WHITE PAPER
The QLogic 3200 Series is the Adapter
of Choice for Virtualized Environments
QLogic 10GbE Adapter Offers Superior Performance
and Features Compared to Intel
Key Findings
Support for increasing server and storage workloads, the need for higher application performance, and the ability to meet critical
requirements of virtual environments are key factors in the selection and deployment of 10Gb Ethernet. Due to its rich feature set and
unique architecture, the QLogic® 3200 Series Intelligent Ethernet Adapter delivers superior performance compared to the Intel® X520
Ethernet Server Adapter and provides the following benefits:
• Bandwidth: Superior networking line-rate throughput for enterprise applications through the optimization of TCP/IP and UDP traffic
• CPU Efficiency: Significantly reduced host CPU processing required, delivering the native OS performance needed for virtual
machine (VM) deployment
• Maximize Virtualization: Increased, dedicated bandwidth for VMs and associated applications, higher I/O performance in virtualized
environments, and conservation of PCIe slots in all server environments using VMflex™ technologies in tier-1 OEM-specific or
industry-standard I/O virtualization implementations
• Management Simplicity: Easy management of Ethernet Adapters in heterogeneous OS environments with QConvergeConsole®, a
single-pane-of-glass management console
Executive Summary
WHITE PAPER
With increased server utilization as a result of virtualization and greater
compute power due to multi-core processors, a larger demand is
being placed on I/O bandwidth capacity. 10Gb Ethernet is becoming
the technology of choice for the enterprise data center because it is
cost-effective, increases scalability, and simplifies management. The
QLogic 3200 Series Intelligent Ethernet Adapter provides the highest
performing and most cost-effective solution when transitioning from
Gigabit to 10Gigabit Ethernet infrastructures. With unique capabilities,
such as VMflex, the QLogic Intelligent Ethernet Adapter decreases
the number of I/O adapters that are required, reduces CPU overhead,
Introduction
In today’s business environment, enterprises can’t afford to stand still. They
must move at the speed of business to capitalize on opportunities and
remain agile to swiftly respond to competition. IT assets must be able to
be deployed in minutes—not months—while still providing a high-quality
experience for users of real-time applications.
One answer to these challenges is 10Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), which is
rapidly becoming the backbone of enterprise networks. The increased use
of 10GbE is being driven by the deployment of servers with multi-core
processors and demanding applications, such as virtualization, database
cluster, and video-on-demand. 10GbE delivers increased performance,
reliability, security, and ease of use in enterprise data centers, including
virtual environments. To ensure the best performance and lowest total
cost of ownership, data center managers need to choose the networking
adapter that can deliver the highest efficiency.
The QLogic Offering
The QLogic 3200 Series Intelligent Ethernet Adapters boast industryleading networking performance, with dual-port throughput equaling
approximately 40Gbps. The adapters are designed for use in virtualized
environments, with support for QLogic’s unique NIC Partitioning feature
(NPAR). NIC Partitioning allows a user to divide a physical Ethernet port
into four virtual ports with flexible, user-defined allocation of 10Gbps
bandwidth. The QLogic 3200 Series Intelligent Ethernet Adapters come in
single- and dual-port models with support for SFP+ direct attach copper
cables and both SR (short reach) and LR (long reach) optical transceivers.
and enables the implementation of Quality of Service (QoS) policies
to improve application performance and simplify management within
next-generation virtualized data centers.
This paper describes why QLogic is the ideal solution for the transition
from 1GbE to 10GbE and helps IT administrators make an informed
decision when purchasing network adapters.
