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Re: [HSSG] 40G MAC Rate Discussion



I also agree with Donn's comments.

I additionally don't see the overwhelming need for 40Gbps to the server
when:

a. The newly created PCI Express v2.0 standard already has a max data
rate in excess of 100Gbps

b. There is a trend in the thread that is concerned about the additional
complexities of dual purposed hardware and software, and the distraction
of a dual standard.

c. Web video on demand applications have NIC input/output ratios in
excess of 50:1 versus approximately 10:1 for traditional HTML. On the
surface 40Gbps would seem sufficient, but it doesn't account for the
viral proliferation of video.

My primary concern is the backbone capacities of the ISPs closely
followed by the aggregate Web capacity of server farms. LAG for servers
is an acceptable compromise.

If a dual standard is to be pursued for servers, instead of 40Gbps, I'd
rather see 100Gbps interfaces clocked down to 50 Gbps (using inverse mux
hardware?) as a driver configuration option.

Thanks,
 
Peter
 
---
Peter Harrison
Netflix Networking
100 Winchester Circle, Los Gatos, CA 95032

-----Original Message-----
From: donnlee [mailto:donnlee@GMAIL.COM] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 12:47 AM
To: STDS-802-3-HSSG@listserv.ieee.org
Subject: Re: [HSSG] 40G MAC Rate Discussion

As an end-user who presented to the HSSG along with other end-users
that 100GE is too late, I feel like our urgency and pain has fallen on
deaf ears when I see messages like those below. Does the IEEE want
end-user input or not?

To reiterate for those who did not hear the end-user presentations:

a. 10GE pipe is too small. We have hit the LAG & ECMP ceilings of 10GE
implementations today.

b. We have to use multiple 10GE LAGs and build a Clos network to keep
up with traffic demands. This results in a ridiculous number of cables
and an operational nightmare. 100GE links would greatly exorcize and
scale our networks. See "A Web Company's View on Ethernet", HSSG,
3/9/2007.

c. If 10GE LAGs have grown to nightmare-ish size today, imagine what
additional pent-up demand will be added between now and 2010?

d. The largest 10GE switch commercially available today is too small.
We would like much larger switches but because of (b), we really
require 100GE switches. See "Saturating 100G and 1T Pipes", HSSG,
3/9/2007.

e. When 100GE is available in 2010, we will have to LAG them on Day
One because a single 100GE will be too small.

f. I had no idea 10GE was a "failure" or "too early" until I visited
an IEEE meeting. As far as we're concerned, we can't buy enough of it.
Problem we have is the 10GE boxes do not have enough 10GE interfaces.
We need more; a lot more.

g. As 100GE is late, many of us are working with vendors who have
PRE-STANDARD 100GE plans. Because the need is so great, I have no
problems building a fabric of proprietary links as long as the links
on the outer edges of the fabric are standard.

Donn
Network Architecture Team
Google Inc.