A Roadmap to 100G Ethernet at the enterprise data center

Ethernet networks operating at (100+100) Gb/s per link are showing enough technical and market viability that intense development on technical specifications and component technologies is under way. However, the route to 100 Gb/s Ethernet products is still not completely clear because the market and applications for 100 Gb/s links are quite different than for 1 Gb/s and even 10 Gb/s links. This article attempts to provide a roadmap for adoption of 100 Gb/s Ethernet in enterprise data centers, outlining the features that will affect the schedule, as well as the capabilities of Ethernet gear as it is developed. The major opportunities for 100 Gb/s Ethernet appear to be primarily oriented toward server, rather than desktop/client, applications, and toward interconnecting various types of high- performance computing gear for technical and business analytic computing, as well as for media-oriented and web applications in content development and delivery. These applications will place requirements on the timeline and technical definition of networking gear operating at 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s.