| InfiniBand is an architecture designed to support input | | | | common I/O interconnections, switched fabric |
| output connectivity for the internet and it provides | | | | network provides scalability. As additional InfiniBand |
| the backbone of many large enterprises and | | | | switches are added to the network, bandwidth of |
| businesses who are reliant on the internet. It | | | | the system increases. The InfiniBand’s physical |
| supports the internet requirement for reliability, | | | | layer devices require less power compared to other |
| availability and serviceability. It is a switched fabric | | | | serial interconnect technologies. The reduced power |
| communication link which is scalable and supports | | | | consumption results in cost savings. In a moderately |
| quality of service and failover. It is often used as a | | | | sized network it can have power savings of |
| server in high performance computing environments, | | | | hundreds of watts which can then translate into |
| it has a serial bus and has fewer pins and other | | | | actual cost savings of thousands of dollars. |
| electrical connections. Hence InfiniBand improves | | | | Various new interconnects like HyperTransport and |
| reliability and reduces manufacturing costs, something | | | | 3GIO technologies complement InfiniBand. It has the |
| which all businesses look towards when they are | | | | capability to extend the bandwidth across the fabric. |
| choosing their connectivity. | | | | It delivers data precisely wherever it is needed in the |
| InfiniBand is a point to point bi-directional serial link. It | | | | fabric. Each link in the layered protocol of InfiniBand |
| supports multiple channels and multiple memory areas | | | | can support multiple transport services and multiple |
| which makes it incredibly useful. Data is transmitted in | | | | communication channels. InfiniBand’s adapters |
| packets with InfiniBand. The development of | | | | connect them to other devices. The switch contains |
| applications like E-commerce, business to business | | | | more than one port and forwards packets from one |
| solutions and interactive portal sites have resulted in | | | | port to another. The switch does not consume or |
| ever increasing volume of data and demand for | | | | generate packets other than management packets. |
| reliability. This demand has led to data transfer | | | | The routers forward packets from one subnet to |
| solutions that meet the needs of the end users. This | | | | another without consuming packets. They are |
| has also led to the formation of a cluster of servers | | | | capable of forwarding unicast as well as multicast |
| operating parallel to serve an application. It simplifies | | | | messages. |
| the cluster connections with the help of its feature | | | | InfiniBand cables are capable of providing the fastest |
| rich managed architecture. Devices can be added and | | | | transfer rates so data can sent and received in |
| multiple paths can be utilized with InfiniBand | | | | moments. The benefits include reliability, availability, |
| architecture so as a business or enterprise expands | | | | serviceability (RAS), out of box bandwidth and |
| the architecture can support this increase. | | | | scalability. It is now widely accepted as more |
| InfiniBand provides connection for IPC systems and | | | | businesses and consumers utilize the internet at |
| thereby allows multiple servers to work together. It | | | | higher bandwidths. The InfiniBand technology |
| simplifies the communication between complex | | | | improves and simplifies the data center. InfiniBand |
| storage systems or Storage Area Networks | | | | supports Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA). |
| (SAN).Unlike shared bus architectures which are the | | | | |