QLogic Versus Intel
An Intelligent Ethernet Adapter from QLogic goes beyond the support
offered by the Intel X520 Network Server Adapter. The QLogic 3200 Series
Intelligent Ethernet Adapter helps businesses accomplish more through
streamlined operations by providing the following capabilities:
• Highest application and VM performance by delivering superior
CPU efficiency
• VMflex technology (NIC Partitioning and QoS) to enable flexible bandwidth
allocation, ensure application isolation, and maintain productivity
• Centralized cross-platform, cross-protocol manageability to ease
installation and management
The QLogic 3200 Series Intelligent Ethernet Adapters offer superior
operational efficiencies and simplicity. The adapters reduce costs and
provide the flexibility and performance needed to support critical business
needs, such as virtualization, OS mobility, and more. QLogic delivers a
solution with broad interoperability and maximum connectivity using a
standards-based approach. Intel’s approach focuses on keeping network
processing close to the core, supporting the company’s main focus of
selling more processors. QLogic, on the other hand, delivers a solution with
the highest application performance, best server utilization, and easiest
management tools. This leads to the best return on investments made in
your enterprise data center, both now and in the future.
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 2
WHITE PAPER
Enabling Business Agility through CPU Efficiencies
As virtualization becomes prevalent in the enterprise data center, CPU
efficiency is emerging as a key factor in network consolidation initiatives.
Consolidation increases the density of server environments, and more dense
servers require higher throughput for business-critical applications. High
throughput with low CPU utilization is the key to scaling in next-generation
virtualized data centers, and without offloads significant overhead is added
to each operation, limiting the scalability of virtual servers. The QLogic
Intelligent Ethernet Adapter is designed to provide high throughput for
enterprise applications while removing CPU overhead to enable near-native
OS performance for VMs. This creates higher server utilization and enables
support for more VMs per physical server, helping to contain server sprawl
and reduce overall costs.
The following charts highlight the advantages that the QLogic adapter holds
over the Intel adapter. Figure 1 shows that the QLogic QLE3242 Intelligent
Ethernet Adapter in a bi-directional, dual-port configuration requires 60
percent less CPU resources than the Intel X520 Network Server Adapter.
Consuming only a small portion of the CPU enables the QLogic adapter
to more efficiently scale. Figure 2 shows that the CPU efficiency of the
QLogic QLE3242 is 175 percent greater compared to the Intel X520 at
12 workloads. To arrive at this result, total throughput for each adapter
was calculated through increasing workloads and then divided by the
percentage of the CPU required to drive the throughput. In virtualized
data centers, CPU efficiency has even greater importance because of the
additional overhead virtualization places on data center servers.
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
Mbps/CPU
1500
1000
500
0
1 2 4 8 1 2
Workload
Figure 2. CPU Efficiency
QLE324 2
X520
The Added Overhead of Virtualization
Deploying 10Gb Ethernet allows for the replacement of multiple 1Gb
connections with a single physical 10Gb Ethernet connection, which is
a more cost-effective approach. 10GbE’s advanced features offer more
flexibility than multiple 1Gb Ethernet connections, while providing the
aggregate bandwidth needed to support new consolidated environments.
Consolidation of applications, servers, and networking resources is being
driven by virtualization and bladed servers. Both virtualization and bladed
servers have the potential to greatly enhance infrastructure flexibility,
enabling IT to adapt to changing user requirements and transient workloads
while reducing capital expenditures.
25.0
20.0
15.0
CPU%
10.0
5.0
0.0
1 2 4 8 12
Workload
QLE324 2
X520
The density of VMs per physical server is on the rise, with the number
of potential TCP/IP connections growing exponentially. When VMs are
implemented, their Ethernet connections not only have to provide LAN
and WAN connectivity, but also leverage features such as VM heartbeats,
live migration, and resource allocation services to provide dynamic load
balancing and high availability within virtual operating environments.
This places stress on Ethernet networking and the server CPUs that must
process the data.
High throughput with low CPU utilization, such as provided by QLogic’s
Intelligent Ethernet Adapter, is the key to scaling within next-generation
data centers. The superior CPU efficiency combined with the full line-rate
Figure 1. CPU Percentage
performance of the QLogic 3200 Series is imperative to meeting application
throughput demands and virtualized server scalability requirements.
Intel’s answer to this is to flaunt its multi-core processors and push
the need for more of these processors within virtual servers to process
network overhead. However, multi-core servers running virtual operating
environments are now hosting an average of 12 VMs, compounding the
work each processor must now handle. In the future, VM densities are
expected to rise.
