Compaq BL10e - HP ProLiant - 512 MB RAM Reference manual

Abstract.............................................................................................................................................. 2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 2
Why 10GbE technology is important ..................................................................................................... 2
Current network architecture ................................................................................................................. 2
Types of data .................................................................................................................................. 2
Network and interconnect types......................................................................................................... 3
Small Computer System Interface.................................................................................................... 3
Ethernet....................................................................................................................................... 4
Fibre Channel .............................................................................................................................. 4
InfiniBand.................................................................................................................................... 4
10GbE networks.................................................................................................................................. 4
Full duplex operation........................................................................................................................ 4
Latency ........................................................................................................................................... 5
HP supported 10GbE media standards............................................................................................... 5
Physical medium dependent connections for 10GbE......................................................................... 5
Transceiver modules ..................................................................................................................... 6
10GbE connection standards......................................................................................................... 6
Converged network fabrics with 10GbE................................................................................................. 6
iSCSI .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Fibre Channel over Ethernet .............................................................................................................. 8
HP approach to10GbE implementation .................................................................................................. 9
HP Dual Port 10GbE Server Adapters................................................................................................. 9
Virtualization and Virtual Connect.................................................................................................... 10
Server Virtualization ................................................................................................................... 10
NIC virtualization....................................................................................................................... 10
Flex-10 for Virtual Connect .......................................................................................................... 10
Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix: Glossary .......................................................................................................................... 14
For more information.......................................................................................................................... 16
Call to action .................................................................................................................................... 16
10 Gigabit Ethernet technology for industry-
standard servers
Technology brief, 2nd edition

2
Abstract
This paper examines 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) technology as the network architecture of choice to
address requirements for increased bandwidth and reduced latency. 10GbE also provides broader
opportunities for network redundancy in data center environments and other situations where these
properties are essential. The paper also explores 10GbE as the technology for converging
heterogeneous network fabrics in data centers and network backbones.
Introduction
The standard for 10GbE over fiber, 802.3ae, was approved by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE-SA) in 2002. The IEEE-SA followed in 2004 with
approval of 802.3ak, the standard for 10GbE over CX4 copper twin-ax, and in 2006 with 802.3an,
the 10GbE standard for 10GBASE-T, copper twisted pair. 10GbE was designed as a high-speed
network standard with the ability to converge local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks
(MAN), wide area networks (WAN), and regional area networks (RAN). In addition to high
bandwidth, 10GbE offers the advantage of being Ethernet based, which enables network
administrators and data center managers to employ existing infrastructure, technology, and expertise
when transitioning to this standard.
Why 10GbE technology is important
Using faster multi-core processors is increasing bandwidth requirements per server. Customers in a
broad range of advanced computing environments –including financial markets, government,
defense, sciences, and media –are working with ever more complex data sets requiring 10GbE
bandwidth.
There are a number of reasons to move to 10GbE:
Aggregating connections to reduce cabling
High-bandwidth applications such as video on demand (VOD), data backup, and network storage
High-performance, latency-sensitive computing requirements like those for High Performance
Computing (HPC) clustering implemented within financial services environments. These system
configurations provide real-time trading floor information and trading analytics
Merging LAN, data, and storage traffic onto a single fabric network, also known as a converged
network (CN)
Server consolidation using virtual machine software has become accepted practice in data centers
and other enterprise environments. As more virtual machines are loaded onto a physical server, the
requirement for additional network bandwidth per physical server grows.
Current network architecture
Current network architecture uses separate, heterogeneous networks to manage different types of
data. Each of these networks adds to the complexity, cost, and management overhead.
Types of data
Several types of server data are being managed in business environments:
Business Communication –Practically all business communication is based on Internet Protocol (IP).
This is primarily data moved over LAN. Examples include email, file sharing, web services,
streaming media, and internet services.
Management –This data is usually IP-based remote switch, server, and management consoles.
Although some companies may combine general IP traffic with management traffic, most IT
administrators separate these networks either physically or with virtual LANs (VLANs).

