NetEffect, Fulcrum Microsystems Collaborate to Deliver Unmatched 10Gb Ethernet

NetEffect 10Gb iWARP Ethernet Channel Adapter Excels in Performance and Latency Testing with Fulcrum 10Gb Ethernet Switch Chip Product -- NetEffect today announced that interoperability testing with Fulcrum Microsystems showed NetEffect's NE010x iWARP Ethernet channel adapter (ECA) achieving the highest throughput and lowest latency of any Ethernet adapter on the market today. Benchmarks were run using Fulcrum's FocalPoint Evaluation Platform, which showcases FocalPoint, a 24-port, 10Gb Ethernet Switch Chip that, at 200ns latency, leads the market in low-latency intelligent switching. As demonstrated in testing conducted at Ohio Supercomputing Center, the combined solution delivered end-to-end latency of less than 10 microseconds -- a new performance record for a standards-compliant iWARP-based implementation. The NetEffect NE010x is the first adapter on the market to fully implement the iWARP Ethernet standards, allowing data center managers to realize more than 10Gbps data throughput, while remaining completely compatible with existing Ethernet hardware and software. "We have run extensive benchmark tests with NetEffect's 10Gb iWARP Ethernet adapter," said Dennis Dalessandro, Network Researcher at Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC). "We're pleased to report that the performance we have encountered demonstrates the lowest latency and highest throughput of any Ethernet channel adapter that we have seen on the market today. Latency has long been one of the biggest hindrances of Ethernet as a cluster interconnect, but with the low latency of the NetEffect ECA and the Fulcrum switch, this is no longer an issue." "We're proud to be working with an industry leader such as Fulcrum Microsystems. Together we provide customers with solutions that address their high-performance and low-latency Ethernet requirements," said Rick Maule, CEO of NetEffect. "The Fulcrum Microsystems and NetEffect collaboration solves real problems that IT managers face every day. Leveraging the ubiquity of Ethernet, our technologies combine to enhance Ethernet to be the only fabric needed for high-performance networking, storage and clustering applications. This new capability for Ethernet creates products that are equally suitable for the uncomplicated data center demands of small companies up through the most complex networking topologies for large enterprises." "The demands in data centers for a low-latency Ethernet fabric to meet needs for networking, storage and clustering applications are escalating," said Bob Nunn, CEO of Fulcrum Microsystems. "Fulcrum is the industry leader in low-latency Ethernet switches. Similarly, NetEffect is the clear leader in low-latency, Ethernet channel adapters. The combined solution provides end-to-end latency for iWARP-based Ethernet well below 10us for the first time in the industry." NetEffect and Fulcrum Microsystems began public interoperability demonstrations in May at Interop. NetEffect is currently providing its 10Gb iWARP ECAs for testing with selected customers.