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IBM InfiniBand Update

Learn about IBM's strategic deployment of InfiniBand, challenges faced, and customer expectations. Explore the importance of InfiniBand to IBM, deployment details, and industry standards initiatives. Discover how IBM lowers costs, reduces development expenses, and provides value-added hardware and software.

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IBM InfiniBand Update

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  1. IBM InfiniBand Update Chet Mehta 2008 Sonoma Workshop

  2. Topics • InfiniBand: Importance to IBM • IBM InfiniBand Deployment • IBM IB Deployment Challenges • Enterprise Customer Expectations

  3. InfiniBand: Importance to IBM • InfiniBand remains a strategic interconnect for IBM • Co-chair IBTA • Active involvement in OFA • LWG, EWG • IBM efforts targeted to establish InfiniBand as an industry standard • Lowers cost of solution for our customers • Reduces IBM Development Expenses • Leverage industry components, software • Switches, cables, HCAs, OFA developed software • Provide IBM value added hardware, firmware & software • Virtualizing HCA, IBM Parallel Environment OFA accomplishments critical to IBM IB strategy!

  4. IBM InfiniBand Deployment • Initial focus on HPC segment • Soon expanding support to commercial markets • Supported on System x & p today • System x • Use industry PCI & HTX based HCA • Industry IB switches • Utilizes OFA’s OFED releases through vendor distributions • Driven by Time-to-Market • Prefer distro supported versions! • System p utilizes OFA OFED releases • Use IBM GX HCA (eHCA) • Introducing 2nd generation soon • Industry IB switches • Linux supported only through Distros releases! • IB supported in AIX • Support IBM Parallel Environment & GPFS over IB

  5. IBM IB Deployment Challenges • Vendor unique distribution challenges • Unique support & diagnostics tools • Worldwide service & support capabilities • OFED Release model challenges • Geared to end users not Enterprise customers • “All or none” release approach • Challenges for IB deployment in commercial environments • Slow availability of protocols & APIs that leverage technology • Maturity of cross-vendor IB management • Lag in availability of OFED releases from Linux distros • IB Cables!

  6. Enterprise Customer Expectations • IBM • If you chose to support it, make it work! • Vendors • Work collaboratively towards interoperability • Aggressively embrace and enhance common IB management • SM, Diagnostics, etc. • OFA • Tailor OFED activities to distro requirements • Change OFED release from “All or none” to “Available when ready” at function/component level! • Distros • Join OFA to influence direction • Take leadership role in driving OFA’s release process

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