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OpenFlow: The next generation in networking interoperability

OpenFlow is an example of Software-Defined Networking (SDN), whichprovides an open, standards-based interface to control how data packetsare forwarded through the network. The OpenFlow standard also pro-vides a basic set of global management abstractions, which can be used tocontrol features such as topology changes and packet filtering.

OpenFlow takes advantage of the fact that most modern Ethernetswitches and routers contain flow tables, which run at line rate and areused to implement functions such as quality of service (QoS), securityfirewalls, and statistical analysis of data streams. OpenFlow standardizes acommon set of functions that operate on these flows and will be extendedin the future as the standard evolves.

A IBM Whitepaper about OpenFlow has been published in may 2011 to explain OpenFlow.

Now we see several offering coming to the market which support OpenFlow.   The OpenFlow-based IBM RackSwitch G8264 (a 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet switch) has been oen of the first switches that support this.

Source:   IBM Whitepaper about OpenFlow, OpenFlow.org, Open Networking Foundation

Blade Network Technologies is now IBM Systems Networking

On sept 27th 2010 IBM acquired Blade Network Technologies (BNT). With that acquisition IBM returned into the networking space. The division is now called IBM Systems Networking.

The timining is just right as a majority of customers are making the transition from 1gigabit to 10 gigabit to 40 gigabit and further. And Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is becoming more popular.

To give a small recap of the current state of business (taken from the IBM Systems Networking website) :

Read more: Blade Network Technologies is now IBM Systems Networking

Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter II FCoE License Available

IBM announced the availability of the Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter II (VFA II) Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) License for IBM System x, an upgrade option that adds FCoE storage support to IBM 10Gb Ethernet (10GbE) Network Interface Cards (NICs). The new product, which is based on Emulex’s OneConnect™ Universal Converged Network Adapter (UCNA) architecture, (part number 49Y4274) is now an orderable upgrade option to the Emulex VFA II option card (part number 49Y7950) and integrated VFA II for IBM System x . This news follows closely on our July announcement (see my last blog on this here) introducing the VFA II for IBM BladeCenter, and signifies broader support from Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter technology to the IBM System X and BladeCenter families.

With the option to support FCoE with full protocol offload, the Emulex VFA II enables IBM customers to seamlessly converge Fibre Channel and Ethernet I/O while leveraging 10 generations of proven Emulex Fibre Channel technology. By using a common infrastructure for Ethernet and storage networks, data centers can reduce capital expense (CapEx) with savings of up to 30% for adapters and switches, and up to 80% for cables. Network convergence also reduces operational expense (OpEx) for power and cooling by up to 40%1. FCoE is fully compatible with existing Fibre Channel infrastructures to protect investments in storage, switches, management applications and administrative expertise.

The Emulex 10GbE VFA II for IBM System x includes unique features exclusive to IBM switches and Emulex adapters, such as:

• Optimized Performance for Service Level Agreements (SLAs): with bidirectional bandwidth management that matches performance to application usage
• Improved Virtualization: with automatic point to point virtual LAN (vLAN) configurations that provide more scalable VM support

For more information and technical specs on the Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter II for IBM System x and other 10GbE and Fibre Channel solutions, please visit our Emulex-IBM partner site.

Source:   Emulex / IBM Site - Emulex Virtual Fabric Adapter II FCoE License Now Available for IBM System X

REDBOOKS: IBM BladeCenter Virtual Fabric Solutions

The deployment of server virtualization technologies in data centers requires significant efforts in providing sufficient network I/O bandwidth to satisfy the demand of virtualized applications and services. For example, every virtualized system can host several dozen network applications and services, and each of these services requires certain bandwidth (or speed) to function properly.

Read more: REDBOOKS: IBM BladeCenter Virtual Fabric Solutions

Lossless Ethernet - Whats that !!

Fibre Channel protocols assume that the underlying fabric is lossless even during network congestion, to ensure that storage traffic is delivered reliably and in a timely manner. The Fibre Channel transport protocol uses link level credit based flow control that guarantees no loss of frames under normal conditions. Ethernet by contrast is a best-effort network, and may drop packets when the network is busy, resulting in retransmissions, storage protocol time-outs, and even lost data. While FCoE SANs can be built with current Ethernet fabrics, providing the mission critical reliability and data integrity required by enterprise data centers requires enhancements to Ethernet to create fully lossless fabrics.

Read more: Lossless Ethernet - Whats that !!

Cloud Computing in a day? Hands-on how-to video IBM Starter Kit for Cloud Computing

IBM Starter Kit for Cloud x86 Edition is an entry-level software offering that takes your virtualized environment from "cloud-ready" to "cloud." Users can request and provision an environment quickly through an easy-to-use web-based interface.

IT managers can monitor and manage this environment for improved efficiency and utilization of the data center. IBM Starter Kit for Cloud x86 Edition works with the IBM® BladeCenter® Foundation for Cloud virtualization platform in addition to select IBM System x® and BladeCenter servers.

Read more: Cloud Computing in a day? Hands-on how-to video IBM Starter Kit for Cloud Computing

HowTo: IBM ToolsCenter UpdateXpress System Pack Installer

This youtube video showcases the specific use case details of the IBM Toolscenter UpdateXpress System Pack installer, or UXSPi which can be helpful for system owners and administrators.

Read more: HowTo: IBM ToolsCenter UpdateXpress System Pack Installer