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BP1037 Transitioning to DCB with EqualLogic PS series Storage Solutions 20
5 Conclusion
Data Center Bridging is a new network standard that can bring to networks the same consolidation
benefits that storage and servers have enjoyed in recent years—higher utilization rates, simpler
management, and lower total cost of ownership. It is reliable, offers predictable performance, and can
segregate and prioritize traffic types. Administrators can now implement standard Ethernet, Data
Center Bridging, or a combination of both.
By taking a phased approach to consolidating data centers around Ethernet, customers can
economically build out their Ethernet infrastructure over time while protecting previous infrastructure
investments. When preparing to deploy a DCB-ready environment, planning for a network device
infrastructure that provides full DCB support is paramount. Expected bandwidth requirements for both
storage and LAN traffic to be converged must be taken into account. When calculating these
requirements, be sure to provide for future growth of both types. While ETS settings can be changed
on the fly in the future, this can have unexpected results if the change removes too much guaranteed
bandwidth from another traffic class.
For deployment and proper operation of a DCB-enabled Ethernet infrastructure using EqualLogic
storage, support for the iSCSI TLV is required (check the manufacturer’s documentation). EqualLogic
firmware requires the advertisement of the iSCSI priority using the iSCSI TLV function in order to
function in a DCB environment. Also ensure that the DCB-capable switches chosen support both PFC
and ETS when there is a need to converge multiple traffic types. While PFC alone is acceptable in a
standalone network, the lack of ETS in a converged environment will result in less than ideal results.