Corning: The Need for Speed Drives High-Density Optical Connectivity

Optical connectivity with OM3/OM4 laser-optimized 50/125 μm multimode fiber has emerged as the choice media in the data center. 10GBASE-SR Ethernet is becoming the primary data rate for data centers in response to server virtualization, converged networks and the need to mitigate I/O server bottleneck. Data centers are deploying OM3/OM4 connectivity solutions to meet the 10G two-fiber serial transmission needs, as well as to provide for future migration to 40/100G parallel optics. High-port-count 10/40/100G electronics require utilization of high-density optical connectivity in the data center to facilitate ease of cable management, optimized pathway and space utilization as well as support green initiatives.

The Need for Speed…

Server virtualization and converged networks drive the need for higher network data rates. Server virtualization increases utilization rates by integrating multiple applications on one server, as well as reducing the number of servers. The ability to support higher numbers of applications per server comes through technology enhancements in virtualization software and multicore processors (Figure 1). Where legacy servers have one application per server with typical 15 to 20 percent utilization, virtualized servers presently have the capability to support 20 to 25 applications, which can increase utilization to 80 to 90 percent. The expectation is that virtualized servers may support 100 applications in the near future. Running 25 applications on one physical server offers material and energy costs savings as it potentially eliminates 24 single application servers.

The increased number of applications per server generates the need for => 10G throughput. Depending on the bandwidth requirements for a server, an 8-core processor may be able to drive tens of Gb/s of bandwidth. This translates into the need for a highdata- rate network infrastructure to accommodate a much higher level of server I/O performance. Figure 2 provides a server connection speeds forecast (10G, 40G and 100G). The expectation is that 10G will have a rapid adoption in the next two years at the server and at network switches, such as the core and edge switches.

To read more on this topic see Corning's White Paper.