Intel Proposes Fiber Channel to Ethernet Standard

From X-bit Labs: Intel Corp. introduced a free new technology that enables all data center traffic to run over a single cable using the Intel 10Gb Ethernet (10m GbE) server adapter X520 family. The new technology will simplify data centers and will therefore reduce costs.

"Expanding Intel Ethernet to include Open Fiber Channel over Ethernet will help simplify the network and drive more of the IT budget toward innovation. We think IT departments can lower infrastructure costs by 29%, reduce power by almost 50% and cut cable costs by 80% by moving to a unified network," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of data center group at Intel.

Unified networking allows IT departments to create flexible superhighways in virtualized data centers by consolidating multiple data and storage networks onto a single 10GbE network. The consolidation of cabling equipment can help reduce global IT spending by $3 billion a year, and the 400 million feet of global data center cabling saved is enough to wrap around the Earth three times.

A simple and high-speed unified data center network is a cornerstone of Intel's Cloud 2015 vision and Open Data Center initiative, which were announced in October. Unified networking on 10GbE creates a simpler data center infrastructure that is easier to manage, yet can accommodate the heavy network traffic of the cloud.

Intel's Open FCoE integrates capabilities into the operating system to deliver full unified networking without the need for additional expensive, proprietary hardware. IT departments can use common management tools for server network and storage connectivity while integrating seamlessly with existing Fibre Channel environments.

View: Article @ Source Site