Enhancing ethernet network controllers for server virtualization
Date
:
10/1/2010
In enterprise IT environments, virtualization offers numerous advantages—enabling organizations to consolidate and share computing resources, increase control and efficiency, and operate their data centers cost-effectively. Getting the most out of a virtualized environment, however, requires more than simply deploying virtual machines (VMs). An effective networking infrastructure is essential.
Broadcom, a networking leader in Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network controllers, has been working closely with a variety of virtualization vendors—including VMware, Microsoft, Citrix, and Dell—to enhance virtualization performance. Broadcom® controllers are included across a range of Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers as LAN on Motherboards (LOMs), mezzanine cards, and standard network interface cards (NICs), and are used as part of Dell’s overall virtualization solutions.
Broadcom is currently working in a two-phase effort to enhance its controllers for use in virtualized environments. In the first phase, Broadcom worked to remove virtualization bottlenecks and increase system performance through features such as TCP checksum offload, TCP large send offload, jumbo frame support, multiple queues, storage offload, and Internet SCSI (iSCSI) boot. The second phase, now underway, focuses on using Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) to enhance I/O throughput and reduce processor utilization while increasing scalability and devices’ sharing capabilities.
The network is a key component of virtualized environments, and network controllers that are enhanced to meet the demands of virtualization can help maximize performance. Broadcom’s virtualization-focused efforts enable organizations using Dell systems to take advantage of offload technologies and flexible, real-time I/O—enhancements that facilitate effective and efficient virtualization. Looking ahead, Broadcom plans to continue to support and enable virtualization on Dell server platforms, helping IT organizations to accelerate their adoption of virtualized infrastructures while increasing performance and controlling costs.
Broadcom, a networking leader in Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) network controllers, has been working closely with a variety of virtualization vendors—including VMware, Microsoft, Citrix, and Dell—to enhance virtualization performance. Broadcom® controllers are included across a range of Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers as LAN on Motherboards (LOMs), mezzanine cards, and standard network interface cards (NICs), and are used as part of Dell’s overall virtualization solutions.
Broadcom is currently working in a two-phase effort to enhance its controllers for use in virtualized environments. In the first phase, Broadcom worked to remove virtualization bottlenecks and increase system performance through features such as TCP checksum offload, TCP large send offload, jumbo frame support, multiple queues, storage offload, and Internet SCSI (iSCSI) boot. The second phase, now underway, focuses on using Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) to enhance I/O throughput and reduce processor utilization while increasing scalability and devices’ sharing capabilities.
The network is a key component of virtualized environments, and network controllers that are enhanced to meet the demands of virtualization can help maximize performance. Broadcom’s virtualization-focused efforts enable organizations using Dell systems to take advantage of offload technologies and flexible, real-time I/O—enhancements that facilitate effective and efficient virtualization. Looking ahead, Broadcom plans to continue to support and enable virtualization on Dell server platforms, helping IT organizations to accelerate their adoption of virtualized infrastructures while increasing performance and controlling costs.