Intels new family of Intel Ethernet X520 Server Adapters are
the most flexible and scalable Ethernet adapters for todays
demanding data center environments. Data center networks
are being pushed to their limits. The escalating deployments of
servers with multi-core processors and demanding applications
such as High Performance Computing (HPC), database clusters,
and video-on-demand are driving the need for 10 Gigabit connections.
Customers require flexible and scalable I/O solutions to
meet the rigorous requirements of running mission-critical
applications in virtualized and unified storage environments.
Powered by Intels third-generation 10 GbE network controller,
the Intel Ethernet 82599 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller, the
X520 server adapter family addresses the demanding needs
of the next-generation data center by providing unmatched
features for virtualization, flexibility for LAN and SAN
networking, and proven, reliable performance.
Best Choice for Virtualization
The explosive growth in virtualization is leading to an increasing
demand for network performance. With more Virtual Machines
(VMs) running on each multi-core server, networking traffic is
dramatically increased with each VM competing for available
I/O bandwidth. Intels new family of Intel Ethernet X520 Server
Adapters addresses networking bottlenecks in virtualized environments.
These new adapters enable network-intensive applications
to achieve the performance expected in a virtualized environment.
The Intel Ethernet X520 family of server adapters provides the
best networking performance available in the industry, whether
the physical port is configured in an emulation mode using the
virtual switch in the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), or is directly
assigned to a virtual machine. In the emulation mode, Intels I/O
technology, Virtual Machine Device queues1 (VMDq) optimizes
network performance by offloading data sorting and copying
from the software Virtual Switch in the VMM to the Intel
Ethernet 82599 10 Gigabit Controller. This configuration is
best suited for a large number of VMs running standard applications
that have limited bandwidth and latency requirements.
For mission-critical applications, where dedicated I/O is required
for maximum network performance, users can assign a dedicated
virtual adapter port to a VM. Using another Intel technology, Virtual
Machine Direct Connect (VMDc), on an Intel Ethernet X520 server
adapter provides direct VM connectivity and data protection across
VMs. VMDc technology allows the data to bypass the software
virtual switch and provides near-native performance. It assigns
either physical or virtual I/O ports to individual VMs directly. This
technology is best suited for applications that demand the highest
I/O throughput and lowest latency performance such as database,
storage, financial and other applications.
VMDc uses the PCI-SIG SR-IOV capability which is a mechanism
for devices to advertise their ability to be directly assigned to
multiple virtual machines. SR-IOV allows for the partitioning of
a PCI function into many virtual interfaces for the purpose of
sharing the resources of a PCI Express* (PCIe) device in a virtual
environment. These virtual interfaces are called Virtual Functions.
Each virtual function can support a unique and separate
data path for I/O-related functions within the PCI Express
hierarchy. Use of SR-IOV with a networking device, for example,
allows the bandwidth of a single port (function) to be partitioned
into smaller slices that may be allocated to specific VMs, or
guests, via a standard interface.
The Intel Ethernet X520 family of server adapters delivers the
same functionality and throughput as ten dual-port, one Gigabit
adapters, saving cost, power, and complexity. For more information
on virtualization please go to www.intel.com/go/vtc.
Networking
