White Paper
Deployment Guide: Network Convergence with Emulex® OneConnect™
How to deploy converged networking with a Windows Server platform using Emulex FCoE technology
At a Glance
Windows users look to Emulex for high performance, scalable, reliable connectivity solutions. With converged networking, Windows users now have greater choices when deploying a Storage Area Network (SAN) with iSCSI and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) protocols. The Emulex OneConnect Universal Converged Network Adapters (CNAs) leverage ten generations of advanced,
This deployment guide reviews Data Center Bridging (DCB) as the foundation of network convergence; includes a technology overview of FCoE; and provides a detailed description of how to configure an Emulex OneConnect FCoE CNA and deploy converged networking with FCoE in a Windows Server environment.
Products
nEmulex® OneConnect™
nEmulex OneCommand™ Manager application
nEmulex AutoPilot Installer®
nWindows Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2
Introduction
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a standard developed by INCITS T11 that fully leverages the enhanced features of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) for I/O consolidation in the data center. The Emulex OneConnect Universal Converged Network Adapter (CNA) is the first adapter to provide protocol offloads for TCP/IP, FCoE and iSCSI with a single product platform. It allows companies to wire once, creating a seamless upgrade path to solidify the benefits of network convergence.
Emulex has a long and successful history of working closely with Microsoft and other partners to leverage new technologies that evolve in converged network environments. This deployment guide presents information about network convergence and also provides an overview of how to realize the maximum benefits when deploying OneConnect FCoE technology with Windows Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2.
Network Convergence
The combination of high bandwidth demand, increasing network sprawl and the growing need for more adaptive networking infrastructure is posing a major challenge for data center managers. Pain points in today’s data center networks include:
nMultiple network fabrics, each dedicated to a specific type of traffic
nHigh numbers of adapters and switch ports
nComplicated cabling infrastructure
nComplex management of switch and adapter firmware and associated service contracts
