A Network Interface Card (NIC) is a hardware device that allows you to connect a computer to a network. Each NIC has a unique media access control (MAC) address that allows it to be recognized by other components of a network that it connects to.
Some 10Gb Ethernet Specifications
A 10Gb Ethernet NIC comes with a proprietary chip that controls how the device operates. These NICs also come with on-chip buffers that are used to accelerate packet data transfers between the PCI Express Buss and the 10-Gigabit Ethernet network. 10Gb Ethernet network cards can supply enough bandwidth to saturate a PCI Express Buss running in full-duplex mode.
A server card for Mac OS X systems like a 10Gb Ethernet PCI Express Dual Port CX4 Copper NIC increases performance as it reduces CPU activity. Its built-in Interrupt moderation features a green network technology that reduces energy consumption even as it propels data transfer from 1Gb to 10Gb Ethernet speeds.
These types of network cards are the ideal solution for implementing mission-critical high-speed networking applications and utilizing multiple network-segmented environments when installed in high performance servers. In the case of the 10Gb Ethernet PCI Express Dual Port CX4 Copper NIC for Mac systems, the user must be using OS X 10.5.8 or later.
For newer generations of Mac OS X systems running 10.6 Snow Leopard, Small Tree recommends 10Gb Ethernet Optical Network Adapters or 10Gb Ethernet RJ45 CAT6 Network Adapters for even more improved power saving features, CPU utilization, and overall performance.
Upgrading a 1GbE Network to a 10Gb Ethernet Network
One of the biggest challenges an Information Technology department faces is how to get a decent return on investments by replacing its old technology with new faster technology. It is the IT manager’s responsibility to keep their networks running fast enough to meet the users needs. Older Networks that rely on Gigabit Ethernet components are not able to provide the same speed the newer 10Gb Ethernet network adapters can. Problems begin to become more evident as more server slots are filled with the new 10Gb Ethernet NICs as the rest of the network communicates on slower, 1Gb Ethernet connections.
The outlook for network speed is fast, very fast. Just to show you how close we are to the next step in network speed, a 100Gb Ethernet network has recently been completed and is currently being tested under real-time conditions in Germany. The Alcatel-Lucent AE (http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/application_enablement/) vision eliminates delays to create more value while delivering the highest possible network speeds available from the project’s proprietary HLN design.
The team was made up of scientists and researchers who were successful at transferring data from one cutting-edge data center to another over 60 miles away. The goal was to get 100Gb Ethernet speed using pre-existing cabling and optics to achieve a network speed record. After the experiment was finished and the new speed record achieved, the developers were immediately putting the network to the test. Finding flaws in anything is the first step in creating a better product. 100Gb Ethernet networks are just one more step to unimaginable speeds of data transfer that currently occurs within the human mind when it sends and receives information from the world around us.
A system of hybrid networks will carry us from the present model into future standards. It becomes the network architect’s duty to develop procedures to implement 10Gb Ethernet networks fast enough to take advantage of the increased performance as well as providing a good return on investment from the higher network speeds.
Today’s communication networks will come with pre-existing network components and network segments where speeds and hardware are not always the same. Ethernet based Network cards that run at 10Gb are the first wave of Ethernet adapters that move faster than 1Gb Ethernet. Using these faster adapters will give network vendors a way to give their clients a solution to resolve their network bottlenecks. A versatile network insures that a business can continue to grow without making large bets on the future of business technology.
10Gb Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) History
In 2002 IEEE published the first 10Gb Ethernet standards. In 2004 Intel introduced a 10Gb Ethernet network interface card (NIC). In 2006 Small Tree introduced the first 10Gb Ethernet CX4 Solution for Mac OS X. The number one goal of the Intel's 10Gb network card was to give business a way to slowly upgrade from existing 1Gb network speed to 10Gb speed. In 2009 Intel released their CAT6 RJ45 10Gb Ethernet network card which demonstrated 328ft of 10Gb Ethernet network transmissions using a CAT6a Ethernet cable, and 180ft using the standard CAT6 Ethernet cable. “We built the adapter to be used primarily in servers attached to Local Area Networks (LAN) or Storage Area Networks (SAN) – Information Week reported from Steve Schultz, Marketing Director of Intel.
Devices like Intel’s 10Gb AT Server Adapter comes with Intel’s proprietary VMDq that controls data for virtual machines running software within the network. This allows for moving some of the processing requirements from the CPU to the network interface controller, which is responsible for sorting data and enabling more information being transferred, increasing over-all speed.
Components that make up a shared network come from OEM vendors, who much like the end user, have fears about a rocky transition from 1Gb to 10Gb speed. The entire networking industry is focused on making this transition to faster performance as smooth as possible while providing users the benefits of more robust networks. This is where the new 10Gb Ethernet NICs will make the biggest difference by staying ahead of the demand for network hungry users.
10GbE Network Card
In the end, it is important to see every network as a sum of all its parts. When you analyze each network component you can see exactly where network speed is created. New network cards are needed to achieve faster network speeds. A 10Gb Ethernet network interface card is an easy way to upgrade from 1Gb to 10Gb transfer rates as long as all your hardware supports the new speeds. Many small design firms choose this way to upgrade their storage networks for content-rich projects that need to be executed perfectly. The truth is that the speed is out there, you just have to go out and implement it, and you have to do it the correct way for you to take advantage of it!
About Small Tree
Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622) or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter and facebook.
0 comments:
Post a Comment