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Clustering –Inter-Process Communication (IPC) data is a method for exchanging data among two or
more threads in one or more compute nodes. HPC Cluster computing is a typical example using
IPC. IPC is employed mostly for passing instructions and redistributing large amounts of data
between shared, distributed applications. IPC functions include methods for message passing,
synchronization, shared memory, and remote procedure calls.
Storage –All data communication to and from storage media. This includes Network Attached
Storage (NAS), File System, iSCSI Targets and Initiators, and Fibre Channel (FC) Storage Area
Networks (SAN).
These multiple networks are typically deployed physically or with VLAN isolated switches and network
adapters for each server. Figure 1 illustrates the fact that businesses may support as many as four
unique networks in order to manage SAN data, IPC clustering data, remote management data, and
Ethernet communications data. These different networks and interconnects add to the complexity of
current network architectures and to the issues presented in any attempt to unify network fabrics.
Figure 1. Representation of multiple networks found in business environments
Communication
Storage (SAN)
Cluster/IPC
Management
Network and interconnect types
Different networks and interconnects add to the complexity of current network architectures and to the
issues presented in any attempt to unify network fabrics. This section describes common network
interconnects.
Small Computer System Interface
In business critical environments, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) continues to be the most
widely used standard for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and
peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical
interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it can connect a wide
range of other devices, including scanners and CD drives. Internet Small Computer System Interface

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(iSCSI) is a standard that implements the SCSI protocol over IP networks to enable connectivity with
storage devices. The self-titled section later in this paper provides more details about iSCSI.
Ethernet
Ethernet is the most well-established of the interconnects and is utilized for IP-based communications
such as email, web browsing, management, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), VOD, and iSCSI. IP
networks continue to be the most pervasive fabric found in most business environments.
Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel (FC) is a gigabit to multi-gigabit-speed storage network technology that has become the
standard connection type for SANs in enterprise storage. Contrary to its name, FC can run on both
copper wire and fiber-optic cables. The Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) is similar to the Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) used in IP networks and commonly transports SCSI commands over FC
networks.
InfiniBand
InfiniBand is a switched-fabric communications link primarily used in HPC. Its features include quality
of service (QoS) and failover, and it is designed to be low-latency, high-bandwidth, and scalable. The
InfiniBand architecture specification defines a connection between processor nodes and high
performance I/O nodes such as storage devices.
Like Fibre Channel, PCI Express, Serial ATA, and many other modern interconnects, InfiniBand is a
point-to-point bidirectional serial link intended for connecting processors with high-speed peripherals
such as disks. It supports several signaling rates and links can be aggregated for additional
bandwidth. InfiniBand is useful in environments where performance demands are at an absolute
premium and data latency reduction is critical.
While 10GbE can be implemented over existing IP-based Ethernet networks, InfiniBand requires the
purchase, implementation, and support for an InfiniBand fabric including dedicated switches,
adapters, and fabric management and services. This additional, costly requirement has proven to be
beyond the reach of many potential users.
10GbE networks
10GbE employs an IP-based Ethernet network. Ethernet‟s world-wide installed base is a major
advantage to those users contemplating 10GbE adoption. One of the perceived limitations of Ethernet
has been that it is not reliable enough for critical data transmission. That limitation did exist prior to
the introduction of Gigabit Ethernet when networks operated in half duplex mode which could cause
significant data loss. While the problem of potential data loss was addressed with data buffers and
carrier-sensing multiple-access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) software protocols, these measures
increased transmission latency in Ethernet networks.
Full duplex operation
10GbE standards support only full duplex1operation. Full duplex is characterized by simultaneous
transmission and reception channels. With the introduction of full-duplex, switched Ethernet with QoS
features and adequate bandwidth provisioning, Ethernet can be very reliable. New Data Center
Bridging standard2features such as Priority based Flow Control and Congestion Notification allows
Ethernet to become nearly lossless, and with reliability comparable to that of FC and InfiniBand.
1The full duplex Gigabit standards are described on the 10gea.org site-www.10gea.org/gigabit-ethernet.htm
2For more information go to http://www.ieee802.org/1/pages/dcbridges.html

