Neterion Launches Virtualized X3110 10 GbE Server Adapter

Neterion today announced the general availability of its third generation I/O Virtualized X3110 10 GbE server adapter through its world-wide channel of distributors.

I/O is rapidly becoming the bottleneck or “glass ceiling” in large-scale virtualized server environments as technology trends and the economy demand higher VM density and faster migration of I/O intensive applications. Until now, I/O has failed to keep pace with advances in CPU and Hypervisor technology. This threatens to eventually limit the number of VMs per platform, stunt the adoption of “cloud computing” and also prevent the migration of I/O intensive applications such as databases and mail servers.

Neterion’s I/O virtualized X3110 10 GbE server adapter shatters virtualization’s glass ceiling. The industry’s first fully-virtualized Ethernet controller brings the following capabilities to virtualized server environments:

• Integrated Hypervisor Offload technology dramatically reduces the Hypervisor’s CPU utilization and frees up system resources for applications, not “plumbing.” Included in the X3110’s Hypervisor Offload is support for the newly emerging Virtual Ethernet Bridge (VEB) standard that migrates Ethernet switching overhead from the Hypervisor to the X3110 adapter hardware. The X3110’s Hypervisor Offload facilitates greater VM density per platform and deployment of I/O intensive applications that before now required a dedicated, non-virtualized server.
• Neterion’s hardware-based I/O Quality of Service (IOQoS) technology allows IT managers to implement true I/O isolation and bandwidth guarantees for each workload. Each fully virtualized I/O workload can independently enable prioritization, classification and queuing of traffic. IOQoS allows virtualized data centers to meet demanding Service Level Agreements (SLAs) of enterprise applications, regardless of whether they run in a virtualized environment. Now, nearly all enterprise applications can be migrated to virtual server environments, greatly expanding the breadth of server virtualization in the datacenter.
• Neterion’s unique Virtual Link Technology (VLT) enables the X3110 10 GbE adapter to appear to the system as up to 17 fully independent Ethernet adapters that can be managed just like multiple Gigabit adapters. VLT presents multiple PCI device functions to the host system, which means that today’s servers can take full advantage of the technology. VLT also provides future proofing by allowing enterprise data centers to migrate to the industry standard Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) when enabling software becomes available.

Neterion’s X3110 fully independent virtual adapter architecture is unique in the industry, allowing each virtualized adapter instance to run native, full featured device drivers in a guest operating system, rather than a custom “data-path only” driver. This architecture enables each adapter instance to be independently reset and includes isolated hardware queues that mitigate head-of-line blocking issues found in other adapter architectures. Additionally, the X3110 10 GbE adapter allows end-users to preserve their existing investments in driver qualifications, operating systems, network administration tools and personnel training.

The X3110 I/O Virtualized 10 GbE server adapter is being initially released in two flavors: single port 850nm SR Optical and single port Direct Attach (DA) twinax copper (sometimes referred to as 10GBase-CR). Both adapters employ the new SFP+ module standard and are available today through world-wide channel distributors with a starting MSRP of $899. Dual port 10 GbE adapter versions (the X3120) will be available in the second half of 2009.