Configuring Data Bridging

Essay and Responses

Essay

Data Center Bridging, commonly termed as DCB, is a network infrastructure supported by 10GbE Dell Equal Logic storage using a 5.1 and later firmware. The infrastructure can be configured on the host server section using unique hardware network devices and standard Ethernet adapters. Network topology as an essential tool in a data center setting links different devices, provide external clients with internet connectivity, and enhance communication between devices that host business applications as well as hosting application information (Nirav et al., 2014). DCB offers businesses an alternative for numerous traffic types and enables them to share a common network topology through a guaranteed minimum bandwidth to particular kinds of traffic. Moreover, a DCB infrastructure enables managers to transmit SAN and LAN traffic through a single physical infrastructure. Nevertheless, when businesses share the same Ethernet infrastructure, SAN traffic should provide a good percentage of bandwidth in providing continuous performance and enhance the delivery of critical storage information (Nirav et al., 2014).

Response to Carlos

In his post, Carlos Ramirez evaluates the reason behind the utilization of Hyper-V network virtualization. The author articulates that Hyper-V network virtualization offers virtual devices with virtual networks in a similar way that server virtualization does to the operating systems (Benny, Kidambi & Pandey, 2016). Moreover, the author adds that Hyper-V network virtualization enables users to run Hyper-V VMs to multiple Hyper-V clients within various virtual subnets. Traditionally, this type of operation resulted in service disturbances and system time. Nevertheless, by using the Hyper-V network, virtualizations clients can safely secure their IP addresses and network frameworks to transfer VMs to a different location. Therefore, Hyper-V network virtualization was primarily developed to ease VM transfer in public and private data centers (Benny, Kidambi & Pandey, 2016). As a result, the functionality of Hyper-V network virtualization is compatible with multiple network devices and entails datacenter “flat network” innovations like Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TILL).

Response to Thomas

Thomas Gibbs’s post examines the significance of BranchCache to organizations. The author states that most entities rely on distributed frameworks to connect with clients at remote locations through slow and high latency connections.  This aspect offers a critical challenge to clients in remote areas to access information at the hub center, and while end-users experience slow connectivity (Dina & Robbins, 2018). Thomas Gibbs holds that BranchCache is a feasible solution to this problem as it allows downloaded data by clients from a remote location to be accessible to multiple clients in the remote location. First, using a hosted cache, servers in the remote location contain a BranchCache feature and whose purpose is to cache data on behalf of the whole remote location.  Clients rely on these servers to check whether there is a copy of the required information. Distributed Cache is another way in which clients in a remote location can access data. Distributed Cache does not have dedicated servers to store data. However, each device in the remote location contains a local cache for all downloaded data (Dina & Robbins, 2018).  When a client in the remote location wants to download data from the hub server, it transmits a broadcast to the local subnets to examine whether other devices have the cached data. If there is any cached data from the local machines, it is sent to the requesting device.

References

Benny, S., Kidambi, J., & Pandey, V. A. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,264,352. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Dina, F. I. N. E., & Robbins, I. (2018). U.S. Patent No. 10,152,269. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Nirav, S., Guy, W., Camille, D., & Mike, K. (2014). Best Practices for Configuring Data Center Bridging with Windows Server and EqualLogic Storage Arrays. https://i.dell.com/sites/csdocuments/Shared-Content_data-Sheets_Documents/ar/dz/ESG-TechWP-DCB-Win-EqlConfig.pdf