Specifications

14 Implementing IBM System Networking 10Gb Ethernet Switches
1.4.2 IBM System Networking RackSwitch G8124 features
The RackSwitch G8124 offers the following feature benefits:
򐂰 High performance: The 10G Low Latency (<700 ns) switch provides the best combination
of low latency, non-blocking line-rate switching and ease of management.
򐂰 Lower power and better cooling: The RackSwitch G8124 uses as little power as two
60 W light bulbs, which is a fraction of the power consumption of most competitive
offerings. Unlike side-cooled switches, which can cause heat recirculation and reliability
concerns, the G8124 rear-to-front cooling design reduces data center air conditioning
costs by having airflow match the servers in the rack. In addition, variable speed fans
assist in automatically reducing power consumption.
򐂰 Virtual Fabric: Virtual Fabric can help customers address I/O requirements for multiple
NICs while also helping reduce cost and complexity. Virtual Fabric for IBM allows the
carving up of a physical NIC into multiple virtual NICs (2 - 8 vNICs) and creates a virtual
pipe between the adapter and the switch for improved performance, availability, and
security while reducing cost and complexity.
򐂰 VM-aware networking: VMready software on the switch helps reduce configuration
complexity while improving security levels in virtualized environments. VMready
automatically detects virtual machine movement from one physical server to another, and
instantly reconfigures each VM’s network policies across VLANs to keep the network
running without interrupting traffic or impacting performance. VMready works with all
leading VM providers, such as VMware, Citrix, Xen, and Microsoft.
򐂰 Layer 3 functionality: The switch includes Layer 3 functionality, which provides security and
performance benefits as inter-VLAN traffic stays within the chassis. This switch also
provides the full range of Layer 3 protocols from static routes for technologies such as
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) for
enterprise customers.
򐂰 Active MultiPath (AMP): Effectively doubles bandwidth by allowing all uplink ports to be
active/active, eliminating cross-stack traffic, and providing up to 900 Gbps aggregate
bandwidth between servers. Built-in fault tolerance constant health checking ensures
maximum availability.
򐂰 Seamless interoperability: iBM RackSwitch switches interoperate seamlessly with other
vendors' upstream switches. For more information, see the following note box.
򐂰 Fault tolerance: These switches learn alternative routes automatically and perform faster
convergence in the unlikely case of a link, switch, or power failure. The switch uses proven
technologies, such as L2 trunk failover, advanced VLAN-based failover, VRRP, Hot Link,
Uplink Failure Detection (UFD), IGMP V3 snooping, and OSPF.
򐂰 Converged fabric: The switch is designed to support Converged Enhanced Ethernet
(CEE) and connectivity to Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) gateways. CEE helps
enable clients to combine storage, messaging traffic, VoIP, video, and other data on a
common data center Ethernet infrastructure. FCoE helps enable highly efficient block
storage over Ethernet for consolidating server network connectivity. As a result, clients can
deploy a single server interface for multiple data types, which can simplify both
deployment and management of server network connectivity, while maintaining the high
availability and robustness required for storage transactions.
Tolly Reports: Tolly Functionality and Certification: RackSwitch G8000 and G8124
and Cisco Catalyst Interoperability Evaluation.
http://tolly.com/ts/2009/blade/G8100/Tolly209116BladeRackSwitchInteroperabil
ity.pdf