Intel and VMware: Enabling Open FCoE in VMware vSphere 5

Intel and VMware: Enabling Native FCoE in VMware vSphere™ 5
5
Native Initiator Success: iSCSI
iSCSI provides an excellent example of
the success of native storage initiators
integrated into the OS.
In the early days of iSCSI, proponents of
iSCSI HBAs claimed that these dedicated
adapters were necessary to deliver
acceptable performance. Much like CNAs,
iSCSI HBAs ooad storage protocol
processing to a separate processor on the
adapter, rather than allowing the host
processor and OS to handle these tasks.
While early HBAs did oer some benets
in terms of throughput, they did so at levels
beyond what was needed in real-world
performance. ey also suered from
many of the same issues as today’s CNAs,
including high costs, vendor lock-in,
reliability, and stability.
Today, all major server OSs and hypervisors
include native iSCSI support, delivering
the same benets as described above for
Open FCoE. e maturity of native
iSCSI initiators along with advanced
adapter and platform features now provides
enterprise-level performance with standard
Ethernet products.
IT departments standardizing on Intel®
Ethernet Server Adapters for iSCSI
connectivity are able to use a single
initiator, TCP/IP stack, and set of
management tools and IT policies. is
standardization can deliver easier server
provisioning, lower the likelihood of
human error, and simplify management
while reducing capital and operational
expenditures. With FCoE initiators
integrated into leading hypervisors and OSs
and10GbELOMimplementationscoming
soon, Intel expects Open FCoE-based
solutions to deliver these same benets.
INTEL ETHERNET
UNIFIED NETWORKING
As discussed earlier, Ethernet-based storage
has been growing at a faster rate than
traditional FC networks, particularly
because Ethernet is a trusted, widely
deployed, and well-understood technology.
Ethernet is the foundation of unied
networking, and with 30 years of experience
delivering quality Ethernet products,
Intel is uniquely positioned to drive the
transition to 10GbE unied networking.
Reliability
Intel is the volume leader in Ethernet
adapter shipments and has led the
industry through speed transitions and
enhancements to the Ethernet standard,
including iSCSI, DCB, and FCoE. Intel
Ethernet products have the broadest
OS support in the industry, and Intel’s
long-term product roadmaps align future
products with new server platform
capabilities and upcoming data center
trends, including cloud computing. Intel
has expanded the capabilities of its trusted
Ethernet product line to incorporate FCoE
for true unied networking. By contrast,
CNA vendors are acquiring Ethernet
technology and adding it to their existing
FC-centric products.
Cost Effectiveness
Standardizing on Intel® Ethernet 10 Gigabit
Server Adapters takes advantage of Ethernet
economics to deliver cost-eective, broad-
based unied networking deployment.
A single Intel Ethernet 10 Gigabit Server
Adapter supports FCoE, iSCSI, NAS, and
LANtracfortrueuniednetworking
without the need for additional, expensive
hardware or upgrades.
Scalable Performance
In terms of performance, Intel Ethernet
10 Gigabit Server Adapters combine high
throughput, intelligent hardware-based
ooads with native OS initiators, and
stable hardware, while leaving processor
cycles available for application processing.
ese adapters ooad the main data paths
to improve FCoE throughput. e net result
is comparable FCoE performance for real-
world workloads compared to that of CNAs.
In real-world implementations, SAN
performance is determined by a number
of factors, including application threading,
storage target processor speed, and disk
speeds. At typical input/output operations
per second (IOPS) levels, processor
utilization is typically quite low, especially
in systems with the latest multi-core
processors and memory controllers.
In contrast, CNA solutions based on
proprietary ooad engines may show
little if any improvement in IOPS on new
hardware platforms (although processor
utilization may improve).
Ease of Use
By using the native storage initiators
integrated into the OS, Intel Ethernet 10
Gigabit Server Adapters make it easy to
connect any server to the SAN without the
need for complicated proprietary solutions.
Standardizing on Intel Ethernet 10 Gigabit
Server Adapters delivers a number of
benets to enterprise IT:
• TrustedandvalidatedOS-basedand
hypervisor-based initiators
• Singleinterfacetocongurean
adapterforLANorSANtrac
• Plug-and-Playwithexisting
management tools
• Noproprietarysoftwaretoinstall
FCoE CNAs, on the other hand, require
vendor lock-in. e management interfaces,
APIs, and drivers of each FCoE CNA brand
typically dier, which adds complexity.