It appears we no longer can simply count motherboards to determine the i960RP chips Intel is selling. The adapter described in the following should allow existing servers to offload I/O handling and achieve the benefits of I2O.
This should complicate your projections, Allen!
Apr 03, 1997 Intel To Launch Fast Ethernet Server Adapter
(04/03/97; 1:10 p.m. EST)
By Jeff Sweat, Information Week
Intel will announce a 10/100-Mbps Fast Ethernet server adapter next
Monday that it claims will eliminate bandwidth constraints at the server and
help businesses move their entire networks to Fast Ethernet.
The EtherExpress Pro/100 Server adapter will complement the Fast
Ethernet network interface cards (NICs) Intel has been pushing at the
desktop since the beginning of the year. According to Intel, unless all facets
of the network are migrated to 100 Mbps, the network will still face
performance bottlenecks.
"If you don't do a server adapter, you just move the bottleneck to the
backbone," says Chad Taggard, Intel product-line manager for the Fast
Ethernet adapter.
Intel's server adapter is built on its i960 RP chip and Cisco's ISL VLAN
board switch. It handles tasks such as running parts of the network operating
system and moving data from the server without disturbing the server's
CPU, resulting in a lower processor utilization that frees up the server for
other computations.
"Some of these network applications can bring a server to its knees" without
a server adapter, Taggard said. "With it, the CPU's doing what you bought it
for, to run applications."
Analysts say the release of the server adapter indicates that Intel is
considering requirements of the entire network, not just its traditional
desktop installed base.
"It shows that Intel is rounding out its product line to extend just beyond the
desktop machines and to embrace also the servers," said Justin Smith, an
analyst with International Data Corp. of Framingham, Mass. "Intel's not the
first to introduce a server NIC, but certainly they're putting their weight
behind that category now."
Intel, which dropped NIC prices earlier this year to push adoption of
100-Mbps Ethernet networks, now says sales of its 100-Mbps products
outnumber those of its 10-Mbps products. It will be further facilitating
high-bandwidth applications when it releases products in the second half of
the year that take advantage of Cisco's Fast Etherchannel technology.
Fast Etherchannel aggregates multiple 100-Mbps lines, Intel says, resulting
in total connection speeds of 800 Mbps as well as higher availability.
The EtherExpress Pro/100 Server Adapter will begin shipping on April 16,
starting at $599 for one and $2,850 for a five-pack.
Mitch |
