With Gigabit networks still a fast-growing segment for SMBs, why would you need to think about 10Gb networks? Even if you can’t imagine needing it now, it’s not too soon to start at least exploring some of the considerations – especially if you have growing video needs and want to scale over time.
10Gb vs. Gigabit
The first thing to appreciate about 10Gb is that it’s not simply 10 times faster than Gigabit. The function of 10Gb is completely different than that of Gigabit.
Whereas Gigabit provides desktop connectivity, 10Gb delivers core-to-edge, server-to-server, and server-to-storage connectivity. The server-to-server and server-to-storage connectivity aspects of 10Gb are likely to be of most interest to SMBs.
Servers and 10Gb
One place where 10Gb might be needed is in SMB networks using high-performance servers that require high bandwidth and that support 10Gb.
In addition to pushing networks to 10Gb speeds, this new breed of high-performance servers also points to virtualization, which will become as important for SMBs as it is for enterprises. Virtualization technologies – which create virtual rather than physical versions of servers, operating systems, networking elements, etc – can lead to more judicious use of IT resources. That converts to lower costs and faster response times. For example, several physical servers can be consolidated using virtualization onto a single machine.
From a user’s perspective, virtual resources appear just like physical resources. However, to a network administrator virtualization offers more flexibility to optimize resources and manage them more effectively. Not surprisingly, you need significant bandwidth to realize the full advantages of virtualization.
Even if you haven’t yet embarked on virtualization strategies, if you run extremely high-performance applications on your servers, you might benefit from a move to 10Gb. These days, CAD and advertising are not the only network performance hogs. Any significant video traffic you run over your network – such as for training via streaming videos, teleconferencing, or telepresence applications – necessitates a fast network connection and might warrant 10Gb.
Storage and 10Gb
Another driver toward 10Gb speeds lies in the storage sector. iSCSI devices enable networked storage to connect through a standard Ethernet network, as opposed to requiring Fibre Channel. SMBs can realize significant cost savings by sticking with Ethernet – both in lower capital expenditures and by avoiding the costs associated with maintaining multiple technologies.
In the past, high CPU usage and a dearth of products limited the uptake of iSCSI technology. However, technological developments such as TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) network interface cards (NICs), which address the CPU issue, and greatly increased product availability make the benefits much more accessible to smaller organizations.
One issue with networked storage, however, is that backing up your information assets demands bandwidth. SMBs can ill afford slow backup links. If you run your backups overnight and they’re still running when the next work day begins, you probably need more bandwidth. With prices dropping on 10Gb devices, it might be time to look seriously at upgrading to these higher-speed connections. That way, you optimize the cost savings of iSCSI devices.
SFP+ connectivity
An additional technological development that could make 10Gb attractive for small and rapidly growing organizations is SFP+, the latest version of the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver standard. This new 10Gb connectivity standard can also significantly reduce the deployment and ongoing power consumption costs associated with 10Gb.
With copper wiring, an SFP+ connection today can offer one-tenth the connectivity price compared with the previous CX4 standard. To fully realize potential savings, SMBs considering a deployment using this standard should look for both servers and switches supporting SFP+.
Planning for 10Gb
You might not be ready for a move today to 10Gb, but it’s possible 10Gb lies in your not-too-distant future. Because of that, it is important to have an upgrade path to 10Gb, so you can scale easily and in a cost-effective way when the time comes – without ripping out your existing network and starting over.
HP ProCurve switches offer an ideal path to 10Gb. As an example, the HP ProCurve Switch 2910 Series includes four slots for optional 10Gb connectivity. You can purchase an HP ProCurve2910 switch today to meet your current needs, confident that you are “future-proofed” for a later move to 10Gb, if you decide to upgrade.
HP ProCurve switches supporting 10Gb also work well with high-performance servers such as the new HP ProLiant G6 server. One of the ways the HP ProLiant G6 platform maximizes productivity is through its HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet module, the industry’s first interconnect technology to allocate the bandwidth of a 10Gb Ethernet network port across four network interface card connections. In addition, the Flex-10 technology lets you allocate only the bandwidth you need for specific applications. In this way, you can scale to both 10Gb and virtualization.
Servers, applications, and storage are likely to keep increasing in their demands for bandwidth. As your business grows and your IT capabilities expand to meet ever-changing competitive pressures, it’s likely that you’ll eventually want to make the move to 10Gb. Why not start planning for that future now?
For more information, please contact your HP ProCurve reseller.