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Latency
Transmission latency within networks typically has three components –time of flight, data rate, and
queuing or buffer delays.
Time of flight is the propagation delay across the cable, and that delay increases in a linear fashion
with distance.
The data rate affects how long a packet takes to complete transmission, from first bit sent to last bit
received.
Queuing or buffer delays increase with congestion and are an issue for all network cards, switches
and routers. Older NICs and switches stored a complete packet then forwarded it to the destination
port after checking the integrity. Newer 1GbE, and most 10GbE, NICs and switches now employ
cut-through packet forwarding techniques which allow the beginning of the packet to be forwarded
to a destination port before the remainder of the packet has been completely received by the NIC
or switch. This significantly reduces latency and makes 10GbE more attractive for HPC
environments.
HP supported 10GbE media standards
All HP supported media specifications for cable, connections, and connection modules employed in
the design and construction of 10GbE networks are standards certified by IEEE.
Physical medium dependent connections for 10GbE
The 10GbE standard specifies various physical medium dependent (PMD) connections to different
transmission media. Several versions of the10GbE standard exist, with each version specifying a
different medium, media connection (PMD type), and 10GbE Transmit/Receive range for the medium.
Table 1 lists the key versions of the 10GbE standard and their distinguishing attributes, summarizes
the options supported, and indicates distances achieved, depending on the grade of fiber.
Table 1. Cable media specification
Protocol
IEEE STD
Distance
Media
Media Specification
10GBASE-SR
802.3ae
26, 33, 82, 300m
fiber
FDDI, OM1, OM2, OM3
10GBASE-LR
802.3ae
10km
fiber
Single-mode fiber (SMF),
10um
10GBASE-LRM
802.3aq
220m
fiber
Multi-mode fiber (MMF),
50-62um
10GBASE-KX4
802.3ap
1m
backplane
4-Lane Backplane
10GBASE-KR
802.3ap
15m
backplane
1-Lane Backplane
10GBASE-CX4
802.3ak
15m
copper
Twinax ( IBx4 Cable )
10GBASE-T
802.3an
55m on Cat6
100m on Cat6A, 7
copper
Cat6, Cat6A UTP,
Cat6-FTP, or Cat7
The physical media supported includes both copper and fiber cabling. For copper, the twin-axial
copper cabling (10GBASE-CX4) specification supports a maximum of 15m (49 feet).
Fiber cabling, on the other hand, supports multiple derivatives of the standard related to the different
optical types required for the various WAN and LAN applications.

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The typical 10GbE LAN optical standards can be summarized as follows:
10GBASE-LR (10km over single-mode)
10GBASE-SR (26m –300m over multi-mode)
10GBASE-LRM (220m over multi-mode)
Transceiver modules
10 GbE ports on switches and routers are typically independent and can be installed with pluggable
transceiver modules making it convenient for end users to change media and distance ranges. Table
2 describes the current types of transceiver modules supported by HP.
Table 2. HP supported modules
Module Type
Description
History/Change
Status
XenPak
802.3ae (optical) and
802.3ak (copper) compliant,
Large face plate area profile
1st Pluggable 10GbE
Module
Oldest and still
shipping,
Being phased out
X2
Large face plate area profile
Supports all 10GbE Standards
2/3 the size of XENPAK
Still shipping and in
use
XFP
More compact module than
XenPak and X2,
Primarily supports optical
SerDes moved to host
board
Still shipping and in
wide use
SFP+
Small form-factor pluggable
transceiver module
Supports optical and copper
standards
SerDes and clock recovery
moved to host board
Newest, shipping
and in use
10GbE connection standards
The electrical interfaces that are most commonly used to connect 10GbE are XAUI, XFI, and SFI.
XAUI is a standard for connecting 10GbE specified in IEEE 802.3ae. The 16-pin parallel interface
contains 4 lanes (pairs) each in the transmit and receive directions. XENPAK, X2, and XPAK modules
use XAUI to connect to their hosts. XFP modules use an XFI interface and SFP+ modules use an SFI
interface.
Both the XFI and SFI are serial 10 gigabit per second interfaces and require only 1 lane (pair) in each
direction allowing for much smaller module connectors.
FlexNICs and Flex-10 VC interconnect modules use IEEE 10GBASE-KR (KR) to send 10GbE serial
signals across the signal midplane. KR uses one lane (pair) to carry both transmit and receive
directions. Because KR allows the Flex-10 module to be a single-wide configuration, users can install
two modules side by side for redundancy. For more information on HP Flex-10 technology, see the
self-titled section later in this brief, or follow the Flex-10 URL in the „For More Information‟ section at
the end of this brief.
Converged network fabrics with 10GbE
Any network topology constructed with one or more switched network nodes can also be described
as a "fabric." Fabric is a common description for individual network types that can include
communication, storage, management, and high-speed networks. The implementation, management,
and cost of using multiple network fabrics in data centers have prompted HP and other vendors to
investigate converged fabric solutions. Figure 2 depicts the concept of a single fabric. It is based on

