SBS Technologies, represented by Metromatics , has introduced the IB4X-PCIX-2 InfiniBand host channel adapter (HCA) delivering the high throughput and low processor utilisation needed for 10Gb/s data transfer applications.
As a primary component of InfiniBand architecture, the host channel adapter provides a computer with port connection to other InfiniBand devices.
That port can be connected to another HCA, a target device or an InfiniBand switch fabric that redirects the data coming in on one of its ports out to a device attached to another of its ports.
The IB4X-PCI-2 HCA is base on Mellanox's InfiniHost 0 silicon, featuring an HCA core capable of full wire speed transmission over InfiniBand links.
With a full hardware implementation of the InfiniBand architecture and hardware transport, the core fully supports remote direct memory access (RDMA) to reduce CPU overhead and free the host processors for application use.
Application support includes protocols such as SDP (socket direct protocol) for running internet protocol (IP) based applications without modification; IPoIB (internet protocol over InfiniBand) to run IP over InfiniBand links; SRP (SCSI remote protocol) for storage area networking; as well as support for video streaming, aerospace, military, and electronic controls embedded applications.
The HCA can be configured with 128, 256, 512, or more megabytes of DDR memory. To ensure interoperability, IB4x-PCIX-2 is built to be compatible with InfiniBand Architecture Specification Volume 1, Release 1.0a and volume 2 Release 1.0a Software drivers are provided.
IB4X-PCIX-2 is suitable for use with SBS's EIS-4008-CU data communications switch. The EIS-4008-CU is a 1U, 19-inch rackmount chassis with eight independent, bidirectional ports that can be configured as 4x or 1x InfiniBand links.
Based on the RedSwitch HDMP-2840 8-port 4x InfiniBand switch fabric chip, the switching element provides overall aggregate bandwidths of 160Gb/s.
EIS-4008-CU supports full fabric redundancy, fabric failover, and hot swappable redundant power supplies and fans.