When an HNC is connected to a 1 GbE customer network, this can be fully utilized thanks to the 16GFC connection. Up to 2x4 1GbE ports are supported.
For a connection to a 10 GbE customer network, the HNC can be upgraded by one or two 10 Gigabit PCIe Controllers (each with 2 ports). A 10 GbE can be utilized by employing link aggregation. This enables multiple Virtual Channel Adapters (VCAs) to be bundled. One device pair [read/write] in BS2000 corresponds to each VCA. The following applies here:
- By means of link aggregation via one 16GFC (1FC4VCA), this one FC channel operates at up to 60% of the theoretical capacity. Therefore, the 10GbE can only be used to 70%.
A 10 GbE can be fully utilized by means of link aggregation via two 16GFCs (2FC8VCA).
The results (TA/s, MB/s) for the LAN connection of an SU710-70 (3,600 RPF via an HNC M3 with software version V6.3A) are presented below. Measurements were made under BS2000 OSD/BC V11.0B with openNet Server V4.0.
The following variants were measured:
Connection of the HNC to a 1GbE customer network and a 10GbE customer network
Use of standard frames and jumbo frames.
The following results are achieved here:
Transaction-oriented load
Maximum transaction rate of over 290,000 TA/s (here the CPU utilization of the SU700-70 was around 90%)
Mean response time with one connection around 0.35 milliseconds
Throughput-oriented load over the 1GbE
The network is fully utilized: over 110 MB/s is achieved.
The CPU utilization of the SU710-70 is up to approx. 7%.
The setting of jumbo frames results in enhanced performance: the CPU requirement is lower with a similar throughput.
Throughput-oriented load over the 10GbE
The maximum throughput which can be achieved here depends on whether and how link aggregation was configured.
Without link aggregation:
When sending 280 MB/s
When receiving 380 MB/s.
Here the CPU utilization of the SU710-70 is up to 13%. The configuration limits the performance (i.e. the device pair in BS2000). This throughput is already archieved with one connection.
With link aggregation via one 16GFC and 4 VCAs per FC (1FC4VCA):
When sending more than 900 MB/s
When receiving more than 900 MB/s
Here the CPU utilization of the SU710-70 is around 30%.
With link aggregation via two 16GFCs (2FC8VCA):
When sending 1,100 MB/s
When receiving 1,100 MB/s
Here the CPU utilization of the SU710-70 is around 40%. The 10GbE limits the performance.
These values are not attained for communication with less powerful partner systems, nor are they possible when other components such as disks or a less than ideal network slow data transfer down.
With the 10GbE the setting of jumbo frames results in only a very low performance enhancement in the CPU requirement compared to standard frames.