Abstract; Introduction; Traditional Data Center Topology - HP N1200 - StorageWorks Network Storage Router Brochure

Abstract

Converged fabrics is a solution for simplifying data center management by consolidating all
communication (server, storage, network, and remote management) onto a single fabric, in contrast to
the more complex and costly approach of using proprietary fabrics for inter-process communication
(IPC) and storage.
This technology brief explains the emerging and growing unified fabric technologies in which HP is
involved. These technologies include 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet
(FCoE) and how they work together to tie multiple network fabrics into a single, converged
infrastructure.

Introduction

The complications of implementation, management, and cost of multiple network fabrics have
prompted HP and other vendors to investigate converged fabric solutions, also known as unified
fabric or fabric consolidation. Any network topology constructed with one or more switched network
nodes can be described as a fabric. Therefore, fabric is the term commonly used to refer to individual
network types, including communication, storage, management, and high speed networks.
Converged fabrics is a solution for simplifying data center management and reducing infrastructure
costs. It consolidates all individual network types onto a single fabric, in contrast to the more complex
and costly approach of using proprietary fabrics for IPC and storage. The converged fabrics solution
is the common interconnect and can be either Infiniband (IB) or 10GbE.
HP expects converged fabrics technology to significantly lower infrastructure and management costs
without sacrificing performance. This technology brief focuses on how 10GbE will be used as the
common interconnect for converged fabrics.

Traditional data center topology

Some common characteristics of current data center infrastructure are underused capacity, inflexible
single-purpose resources, and costly management. The reason is that data center topology typically
includes separate, heterogeneous network appliances to manage different types of data. Each of
these appliances adds to the complexity, cost, and management of the data center. Multiple networks
require unique switches, network adapters for each server, and network management systems
targeted for each network.
Businesses may support as many as four unique networks to manage Storage Area Network (SAN)
data, IPC clustering data, remote management data, and Ethernet communications data. Each data
type typically uses a different network and interconnects, which adds to the complexity of network
architectures and to unifying network fabrics.
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