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using a single switching technology and a single set of adapters that meet the requirements of all four
types of data: LAN, IPC, management, and storage.
Figure 2. Transition from multiple networks to a converged network
Processor
Processor
Memory
Memory
I/O
I/O
Processor
Processor
Memory
Memory
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
Multiple Data Networks Converged Data Network
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
I/O
Storage
LAN/IP IPC
Management
Converged Fabric
Compared to alternatives like Fibre Channel or InfiniBand, Ethernet is already the dominant fabric
and offers performance approaching the alternatives at a lower cost.
A converged Ethernet switching fabric for all data center applications is expected to serve as the
basis for future data center consolidation and architectural evolution. With Ethernet and IP as the
unified switching fabric, administrators will also have the maximum flexibility in selecting network
management tools. An IP fabric can facilitate deployment of a wide range of data center security
measures implemented as stand-alone Ethernet appliances, within Ethernet switches, or even in
multifunction HP 10GbE network adapters.
Currently, two of the most promising transport standards for 10GbE are iSCSI and Fibre Channel over
Ethernet (FCoE).
iSCSI
iSCSI is a standard that implements the SCSI protocol over a TCP/IP network. While iSCSI can be
implemented over any TCP/IP network, the most common implementation is over 1 and 10 GbE.
iSCSI serves the same purpose as Fibre Channel in building SANs, but iSCSI avoids the cost,
complexity, and compatibility issues associated with Fibre Channel SANs. Because iSCSI is a TCP/IP
implementation, it is ideal for new field deployments where no FC SAN infrastructure exists.
An iSCSI SAN is typically comprised of software or hardware initiators on the host connected to an
isolated Ethernet network and some number of storage resources (targets). While the target is usually
a hard drive enclosure or another computer, it can also be any other storage device that supports the

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iSCSI protocol, such as a tape drive. The iSCSI stack at both ends of the path is used to encapsulate
SCSI block commands into Ethernet Packets for transmission over IP networks as illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 3. iSCSI is SCSI over TCP/IP
SCSI MP**
SCSI
Disk Driver
File System
TCP/IP
iSCSI MP**
SCSI
Disk Driver
File System
Ethernet
TCP/IP
iSCSI SCSI
Direct attached block
storage using
SCSI/SAS*
Remote block storage using iSCSI
Ethernet
Ethernet
iSCSI target
iSCSI initiator
* Serial Attached SCSI
** Multipathing
Ethernet
Initiators include software initiators and Host Bus Adapters (HBAs). Software initiators require CPU
resources to manage the protocol stack. A more efficient approach is to offload the protocol
management to an iSCSI HBA. The operating system sees an iSCSI HBA as a SCSI HBA.
IP-based networks can drop data. To compensate for any dropped data, iSCSI maintains a buffer for
the entire network bandwidth. This can increase the latency of the end-to-end round-trip transport and
can require large buffers.
Fibre Channel over Ethernet
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is an emerging 10GbE fabric already embraced by some network
hardware vendors. FCoE encapsulates Fibre Channel frames within the Ethernet fabric. FCoE uses the
same Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer as IP networks. The following are some of the
advantages that come with FCoE implementation:
FCoE utilizes FC drivers, switches, and other infrastructure
Existing FC security and management applications are unchanged
FCoE provides a 10Gigabit Ethernet fabric with potentially no data loss, compared to IP based
networks
Existing SAN management tools can be used to access storage
FCoE can utilize enhanced Ethernet features like traffic priority and flow control

