Abstract

Today’s data centers are serving content for fixed and mobile clients across large scale public and private cloud computing clusters. Video rendering, high frequency trading, oil reservoir simulations are just a few examples of the complex applications being served over computing clusters connected at 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE).

10GbE Top of Rack (ToR) switches are now being designed to support consolidated networking and storage traffic as well as server virtualization. BLADE Network Technologies, recently acquired by IBM, commissioned Tolly to measure the IBM BNT RackSwitch G8264 against three competing 10GbE switches for latency, throughput, power consumption, ability to buffer microburst traffic, and price/performance.