Is Ethernet Faster Than Fibre?

As IT managers struggle to answer the age old question, “Is Ethernet faster than Fiber Channel?” you may realize the better question to answer is “Can Ethernet networks really provide more performance for less costs that Fibre Channel?

What is Fibre Channel?

Until recently, Fibre Channel (FC) held a dominant position as the interconnect technology of choice with its high storage array to server ratio. Fibre Channel networks utilize four servers to one storage port (4:1 ratio), and Window based servers connect at seven servers per port (7:1 ratio).

When Fibre Channel was faster than Ethernet, the network adapters were the reason Ethernet fell behind. Fibre Channel came on the market with one big promise, get more done right now. Once a Fibre Channel network was implemented, it ran fast; really fast. At the time, Ethernet technologies could not double the active-active storage controller to support as many as sixty-four Unix servers and the equivalent to one hundred and twelve PC servers. Fibre Channel was moving fast but Ethernet was catching up even faster.

Moore's Law [1]

Moore’s law states that the number of inexpensive parts added to integrated circuitry will double every two years. That model has a life expectancy that will take it until 2015. This hardware progression means each new product will be made of better parts, return higher performance, and be considerably cheaper than its older counterpart.

Fibre Channel took an early lead in the race to supply super fast communication networks to a hungry market. A Fibre Channel network was the best way to achieve reliable performance and transfer speed, but the high cost of implementation exposed the whole industry to competitive technology.

The high price for Fibre connectivity prevented some businesses from installing the fastest networks available. Developers of Ethernet networks continued to improve and Moore’s law did the rest.

Right now there are Ethernet network cards that move data faster over copper wire than Fibre Channel adapters. 4Gb/s Fibre Channel networks solutions are lagging behind 10 Gb Ethernet network speeds. Ethernet network developers saw the performance gap as a way to move past the promise of Fibre Channel speed.

Is Fibre Channel expensive? You bet it is.

It was discovered that Ethernet network performance gains cost three times more than the previous generation’s technology for ten times more performance. Fibre Channel connections performance gains cost ten times the previous generation’s technology for the same ten times increase in performance. Fibre Channel does not support auto-negotiation while Ethernet connections do, making those connections easier to install and maintain.

This is networking’s fork in the road. Turn to the left where Fibre Channel higher costs for performance improvement, or turn to the right where Ethernet copper wire connections return bigger performance gains for less cost.

Can an Ethernet network get more performance gains than Fibre Channel but for much less cost? “Yes.”

Fibre Channel networks advocates do not highlight costs when talking about installing a large grid of Fibre Channel connections. You won’t hear about the Ethernet alternative using Ethernet adapters, switches, and drivers that can push Gb Ethernet network speeds up to and beyond the speed of what lesser-configured Fibre Channel networks are operating at. An enterprise solution must involve a complete restructuring of the proprietary network to receive the best return on investment. Speed, is the top priority and the benchmark for a successful network transition. Network engineers are now able to install staggered components running at different speeds; eliminating redundant processes that reduce the top speed of the network.

A communications network vendor will be knowledgeable, having experience in diagnosing network performance in the past. Technical advice should be sought out from vendors who specialize in Ethernet solutions as well. Choosing to talk about Ethernet solutions with a company whose specialty is Fibre Channel might leave you with more questions than answers.

If Fibre Channel holds the top spot for network connection speed, with its ability to go faster farther, Ethernet must not be ruled out as the best competitor to Fibre Channel. Ethernet can be customized with faster and cheaper upgrades that produce network speed for less.

An Ethernet network does more than just stand back as Fibre Channel carries a majority of the data transfers generated around the world. In fact, there are more Ethernet networks than any other kind of communication network, and this trend will extend well into the 21st century.

In the end, the answer is:

Network speed can be increased for less using Ethernet and deciding Ethernet over Fibre Channel may not be about speed at all.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore’s_law

About Small Tree

10 Gb Ethernet network cards are the newest and fastest Ethernet based connections to date. They provide individuals with shared networking capabilities that are ten times faster than regular Gb Ethernet NICs. These Intel-based cards have been optimized for Mac file editing; data transfer and link aggregation, allowing Small Tree to offer your company a state-of-the-art networking solution.

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 the new facebook FAN PAGE.