This book is the first to interpret the InfiniBand specification as it applies to high-performance, inter-system I/O. From it, you get the knowledge and insight necessary to develop innovative solutions for system I/O and inter-process communication. The author guides you through the architecture, illustrating ways that you can implement and deploy InfiniBand-based products to relieve I/O bottlenecks. InfiniBand Architecture Development and Deployment is for developers of software applications and server peripheral hardware as well as for senior Information Technology managers charged with data center management or planning for projects and capital equipment.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
William T. (Bill) Futral is an I/O architect on Intel's Advanced Components Division Architecture Team. As a veteran of standards activities, he was the author of various specifications, in particular the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring and Intelligent IO Architecture. Bill was a major contributor to InfiniBand architecture from its inception. Currently, he serves as Co-Chair of the InfiniBand Trade Association's Application Working Group.
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InfiniBand architecture is a new server I/O technology that improves the way servers interconnect with I/O devices and with each other.It is one of the first n w technologies of the millennium,a revolutionary n w technology that transitions us into the 21st century. I/O (which stands for Input and Output)refers to the ability to move data in and out of the processor/memory complex of a compute node. I/O takes place on several levels;InfiniBand architecture addresses the lower layers,defining an I/O interconnect and its transport protocols. Typically,high volume s rvers have used I/O technology,such as PCI, developed for desktop computers.PCI devices include storage and network adapters that enable the computer to attach to peripheral buses such as Fibre Channel,Parallel SCSI,and Ethern t.In this respect, InfiniBand architecture is a PCI replacement,promoting faster and more powerful adapters. However, InfiniBand is much more than a PCI replacement.It provides many featur s and capabilities previously found only in mainframe architectures and it provides advanced capabilities necessary for server clusters.It also allows I/O adapters to move out of the server the same way that Fibre Channel devices reside in independent chassis and racks. Thus,storage arrays (RAID,etc.)can connect directly to InfiniBand fabric. In fact,some analysts believe InfiniBand could eventually become a storage int rconn ct like Fiber Channel and iSCSI,due to performance, cost,interoperability,etc.
The two primary goals driving this new technology are:overcoming PCI limitations (performance bottlenecks,expandability,scalability,etc.)and standardizing the proprietary technologies emerging in the clustering space (e.g.,Servernet,Myricom,Giganet,etc.).Of course,it brings many new challenges and it changes the way w design,build,and incorporate server products and build enterprise infrastructures. InfiniBand architecture is a rich and complex technology designed to overcome existing barriers,and at the same time,to provide the framework for new and enhanced features and capabilities.Not only does InfiniBand provide an improved I/O interconnect and communication infrastructure,but it also changes the way we build and manage data centers.
Many senior architects from the world ’s leading computing companies collaborated on the specification to advance server I/O well into the future.With the specification process completed,the time has come to produce useful and valuable products and solutions. Yes,it is a complex architecture,but it doesn ’t have to be difficult.The key is in understanding both the capabilities and the goals of the architecture.In particular,product vendors ne d to understand strengths and w aknesses so they can provide optimum products.End-users must plan properly to take full advantage of InfiniBand products. Most new technologies have underlying principl s that are not obvious just from reading the specification,and InfiniBand architecture is no exception.First,industry specifications are significantly different from product specifications;a product specification tells exactly what is being built or purchased,whil an industry specification tells what is or is not allowed.In many cases,what an industry specification doesn ’t say is just as important as what it does say. While product engineers and site managers are concerned with “where the rubber meets the road ,” architecture has been described as “where the rubber meets the sky.”It is important to understand the reason for this difference. In developing a new technology that will evolv and have a long lifetime, the architects must look into the future and build in features not necessarily relevant in today ’s products.Again,InfiniBand architecture is no exception.Howev r,“evolve ”is the key word.Thus,this book provides a road map identifying near-term and long-term goals of the architecture.
Another observation is that the scope of InfiniBand architecture covers a large range and spans many market segments (storage,communications, networking,server platforms,mainframe computing,etc),from standard high-volume server products to high-end server solutions.This book discusses how the various features of the InfiniBand architecture apply to those market segments.
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