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 3
WHITE PAPER
Optimizing Virtual Environments with VMflex
QLogic’s VMflex technology enables the QLogic 3200 Series Intelligent
Ethernet Adapter to accelerate performance and scalability in VM
environments. VMflex supports HP’s® Flex-10 and is capable of enabling
alternative OEM proprietary virtualization solutions, such as IBM’s®
BladeCenter virtual fabric technology. While the OEM versions are switch
dependent, these technologies allow a PCIe® hardware device to appear as
unique, multiple devices.
In addition, QLogic offers a partitioning implementation that is switch
agnostic. NIC Partitioning (NPAR) is included within QLogic’s VMflex offering.
NPAR provides the highest levels of interoperability within enterprise data
centers.
Along with the OEM versions of partitioning, NPAR will be covered in more
depth later in this document.
Other features supported by VMflex include Edge Virtual Bridging (EVB),
Virtual Ethernet Port Aggregator (VEPA), and VN-Tag implementations.
These industry-standard features allow multiple virtual servers to share
a common bridge port, reducing possible I/O bottlenecks, removing virtual
switching activities from the hypervisor to actual physical switches, and
helping to provide better network visibility, end-to-end policy enforcement,
and management scalability within virtualized environments.
Advanced technologies like these within QLogic’s VMflex work together to
enhance VM performance, enabling higher virtualization ratios and ensuring
that security and performance requirements are met for large numbers of
virtual servers.
Embedded Layer 2 Ethernet Switching
Another advantage of the QLogic Intelligent Ethernet Adapter, provided by
the VMflex feature, is e-switch technology. E-switching offers the ability
to switch internally between VM-to-VM traffic. This is implemented via
an embedded Layer 2 Ethernet Switch within the QLogic ASIC and it is
available for all VMs within a physical server. An Ethernet message from
one VM to another goes to the QLogic ASIC and is switched back to the
target VM rather than sent externally to the fabric for routing. The results
are reduced latency and faster performance.
The need to improve server platform and I/O connectivity utilization in
virtualized environments has been met by QLogic. VMflex reduces server
I/O connectivity and infrastructure costs and provides dedicated yet flexible
I/O bandwidth for applications while isolating and securing all traffic.
Data center administrators looking for a seamless transition path to address
the challenges of moving from multiple 1Gb Ethernet connections
to I/O consolidation on fewer 10GbE connections need look no further than
the QLogic Intelligent Ethernet Adapter.
Partitioning via HP’s Flex-10 and IBM’s VFA
There are a few OEM implementations similar to SR-IOV, such as Flex-10
Partitioning from HP and VFA from IBM. While each is supported by QLogic,
they are proprietary standards from each OEM and include support for
OEM-branded switches to be implemented together.
Bridging the gap between SR-IOV and OEM proprietary implementations is
NPAR, which is a switch agnostic solution. NPAR is designed to help data
center administrators ease the migration path to deploying consolidated
I/O by providing maximum flexibility for high performance with dedicated
bandwidth access to applications on VMs. In addition, NPAR is available
now so it bridges the gap in the absence of SR-IOV, and it provides a
seamless path to support and deploy SR-IOV.
Switch Agnostic Partitioning Using NPAR
NPAR goes a step beyond the OEM implementations and eliminates the need
for any changes to your existing external Ethernet Switch infrastructure.
By implementing partitioning this way, QLogic offers the highest degree of
choice and interoperability. From an OS perspective, there are no changes
required—deployment is seamless. The eight partitions per dual-port
solution (up to four on a single port and eight on a dual port) appear as eight
independent discrete Ethernet lanes to the OS. In addition, NPAR can help
you implement a virtualized environment by improving server utilization.
NPAR supports the division of a single 10GbE adapter into multiple,
independent partitions. Each partition can support concurrent networking
protocols, enabling flexible bandwidth provisioning to applications running
within the VMs. NPAR enables the creation of multiple partitions per
physical port. Each partition can support independent VLAN creations to
help reduce traffic broadcasting on the network and provide more flexible
administration due to the simple parameter configuration of the switches.