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HP approach to10GbE implementation
As 10GbE technology becomes more prominent in the marketplace, HP expects 10GbE network
components to fulfill needs of applications that benefit from 10GbE bandwidth.
HP offers a broad portfolio of 10GbE products for ProLiant blade, rack, and tower platforms. HP
10GbE architecture includes network designs that are optimized for speed, reliability, and
redundancy. These designs incorporate appropriate media specifications for cabling, transceiver
modules, switches, and NICs. Consult the “For more information” section at the end of this paper for
links to specific information about ProLiant, BladeSystem, and HP ProCurve 10GbE products.
In addition, HP Virtual Connect is using 10GbE technology and Flex-10 to bring users new
management capabilities that enhance flexibility, performance, and control of their server network
connectivity. This flexibility multiplies the useful capacity of 10GbE and will reduce the cost of server
network connectivity.
HP Dual Port 10GbE Server Adapters
The NC522SFP serve adapter and the NC524SFP Dual Port 10GbE Module are eight lane (x8) PCI
Express (PCIe) 10 Gigabit network solutions offering the highest bandwidth available in a ProLiant
Ethernet adapter.
The NC522SFP PCI Express version 2 adapter, shown in Figure 4, ships with two SFP+ (Small Form-
factor Pluggable) cages suitable for connecting to Direct Attach Cable (DAC) or fiber modules
supporting SR, LR, and LRM fiber optic cabling. The NC522SFP incorporates advanced server
features that include support for TCP checksum and segmentation (LSO) offload capability, VLAN
tagging, jumbo frames, and Internet Protocol version 6. The NC522SFP can be used in either
standard or low profile slots.
Figure 4. NC522SFP server adapters fitted with low and standard brackets

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The NC524SFP PCI Express version 2 adapter, shown in Figure 5, ships with two SFP+ cages suitable
for connecting to DAC or fiber modules supporting SR, LR, and LRM fiber optic cabling. The
NC524SFP allows customers to provision their HP ProLiant DL370 G6 and ProLiant ML370 G6
servers with 10Gb bandwidth.
Figure 5. NC524SFP upgrade module for ML/DL370 G6
These adapters are ideal for customers with environments that require a dual port, high performance
10GbE NIC in support of high demand environments, including virtualized servers.
Virtualization and Virtual Connect
As enterprises better utilize existing computing resources, server and network virtualization is growing
rapidly. HP Virtual Connect (VC) is a set of interconnect modules and embedded software for HP
BladeSystem c-Class enclosures that simplifies server connection setup and administration. HP VC
includes the HP 1/10G Virtual Connect Ethernet Module for c-Class BladeSystem, the HP Virtual
Connect Manager, and the HP Flex-10 Ethernet Interconnect Module. VC uses c-Class BladeSystem
mezzanine cards within the server, and a new class of Ethernet interconnect modules to simplify
connecting those server NICs to the data center environment. VC also extends the standard server
NICs‟ capability by providing support to securely administer Ethernet MAC address.
Server Virtualization
As more virtual machines are loaded onto a physical server, the requirement for additional bandwidth
increases. VMware best practice calls for six 1Gb NICs per physical server running virtual machines.
Using this VMware guideline, just two physical servers loaded with virtual machines could fully utilize
a single 10Gb NIC.
NIC virtualization
The HP VC Ethernet Modules allow the c-Class administrator to interconnect multiple modules and
define uplinks to their datacenter Ethernet switches. The VC Ethernet Modules allow the administrator
to select which server NIC ports will be connected to each external network. Looking into the
enclosure from each external Ethernet network, only the selected Ethernet NIC ports will be visible on
what appears to be an isolated, private, loop-free network.
Flex-10 for Virtual Connect
To help customers fully utilize 10GbE connection bandwidth, HP has introduced Flex-10 technology in
the BladeSystem c-Class architecture. Using Flex-10, customers can partition the bandwidth of a single
10Gb pipeline into multiple “FlexNICs.” In addition, customers can regulate the bandwidth for each

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partition by setting it to a user-defined portion of the total 10Gb connection. Speed can be set from
100 Megabits per second to 10 Gigabits per second in 100 Megabit increments.
There are advantages to partitioning a 10 GbE pipeline:
More NIC connections per server, which is especially important in a virtual machine environment.
Ability to match bandwidths to the network function (a few examples are virtual machine migration,
management console, and production data)
Flex-10 technology hardware uses two components: either the 10Gb Flex-10 LAN-on-motherboard
(LOM) or the HP NC532m Flex-10 10GbE Network Adapter mezzanine card, shown in Figure 6;
and the HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module, shown in Figure 7.
The 10Gb Flex-10 LOM and mezzanine cards are dual 10Gb port NICs. Each 10Gb port can be
configured from one to a maximum of four individual FlexNIC‟s. Each FlexNIC is recognized by the
server ROM and the operating system or hypervisor as an individual NIC.
Figure 6. The HP NC532m Flex-10 10GbE Network Adapter
The HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module, shown in Figure 7, is required to manage the
10 GbE (Flex-10) server connections to the data center network. The Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module
recognizes and manages each FlexNIC as part of a server profile3.
3“Server profiles” are HP software constructs that define characteristics of both physical and virtual servers. For more on HP server profiles, see
the link to “Introducing logical servers: Making data center infrastructures more adaptive” in the “for more information” section at the end of this
paper.

