecture, network architecture, or management or operational processes," said Shaikh. As is the case for all data center solutions, he cautions that adequate prep work must be done before altering configurations, cables, and so on. The first step, Shaikh said, is to deploy 10 GB Ethernet at the access layer between servers and network access switches. He suggested users consider using some Converged Network Adapters (CNAs), which combine the functionality of NICs and HBAs in a single adapter. "Organizations can roll out a lossless 10GbE infrastructure with FCoE between CNAs and a top-of-rack switch (such as the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series) to take advantage of most of the cost savings achieved through fewer adapters, cables and switch ports," said Shaikh. Result: carrying both Fibre Channel and Ethernet traffic on a single link. The Nexus 5000 will then separate LAN/Ethernet traffic to separate SAN and LAN networks. FCoE PitfallsWith all such implementations, there are pitfalls to be avoided. Trying to deploy everything at once, for example, is a good way to disrupt the current infrastructure. "FCoE is a standards-based functionality, and it leverages all of the existing Fibre Channel management infrastructure," said Shaikh. "Deploying it incrementally in phases starting at the server access provides less disruption and investment protection with the existing LAN and SAN infrastructure." Organizations with a Fibre Channel SAN can benefit from deploying FCoE at the server access, and then upgrade to uniting the SAN and LAN on a single fabric. As well as a reduced number of cables, switches and adapters, organizations can often look to a big drop in power and cooling costs. Cabling represents a hefty chunk of data center cost, around 10 percent to 15 percent. Shaikh estimates 40 percent savings in cables on a new 1 MW 10,000 square foot data center using FCoE and a unified fabric. Also, Converged Ethernet and SAN networks with FCoE at the server access can reduce upfront capital costs by up to 50 percent. "FCoE helps to solve these challenges: power and cooling, data center space, simplified infrastructure and operations, reduced cost in Capex (via cables and adapters) and Opex (power, cooling, management), cabling complexity, and cost," said Shaikh. One other benefit he stresses: It enables the Network and Storage teams to work together far more closely than in the past. Instead of being isolated silos, they tend to coalesce more into a team working towards the building of a more cohesive data center. Drew Robb is a freelance writer specializing in technology and engineering. Currently living in California, he was originally from Scotland where he received a degree in Geology/Geography from the University of Strathclyde. He is the author of Server Disk Management in a Windows Environment (CRC Press). Follow Enterprise IT Planet on Twitter
|
|
|
|
Email
Print
Digg This
Add to del.icio.us
