Level 5 Networks: EtherFabric

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Figure: Level 5 Networks EtherFabric EF1-21022T Network Interface Card

EtherFabric Overview

EtherFabric hardware is designed to allow multiple applications to access it directly and simultaneously. The hardware does not depend on the operating system kernel to mediate between applications and the network. EtherFabric presents a virtualized interface to each application, and establishes a direct data path between each application and the network hardware, bypassing the kernel entirely. Each application sees its own interface to the hardware.

EtherFabric's breakthrough architecture transforms the performance of Ethernet connections. With EtherFabric, applications communicate directly with the EtherFabric Network Interface Card (NIC) using the highly efficient EtherFabric protocol libraries via the market-standard Sockets or MPI interfaces.

EtherFabric consists of the EtherFabric EF1-21022T NIC (Network Interface Card) and the EtherFabric software. The EF1-21022T provides 2 ports of 1Gb/sec EtherFabric.

How EtherFabric Operates

In the conventional network I/O architecture, applications make Sockets or MPI function calls to interact with the network, and the Sockets library software converts these to system calls into the operating system kernel TCP/IP stack. With the EtherFabric architecture, Sockets and MPI function calls from applications perform the necessary TCP/IP protocol processing in the user, or application, space. They move data directly to or from the virtual hardware interface that has been assigned to the specific user context. This approach greatly improves the efficiency of both instructions and data, producing substantial reductions in latency and improvements in CPU efficiency.

Product Specifications

Product number

EF1-21022T

CPU support

Support for 32- and 64-bit processors

Ethernet connectors

2 x RJ-45 1000Base-T

Bus interface

PCI 32/64 bit, 33/66 MHz, 3.3 V signaling

Standards compliance

IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3z, 802.3ab (Gigabit Ethernet); IEEE 802.3x (Full duplex with flow control); PCI 2.3
IETF RFCs:related to general TCP/IP operation: 791, 792, 793, 768, 1122, 1191 2525
IETF RFCs for congestion control and retransmission: 896, 2001 2581, 2582, 2988, 3390, 3465
IETF RFCs incorporating high performance extensions to TCP/IP: 1323, 2018, 2883, 3708

Hardware requirements

PCI 2.3 or PCI-X compliant server or workstation

Safety, electromagnetic compatibility

Designed to meet:
- US		FCC Rules Part 15	Class A
- Australia/New Zealand		AS/NZS CIPSR 22	Class A
- Canada		ICES-003	Class A
- Europe		CE Mark 89/336/EEC/EMC	Class A
	- Sweden	EN 55022:1998/CISPR22:1997	Class A
		EN 55024:1998
		EN61000-4-2
- Japan		VCCI	Class A

Environmental temperature

0° to 55°C, humidity 10% to 85% non-condensing

Operating System Support

Linux kernel versions 2.4 and 2.6, both 32-bit and 64-bit.
RPMs are available for:
– RedHat 9.0
– RHEL3
– RHEL4
– SuSE SLES9