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Figure 7. HP VC Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module
Port Number & Status Indicators
Indicates whether a data center link (green),
stacking link (amber), or highlighted port (blue).
1x 10GBASE-CX4 Ethernet or
1x SFP+ module (X1)
Recessed module
reset button
5x SFP+ modules (X2-6)
(1GbE or 10GbE)
2x Crosslinks (midplane) or
2x SFP+ module (X7-8)
Figure 8 illustrates that the Flex-10 Ethernet mezzanine card has two dedicated 10GbE ports. Each
has four PCIe physical functions (PF) that are treated as separate hardware FlexNICs by the operating
system. Each of these FlexNICs has its own MAC address.
Figure 8. Flex-10 architecture
VC Flex-10 Enet Module
BladeSystem Server
Flex10 LOM or Mezz Card
vNet 2 vNet 3 vNet 4vNet 1
port 01
FlexNICFlexNIC FlexNICFlexNIC FlexNICFlexNIC FlexNICFlexNIC
10GBase-KR single
lane of 10GbE for
each Port
For each FlexNIC, VC sets:
-- speed (0.1 to 10Gb/s)
-- port type (NIC or iSCSI)
-- MAC address
-- vNet connection
port 02
FlexNICFlexNIC FlexNICFlexNIC FlexNICFlexNIC FlexNICFlexNIC

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Flex-10 allows the traffic of four FlexNICs to share the same high performance 10GbE port on the
signal midplane yet keep the data entirely separated. A special VLAN tag is attached to the packet
being sent and that tag gets stripped off at the destination. Packets that have been tagged and
isolated by VC and the FlexNICs then move from the Flex-10 device (LOM or mezzanine card) to the
Flex-10 VC Enet module on a single pathway. This pathway is enabled by implementing the
10GBASE-KR (IEEE specification 802.3ap) one-lane, serial backplane connection standard. All of this
happens within the confines of the BladeSystem enclosure and is completely transparent to all external
network equipment. It is done automatically in hardware, so that performance and security are
unaffected. If two modules are used in a side by side configuration, this capability can provide
redundant access to every FlexNIC on the server.
Summary
Businesses are embracing 10GbE architectures in data centers and other business critical
environments. The adoption of 10GbE comes in response to ever-increasing demands for better
performance, server consolidation and virtualization, and the emergence of standards for a
converged network fabric.
The HP family of 10GbE products –which includes intelligent, multifunction network adapters,
mezzanine cards, Virtual Connect interconnect modules and network switches –continues to grow
and serve the expanding 10GbE market. HP is introducing intelligent, dynamic technologies like Flex-
10 for Virtual Connect to maximize 10GbE connections and facilitate customer transition to 10GbE
technology.

14
Appendix: Glossary
802.3ae –The IEEE standard for 10 Gigabit Ethernet over fiber
802.3ak –The IEEE standard for 10 Gigabit over coaxial cable
802.3an –The IEEE standard for 10GBASE-T copper twisted pair
802.3ab –The IEEE standard for UTP Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T)
802.3z –The IEEE standard for Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-X)
Cat 6 –Currently defined in TIA/EIA-568-B. Provides performance of up to 250 MHz, more than
double category 5 and 5e.
Cat 6a –Currently defined in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10. Provides performance of up to 500 MHz,
double that of category 6. Suitable for 10GBase-T.
Cat 7 –An informal name applied to ISO/IEC 11801 Class F cabling. This standard specifies four
individually-shielded twisted pairs (STP) inside an overall shield. Designed for transmission at
frequencies up to 600 MHz.
Edge servers –Servers that are located closer to end user machines than to origin servers at the
backbone of the network. An example of an edge server would be a cache server distributing
frequently requested pages.
Congestion Notification -- Provides end to end congestion management for protocols that do not
already have congestion control mechanisms built in
FDDI –Fiber Distributed Data Interface is a standard is a standard for LANs with a maximum distance
of 124 miles
Gbps –Gigabits per second or billion bits per second
IEEE –Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IP –Internet Protocol
IPC –Interprocess Communications
IPC Semaphores -- IPC objects that are used for synchronization.
iSCSI initiator –The application server running an iSCSI stack (software or hardware), requesting
access to storage.
iSCSI target –The device through which the initiator can access the storage.
ISO –International Standards Organization
LAN –Local Area Network
Media Access Control (MAC) –The media access control sublayer provides a logical connection
between the MAC clients of itself and its peer station. Its main responsibility is to initialize, control,
and manage the connection with the peer station. The MAC layer of the 10 Gigabit protocol uses the
same Ethernet address and frame formats as other speeds, and will operate in full-duplex mode. It will
support a data rate of 10 Gbps using a pacing mechanism for rate adaptation when connected to a
WAN-friendly PHY.
LR –Fiber cable standard for “long range” over single mode cabling
LRM–Fiber cable standard for “long reach multimode” over multimode cabling
MAN –Metropolitan Area Network
Mbps –Megabits per second or million bits per second
MMF –Multimode Fiber

