Product specifications

Deploying a Converged Storage Network Using a Cisco FCoE Switch

Introduction

In the Unified Data Center Fabric Primer: FCoE and Data Center Bridging publication, a

converged network is defined as a unified data center fabric:

"A unified data center fabric is a networking fabric that combines traditional LAN and storage area network (SAN) traffic on the same

physical network with the aim of reducing architecture complexity and enhancing data flow and access. To make this work, the

traditional Ethernet network must be upgraded to become lossless and provide additional data center networking features and

functions. In turn, the storage protocol must be altered to run on Ethernet."

Demartek, Dennis Martin, Unified Data Center Fabric Primer: FCoE and Data Center Bridging, SearchNetworking.com, 2010.

Lossless means that no Fibre Channel packets are dropped.

This document describes how to install a converged fabric. This configuration demonstrates

lossless Ethernet and Data Center Bridging (DCB), which includes priority flow control (PFC),

enhanced transmission selection (ETS), and data center bridging Exchange protocol (DCBX)

for a Fibre Channel and 10 Gb Ethernet unified fabric.

Deploying an Oracle

converged fabric reduces the cost and complexity of maintaining

multiple networks, allows administrators to manage more data and larger storage networks

with the same or fewer resources, and controls rising power and cooling costs by eliminating

redundant hardware. Additionally, implementing an Oracle converged fabric allows the IT staff

to support data growth and data center sprawl.

With an Oracle converged fabric, standard TCP/IP and Fibre Channel traffic share the same

high-speed 10 Gb/s Ethernet wire, resulting in cost savings through reduced adapter, switch,

cabling, power, cooling, and management requirements. Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)

has rapidly gained market acceptance because it delivers excellent performance, reduces data

center total cost of ownership (TCO), and protects current data center investments. An Oracle

converged fabric with FCoE preserves existing investments in Fibre Channel and Ethernet

while providing Enhanced Ethernet for unified data networking. Implementing an Oracle

converged fabric enables businesses to achieve up to a 150% performance improvement over

4 Gb Fibre Channel, reduce capital expenditures by reducing server and media costs, and

deliver up to a 33% space savings over a four-year period. The following figure illustrates the

basic efficiency from consolidation.