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.

Furthermore, because of different network traffic patterns relevant to different service types, these traffic flows may interfere with each other, leading to serious network problems including the inability of the service to perform its functions.

The IBM® Virtual Fabric solution for IBM BladeCenter addresses these issues. The solution is based on the IBM BladeCenter H chassis with a 10-Gb Converged Enhanced Ethernet infrastructure built on 10-Gb Ethernet switch modules in the chassis and the Emulex or Broadcom Virtual Fabric Adapters in each blade server.

This book is for clients who want to learn how to implement an IBM Virtual Fabric solution, either the IBM Virtual Fabric Mode offering or the Switch Independent Mode offering. It provides step-by-step instructions for configuring the adapters and switches.

Chapter 1. Introduction
Part 1. IBM Virtual Fabric Mode
Chapter 2. Solution architecture - IBM Virtual Fabric Mode
Chapter 3. Supported products - IBM Virtual Fabric Mode
Chapter 4. Configuring the solution - IBM Virtual Fabric Mode
Chapter 5. Examples of use - IBM Virtual Fabric Mode
Part 2. Switch Independent Mode
Chapter 6. Solution architecture - Switch Independent Mode
Chapter 7. Supported products - Switch Independent Mode
Chapter 8. Configuring the solution - Switch Independent Mode
Chapter 9. Examples of use - Switch Independent Mode

• IBM System Storage DS3500 Introduction and Implementation Guide, SG24-7914-00
• IBM PowerVM Virtualization Introduction and Configuration, SG24-7940-04
• IBM BladeCenter Products and Technology, SG24-7523-08

Publish Date
25 August 2011

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Author(s)

David Watts is a Consulting IT Specialist at the IBM ITSO Center in Raleigh. He manages residencies and produces IBM Redbooks publications on hardware and software topics related to IBM System x and BladeCenter servers and associated client platforms. He has authored over 80 books, papers, and technotes. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Queensland (Australia) and has worked for IBM both in the US and Australia since 1989. David is an IBM Certified IT Specialist and a member of the IT Specialist Certification Review Board.

• David Watts

Jure Arzensek is an Advisory IT Specialist at IBM Slovenia and works for the EMEA level 2 BladeCenter support team. He has worked with IBM BladeCenter products since 2002 and has been with IBM since 1995. Jure holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Ljubljana. His other areas of expertise include IBM System x servers, SAN, System Storage DS3000 and DS4000 products and network operating systems for the Intel platform. He has co-authored eight other IBM Redbooks publications.

• Jure Arzensek

Valeria Lima was a member of STG Lab Services in IBM Brazil at the time of writing.

• Valeria Lima

Norm Strole is a Senior Technical Staff Member in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He is an IBM Master Inventor with 30 years of experience in the networking field. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Duke University. His areas of expertise include Blade networking subsystems and networking protocols. He has written extensively on the IBM Token Ring, with publication in both the IBM Journal of Research and Development and the IBM Systems Journal.

• Norm Strole

ISBN

0738435961

IBM Form Number
SG24-7966-00

Number of pages
282