In a typical use case for NPAR, a dual-port 10Gb Ethernet Adapter can be
divided into eight separate virtual connections. Each of these can have
a defined bandwidth, which can be associated with the applications and
aligned with corporate SLAs. This allows for more adapter interfaces to be
presented to virtual servers using fewer physical adapters. The advantages
are multifold: consolidation of I/O hardware, high I/O performance in
virtualized environments, dedicated bandwidth (QoS) for VMs and associated
applications, the highest level of interoperability, and conservation of PCIe
slots. NPAR enables the segregated Ethernet links to be presented to
VMware ESX™ as eight separate NICs. Each of the segregated lanes can
then be used for different purposes, such as redundancy, vMotion, VM
kernel consoles, storage, and management interfaces.
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 4
WHITE PAPER
NPAR is flexible and lets the user set maximum and minimum bandwidth
settings. It enables dynamic bandwidth balancing and puts the user in
control of ensuring applications have the bandwidth they need. All of this
flexibility can be supported without the need for new external Ethernet
Switch infrastructure.
Meeting Stringent Service Level Agreements
Businesses cannot afford to have productivity suffer due to the inability to
access mission-critical applications or because of poor application delivery
performance. Business success is dependent on IT performance; if the
network fails to meet service level agreements the impact to the business
can be significant.
Along with bandwidth capacity, it is now essential to have a highly scalable
architecture. Server virtualization enables I/O sharing, but introduces
resource contention at the adapter level.
When the QLogic NPAR feature is configured, QoS can be activated on
each virtual port. This allows for the ability to differentiate service levels
between workloads for each application, enabling administrators to work
with bandwidth settings and traffic isolation to meet individual SLAs.
You can manage QoS for traffic sent over each of the partitions. This feature
lets you allocate minimum and maximum bandwidth to each partition in
100Mbps increments anywhere from 100Mbps to 10Gbps through QLogic
provided management tools and utilities. QLogic provides ultimate flexibility
and ease-of-use to the user by providing multiple options to configure NIC
Partitioning. There are four tools available to the end user to configure
NPAR functionality. The first is a pre-boot utility and the second is the
QConvergeConsole management tool, which is available in both GUI and
CLI options. Windows® users can take advantage of the third tool, which is
the QLogic Windows properties page. The fourth tool is for VMware® users,
who can set up NPAR via a vCenter plug-in from QLogic.
Simplify Management
QLogic offers a robust management solution to help organizations simplify
management and improve efficiency while reducing costs. QLogic’s
management solutions are designed to simplify storage, Ethernet, and
converged networking environments. They offer cross-functionality views
and support not only for the QLogic Intelligent Ethernet Adapter, but also
for QLogic’s Fibre Channel Adapters and Converged Network Adapters. The
management solution enables IT departments to standardize on one tool
for management of all data, storage, and converged QLogic infrastructure.
Multi-platform, Single-pane Management
The QConvergeConsole management tool delivers a broad set of powerful
Ethernet and Fibre Channel Adapter management tools for administrators
to maximize application performance and availability. Available in both GUI
and CLI options, QConvergeConsole offers application-based wizards to
enable your environment to be quickly and easily provisioned based on
published best practices.
With QConvergeConsole, there is just one management interface across
all supported platforms and protocols. In fact, the entire QLogic portfolio
can be managed by the tool, which provides a single-pane-of-glass view
for management of Fibre Channel, FCoE, and IP functions, as shown in
Figure 3. In contrast, Intel offers only native OS device properties tabs for
management and configuration. Crude utilities like these can severely limit
functionality because each hardware instance needs to be accessed and
configured independently. In addition, the utilities do not offer a holistic
view of the configuration.
Using the QConvergeConsole’s Command Line Interface, IT administrators
can increase productivity by automating mundane manual tasks. The
installation and configuration of adapters in larger server farms can be
done with the strike of a single key, expediting the entire process and
eliminating the probability of manual errors.
Another advantage that QLogic has is the company’s tightly integrated
management options with OEM and OS vendor-specific applications.
