Effects of virtualization and cloud computing on data center networks

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If you use the HP 12518 switch as shown in Figure 8, you can have up to 248 non-blocking 10 Gb/s
ports (assuming 4 ports per switch for IRF and 4 ports per switch for uplinks). Each BladeSystem
c7000 enclosure supports up to 16 servers. You only need two VC FlexFabric modules to connect all
16 servers to your LAN and SAN.
By deploying IRF in conjunction with high-performance HP server edge switches, enterprises can
directly interconnect hundreds of VMs at the edge of the network, eliminating unnecessary network
hops, reducing latency, and improving performance for large intra-data center workloads.
Conclusion
Virtualization, cloud computing, and federated applications bring flexibility, scalability, and cost
advantages to your business. They also significantly alter how network traffic flows in your data
center. Our position is to support multiple data center options rather than forcing you down a
proprietary path that may limit other choices in your infrastructure. The typical hierarchical L2 network
structure is limited to a single-path architecture with the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). A multipath
solution that lets traffic easily flow across multiple paths would improve performance in a L2 network
with heavy E/W traffic.
Options to consider include using VEPA or VEB technology, flattening the L2 network, or making an
L2 network more efficient by eliminating STP technologies.
Keep in mind that one size does not fit all, even in the same data center. Portions of your data center
(for example, green field deployments of a cloud infrastructure) may require a high-performance,
intelligent edge that supports lots of E/W traffic flow. Other parts of your data center may continue to
operate with the traditional three-tier architecture.