The black Intel X540T2 Dual Port Ethernet Converged Network Adapter simplifies migration to 10 GbE, provides iSCSI, FCoE, virtualization, and flexible port partitioning. The adapter works with legacy Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switches and Cat 6A cabling. By simply installing the adapter into a server, the auto-negotiation between 1 and 10 GbE provides the necessary backwards compatibility that most customers require for a smooth transition and easy migration to 10 GbE.
The X540T2 allows you to deploy 10 GbE in your existing data center. The adapter uses Cat6 and Cat 6A cabling. Thanks to this controller, the MAC and the PHY are integrated into a single-chip solution. A single-chip solution uses less power than two separate components. This means no more active heat sink and reduces the per-port power consumption.
The X540T2 adapter provides bandwidth-intensive applications with an efficient 10 GbE network performance and reliable RJ-45 connectivity for distances up to 328′ (100 m). Virtualization changes the way server resources are deployed and managed by running multiple applications and operating systems independently on a single server.
The adapter includes Virtualization Technology for connectivity (Intel VT-c) delivers I/O virtualization and Quality of Service (QoS) features designed directly into the controller. The I/O virtualization advances network connectivity by providing FPP, multiple Rx/Tx queues, and on-controller QoS functionality that can be used in both virtual and non-virtual server deployments.
With FPP, virtual controllers can be used by the Linux host directly and/or assigned to virtual machines. FPP allows you to use the functionality of SR-IOV to assign up to 63 processes per port to virtual functions in Linux. This enables an administrator to partition their 10 GbE bandwidth across multiple processes, ensuring a QoS by giving each assigned process equal bandwidth. Network administrators may also rate-limit each of these services to control how much of the 10 GbE pipe is available to each process.
Unified Networking solutions on the adapter let you combine the traffic of multiple data center networks like LAN and SAN onto a single efficient network fabric. You can choose NFS, iSCSI, or Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) to carry both network and storage traffic at speeds of up to 10 Gb/s. The adapter combines support for all of these traffic types in one adapter at no additional cost and with no additional licensing fees for the adapter.
Unified networking is available on every server either through LAN-on-Motherboard (LOM) implementation or via an add-on Network Interface Card (NIC). iSCSI uses Ethernet to carry storage traffic, extending the familiarity and simplicity of Ethernet to storage networking, without the need for SAN-specific adapters or switches. The X540 is a reliable and effective method of connecting servers to iSCSI SANs.
The Open-FCoE architecture uses a combination of FCoE initiators in Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems and in the VMware ESXi hypervisor to deliver high-performance FCoE solutions using standard 10 GbE Ethernet adapters. This approach enables IT managers to simplify the data center and standardize on a single adapter for LAN and SAN connectivity. The adapter is designed to fully offload the FCoE data path to deliver full-featured converged network adapter (CNA) functionality without compromising on power efficiency and interoperability.