Through APIs, the QLogic products can leverage many native OS
management utilities. Windows users can take advantage of the QLogic
Windows properties page, Linux® users will find QLogic technology
integrated with native management tools, and VMware users can configure
features such as NPAR via a vCenter plug-in from QLogic.
QLogic tackles the hidden obstacles of simplifying installation and
management by offering multiple choices, integration with OS-specific
utilities, and streamlined steps for successful setup. Wizards within
QConvergeConsole limit decision making and errors by integrating best
practices. All of these features are inherent within the QLogic management
offering, along with a unified network management solution for data,
storage, and converged networks.
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 5
Figure 3. QLogic QConvergeConsole
Summary and Conclusion
With its latest hardware release, QLogic has entered the company’s
third generation of Intelligent Ethernet Adapters, demonstrating the
company’s commitment to continuously deliver value and innovation.
High I/O performance in the enterprise data center is a requirement for
customers who are striving to achieve maximum density and resource
utilization. Virtualization, a target application for 10Gb Ethernet, will require
CPU horsepower to efficiently scale VMs. Furthermore, the addition of a
virtualization layer adds overhead, which will degrade I/O performance
and eliminate additional virtualization benefits. The QLogic 3200 Series
Intelligent Ethernet Adapter’s stateless offload processing delivers linerate performance and enables higher CPU resources to support more VMs,
providing greater cost savings and ROI in virtualized environments. As
a result, the adapter delivers the performance required by transactional
enterprise applications.
WHITE PAPER
QLogic’s adapter offers the following enterprise-class features not offered
by Intel’s X520 product family: NIC partitioning, QoS, and centralized crossplatform management support.
10Gb Ethernet applications that move a large amount of data (for example,
file services, backups, Web servers streaming data, compute-intense
applications running on high-end databases, or information systems that
process large files) will require solutions that provide increased bandwidth
and performance. NIC solutions, such as Intel’s, lack the enterprise feature
set that data center managers demand for enterprise applications. The
QLogic 3200 Series Intelligent Ethernet Adapter is uniquely positioned to
support enterprise initiatives and removes the barriers to scalability for
applications and virtual environments.
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 6
Appendix
NIC Performance Testing Configuration
Server Configuration
Hewlett-Packard
Intel Nehalem
Operating System Red Hat® Enterprise Linux
Network Adapters
QLogic Intelligent Ethernet
Adapter QLE3242
Intel Ethernet Server
Adapter X520
Network Test Tool
IxChariot
®
DL380 G6
Quad core, dual 2.8GHz
24GB RAM @ 1,066MHz
5.4 GA
Driver: 1.00.00.23
Firmware: 1.35.11
Driver: 2.0.8-k3
Firmware: 0.9-3
®
7.0 build 114
Default Chariot high-performance
throughput script
WHITE PAPER
®
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 7
WHITE PAPER
Disclaimer
Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the validity and accuracy of these performance tests. QLogic Corporation is not liable for any error
in this published white paper or the results thereof. Variation in results may be a result of change in configuration or in the environment. QLogic
specifically disclaims any warranty, expressed or implied, relating to the test results and their accuracy, analysis, completeness or quality.
Follow us:
Corporate Headquarters QLogic Corporation 26650 Aliso Viejo Parkway Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 949-389-6000
www.qlogic.com
© 2012 QLogic Corporation. Specifications are subject to change without notice. All rights reserved worldwide. QLogic, the QLogic logo, QConvergeConsole, and VMflex are trademarks or registered trademarks of QLogic Corporation. Enterprise Linux and Red Hat are registered trademarks
of Red Hat, Inc. ESX and VMware are trademarks or registered trademarks of VMware, Inc. Hewlett-Packard and HP are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark
of Intel Corporation. IxChariot is a registered trademark of Ixia. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. PCIe is a registered trademark of PCI-SIG Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other brand and product names are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information supplied by QLogic Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable. QLogic Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors in this brochure. QLogic Corporation reserves the right, without notice, to make changes in
product design or specifications.
HSG-WP11002 SN0330930-00 Rev. A 02/12 8
International Offices UK | Ireland | Germany | France | India | Japan | China | Hong Kong | Singapore | Taiwan
Share:
Loading...