Data Center Ethernet

(DCE)

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 Data Center Networking Environment
ƒ Clustered and grid applications are becoming more common
ƒ Multicore CPU architectures and server virtualization are driving the
need for more bandwidth per server
ƒ Network traffic is:
– Client to server, server to server, server to storage, and storage to
storage
ƒ Higher dependency of application performance on network performance
– Bandwidth and latency matter
ƒ Traffic characterization includes:
– Short burst messages: Client to server and server to server
– Long steady messages: Server to storage and storage to storage
ƒ Packet drop affects most traffic types
ƒ Flat networks are common
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 Increased Efficiency, Simpler Operations

Mgmt
Network

Front-End
Network
Backup
Network

Unified
Fabric
Storage Back-End
Network Network

Unified Fabric and I/O

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 Key Benefits of Unified Fabric
Reduce overall data power consumption by up to
8%. Extend the life cycle of current data center.

Wire hosts once to connect to any network—SAN,

LAN, HPC. Faster rollout of new applications and
services.

Every host can mount any storage target. Drive

storage consolidation and improved utilization.

Rack, Row, and X-Data Center VM portability

become possible.
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 What Is Data Center Ethernet?

Data Center Ethernet (DCE) is an architectural collection

of Ethernet extensions designed to improve Ethernet
networking and management in the data center.
Cisco is showing innovation while working through the
standardization process with these extensions in open
standards forums.

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 Data Center Ethernet Features
Overview
Feature Benefit
Priority-based Flow Provides class of service (CoS) flow control.
Control (PFC) Able to support storage traffic.
CoS-based Bandwidth Groups classes of traffic into “service lanes.”
Management Enhanced Transmission Selection (IEEE 802.1Qaz).

Congestion Notification
End-to-end congestion management for Layer 2 network.
(BCN/QCN)

Data Center Bridging

Autonegotiation for Enhanced Ethernet capabilities.
Capability Exchange
Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBX).
Protocol
Layer 2 Multipath for Eliminates spanning tree for Layer 2 topologies.
Unicast and Multicast Uses full bisectional bandwidth with Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP).

Lossless Service Provides ability to transport various traffic types (e.g.

storage, Remote Direct Memory Access [RDMA]).

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 Data Center Ethernet Features
Priority-Based Flow Control (PFC)

ƒ Enables lossless fabrics for each class of service

ƒ PAUSE sent per virtual lane when buffer limit exceeded
ƒ Network resources are partitioned between virtual lanes
(e.g. input buffer and output queue)
ƒ Switch behavior is negotiable per virtual lane
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 Data Center Ethernet Features
Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS)

ƒ Enables intelligent sharing of

bandwidth between traffic classes;
control of bandwidth
ƒ Being standardized in IEEE 802.1Qaz
ƒ Also known as “priority grouping”
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 Data Center Ethernet Features

Congestion Management

ƒ Moves congestion out of the core to avoid congestion spreading

ƒ Allows end-to-end congestion management
ƒ Standards track in 802.1Qau
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 Data Center Ethernet Features

Data Center Bridging Capability Exchange Protocol

Data Center Ethernet

Data Center Ethernet

Hand-shaking negotiation for:

ƒ CoS bandwidth management
ƒ Class-based flow control
ƒ Congestion management (BCN/QCN)
ƒ Application (user_priority usage)
ƒ Logical link down
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 Data Center Ethernet Features

Layer 2 Multipathing

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

LAN LAN LAN

Virtual
Switch

MAC MAC L2 ECMP

A B
VPC
Active-Active

MAC MAC L2 ECMP

A B

ƒ Eliminates STP on uplink ƒ Virtual switch retains physical ƒ Uses Intermediate System-
bridge ports switches independent control and to-Intermediate System (IS-
ƒ Allows multiple active data planes IS)-based topology
uplinks to switch to network ƒ Virtual port channel mechanism is ƒ Eliminates STP from Layer 2
ƒ Prevents loops by pinning a transparent to hosts or switches domain
MAC address to only one connected to the virtual switch ƒ Preferred path selection
port ƒ STP as fail-safe mechanism to
ƒ Completely transparent to prevent loops even in the case of
next hop switch control plane failure
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 Summary

A unified fabric is the end-state network

where LAN, storage area network (SAN), and
interprocess communication (IPC) traffic are
converged onto a single network
infrastructure.

Data Center Ethernet (DCE) is the

foundation for delivering a unified fabric.
DCE will also appeal to customers who are
not planning for consolidated I/O due to its
Layer 2 multipathing capabilities and its
lossless service behavior.

DCE comprises a set of Ethernet

enhancement standards that adhere to the
emerging IEEE data center bridging
specification.

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