[NTLUG:Discuss] RE: cheap san (INTEL NICS)

[Kelledin]

On Sunday 23 November 2003 03:12 pm, Chris Cox wrote:
> Using NetPipe I saw very little performance different
> going between the Intel 1000 FX's through a switch to
> different hosts (also using the same NIC) and using
> the onboard Broadcomms with a crossover cable.
> Of course, choice of switch manufacture may further
> skew the results.

I have heard of problems with Broadcom and Linux support though.  
Mostly I think it's with Broadcom's wireless chipsets though.

(for reference, Broadcom is the same company that 
manufactures/manufactured ServerWorks chipsets.  So they know 
their stuff when it comes to bandwidth and server-class 
reliability.  Of course, so does Intel.)

> I have not noticed great speeds out of the cheap or
> onboard Intel gigabit NICs (they're still fast, just
> not as fast).

Intel's pushing Communications Streaming Architecture (CSA) 
lately, which AFAIK basically integrates an onboard NIC with the 
motherboard chipset.  From what I understand, this should 
theoretically even beat 64-bit/66-Mhz PCI.

Of course, a lot of mobos with onboard Gigabit actually have it 
sitting on the PCI bus.  And onboard PCI peripherals are almost 
always stripped-down versions of what you'd see on an 
"equivalent" full-fledged PCI daughtercard. :(

-- 
Kelledin
"If a server crashes in a server farm and no one pings it, does 
it still cost four figures to fix?"