Abstract.............................................................................................................................................. 2

Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 2

Advantages and limitations of current 10GbE technology......................................................................... 2

Customer requirements ..................................................................................................................... 2

Hardware demands of virtual machine software...................................................................................... 3

Performance requirements ................................................................................................................. 3

NIC limitations................................................................................................................................. 3

HP Flex-10 for Virtual Connect .............................................................................................................. 4

New capabilities supported by Flex-10 technology .............................................................................. 4

Flex-10 NIC device....................................................................................................................... 4

FlexNIC....................................................................................................................................... 4

Flex-10 port ................................................................................................................................. 4

Virtual Connect Flex-10 10GbE interconnect module ........................................................................ 4

Server-Side VLAN tags .................................................................................................................. 5

Private networks ........................................................................................................................... 5

Flex-10 architectural overview ........................................................................................................... 5

FlexNIC design ............................................................................................................................ 5

Flex-10 10Gb Ethernet Module design............................................................................................ 6

Tunneling .................................................................................................................................... 7

Mapping ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Flex-10 Components......................................................................................................................... 9

FlexNICs ................................................................................................................................... 10

Flex-10 Ethernet Module.............................................................................................................. 11

Cables and connectors................................................................................................................ 11

VC support for Flex-10 ....................................................................................................................... 12

Recommended firmware ................................................................................................................. 12

VC FlexNIC support ....................................................................................................................... 12

VC operation in the Flex-10 environment .......................................................................................... 14

Operational constraints for the initial release of Flex-10...................................................................... 14

Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 15

Appendix: Flex-10 compliant cables and connectors.............................................................................. 16

For more information.......................................................................................................................... 17

Call to action .................................................................................................................................... 17

HP Flex-10 technology

Technology brief, 1st edition

Compaq BL10e HP Flex-10 technology

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