15
Multiple Switched Fabrics –In the Fibre Channel switched fabric topology (called FC-SW), devices
are connected to each other through one or more Fibre Channel switches. Multiple switches in a
fabric usually form a mesh network, with devices being on the "edges" of the mesh.
OSI –The Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model (OSI Reference Model or OSI Model
for short). OSI is a communications and computer network protocol design that grew out a need for
interoperability between equipment manufacturers.
PCI –Peripheral Component Interconnect is an industry standard bus for attaching peripherals to a
computer motherboard.
PCS –Physical Coding Sublayer is part of the PHY, the PCS sublayer is responsible for encoding the
data stream from the MAC layer for transmission by the PHY layer and decoding the data stream
received from the PHY layer for the MAC layer
PFC -- Priority-based Flow Control (PFC) provides a link level flow control mechanism that can be
controlled for independently for each priority. The goal of this mechanism is to ensure zero loss due to
congestion in DCB networks.
PHY –The physical layer device, a circuit block that includes a PMD (physical media dependent), a
PMA (physical media attachment), and a PCS (physical coding sublayer).
PMD –Part of the PHY, the Physical-Media-Dependent sublayer is responsible for signal transmission.
The typical PMD functionality includes amplifier, modulation, and wave shaping. Different PMD
devices may support different media.
QoS –Quality of Service is the ability to provide different priority to different applications, users, or
data stream, or to ensure a certain level of performance to a data stream.
RAN –Regional Area Network
Serial ATA –The Serial Advanced Technology Attachment interface is primarily designed for transfer
of data between a computer and mass storage devices
SFP+ –10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable transceiver module is 30% smaller, more power
efficient, requires fewer components, and lower cost than the XFP form factor.
SMF –Single-mode Fiber
SR –Fiber cable standard for “short range” over multimode cabling
TCP/IP –Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
Twinax –Twinaxial cabling is a type of cable similar to coax, but with two inner conductors instead
of one. Due to cost efficiency it is becoming common in modern very short range high speed
differential signaling applications.
UTP –Unshielded twisted pair
WAN –Wide Area Network
XFP –10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable transceiver module is a hot-swappable, protocol-
independent optical transceiver

16
For more information
For additional information, refer to the resources listed below.
Resource description
Web address
10 Gigabit Ethernet: meeting the needs of
the next generation data center
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/ERC/downloads/4AA0-
8078ENW.pdf
HP ProLiant networking 10GbE network
adapters
http://www.hp.com/go/ProLiantNICs
HP BladeSystem 10GbE Interconnects
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/blades/components/c-
class-interconnects.html
Multifunction Networking Products
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliant-
advantage/networking.html
HP ProCurve 10GbE support FAQ
http://www.hp.com/rnd/support/faqs/10-GbE-trans.htm
HP ProCurve 10-GbE Transceiver Support
Matrix
http://cdn.procurve.com/training/Manuals/10-GbE-Support-
Jul2008.pdf
HP Flex-10 technology brief
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManu
al/c01608922/c01608922.pdf
HP NC522SFP PCIe adapter
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/networking/nc
522sfp/index.html
HP NC524SFP PCIe adapter
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/networking/nc
524sfp/index.html
HP Flex-10 VC Ethernet Module
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/blades/components/et
hernet/10-10gb-f/index.html
HP NC532m Dual Port Flex-10 10GbE
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/networking/nc
532m/index.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN
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© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained
herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and
services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such
products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an
additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or
omissions contained herein.
TC090304TB, March 2009