IBM Virtual Fabric®: Fast, Flexible and Reliable I/0

When it comes to I/O, data centers face more challenges than ever before, including:

• Expensive server configurations with four or more NIC connections.
• Applications requiring more than 1Gb but less than 10Gb of network bandwidth.
• Demand to reduce capital and infrastructure costs.
• Finite power envelope and rising energy prices.
• Focus on ROI with future flexibility to adjust bandwidth per NIC as demand require.
• Demand for lower latency and better end user experience.
• More layers of complexity in the data center.
• Higher levels of security and availability.

The Virtual Fabric solution, featuring Virtual Fabric Adapters (VFAs) from Emulex, provides fast, flexible and reliable I/O solutions that fit into your existing data center and offers you a new way to overcome these challenges. This innovative solution based on Emulex adapters and specific IBM System Networking products is different than other vNIC solutions in that it carves up dedicated pipes between the adapter and the switch. This solution is built on industry standards, provides maximum performance in both directions and allows for pipes to be allocated at any speed from 1GbE to 10GbE. Building a dynamic infrastructure today with IBM Virtual Fabric also allows for advanced levels of security and higher levels of availability per virtual NIC by leveraging virtual pipes, which isolate vNICs from each other.