Intel Ethernet and Windows Server 2008 R2
Integrated Network Technologies Deliver Optimized Performance
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One of the most exciting innovations on Windows Server 2008
R2 is DirectAccess, a new service on Windows
®
7 that connects
users to corporate networks without need for a virtual private
network (VPN). Intel Ethernet and Windows
®
solutions work
together to optimize the performance of DirectAccess servers.
To ensure network security, DirectAccess depends on Internet
Protocol Security (IPsec) for authentication and encryption, which
results in increased network traffic and a greater encryption load
on servers. To minimize the impact on throughput, Windows
Server 2008 R2 offloads IPsec operations to GbE and 10GbE
Intel Ethernet controllers and server adapters.
Shifting operations to Intel
®
Ethernet Controllers unburdens the
CPU from IPsec processing and facilitates greater efficiency and
near line-rate throughput. Compared to a purely software IPsec
implementation, the integrated solution from Intel and Microsoft
reduces CPU utilization by more than 50%.
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For Windows Server
2008 R2 users, that means end-to-end network security with
virtually no throughput penalty, and without need for hardware
or software upgrades.
Separately, Intel Ethernet Server Adapters and Windows Server
2008 R2 are innovative, industry-leading hardware and software
products from two of the most trusted names in technology.
Together, they provide networking solutions with unmatched
benefits in efficiency and performance, both in native and
virtualized environments.
Intel is the leading Ethernet adapter supplier in the industry
and is working closely with Microsoft to guarantee the best
possible performance and compatibility for 10 Gigabit Intel
®
Ethernet Server Adapters in Windows Server
®
environments.
Intel offers the broadest Ethernet portfolio in the industry,
based on more than a quarter-century of Ethernet experi-
ence. Today’s 10 Gigabit Intel Ethernet Server Adapters
exemplify this industry-leading experience with optimiza-
tions for multi-core processors, virtualization, and unified
data and storage networking.
The adapters, which are designed to take advantage of the
architectural enhancements of new Intel
®
Xeon
®
processor
5500
∆
series-based servers, easily drive bidirectional
traffic that exceeds 50 Gigabits per second – more than
2.5 times the bandwidth of previous-generation servers.
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Through extensive collaboration with Microsoft, Intel
10GbE solutions now provide significantly improved
throughput in Hyper-V
™
and new levels of iSCSI
performance in Windows Server
®
2008 R2.
Intel Ethernet Server Adapters and Windows Server 2008 R2
provide unparalleled advantages for today’s customers, including
near line-rate throughput in virtualized environments, industry-
leading iSCSI performance and better network security with
fewer delays.