Direct InfiniBand Interfaces to nextgeneration optical networks

1
Direct InfiniBand Interfaces to next-generation
optical networks

• Dr.David T Southwell
• President CEO

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The big fast data problem
how to efficiently interface high performance
optical networks to

• such that
• Interfaces can scale as optical networks scale
• Interface programming model and semantics are
  familiar and friendly
• A minimum of equipment required for each network
  connection
• All WAN transport protocol semantics are
  abstracted from applications
• Sustained performance across the WAN approaches
  wire speed

- Routinely exchanging multi-Tbyte data sets long
haul during daily workflow -
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Proposed solutionRange Extended InfiniBand

• Obsidian has developed a technology that performs
  InfiniBand encapsulation over 10GbE, POS and ATM
  WANs at 4x InfiniBand speeds Longbow XR.
• Looks like a 2-port InfiniBand switch or router
  to the InfiniBand fabric
• Designed for 100,000km ranges, prototype
  publicly tested over 1,200km and 3,500km OC-192c
  networks (SC04 and OFC05) working with the
  Naval Research Labs

950 MBytes/s sustained performance in a single
logical flow 4 CPU load (Opteron 242s using
RDMA transport) IPv6 Packet Over SONET ATM
modes
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To 10Gb InfiniBandand beyond!

• InfiniBand will always outpace WAN technology
  (since HPC is the driver)
• Channels may be extrapolated in both individual
  bandwidth and number
• Links may be aggregated in switches allows
  scaling beyond individual node memory bandwidths
• Continued bandwidth scale up feasible thanks to
  the bypassing of
• Operating System / drivers (RDMA)
• IO bus
• CPU core
• Prospect of continuity for applications codes
  equipment infrastructure

(direct to memory controller)
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Next steps

• Obsidian is working with NASA to evaluate Longbow
  technology against experimental networks and
  InfiniBand infrastructure
• Productized versions of the 10Gbits/s prototype
  are being built (Q106)
• Applications software is being developed to
  facilitate the deployment of the technology
• Development work continues to take the Longbow XR
  family along the curve to faster InfiniBand and
  optical network speeds

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Contacts

• Product Development
• David Southwell
• [phone]
• dsouthwell_at_obsidianresearch.com

Business Development Bill Halina (403)
561-6168 billh_at_obsidianresearch.com