Intel Corporation is known not only for its advanced processors in every sense, hand in hand with their production, the company is conducting several other projects, in particular, it launches a large number of various products in the network communications market. So it is not surprising that any network controller (the more familiar name for this device is a network adapter) from this outstanding company has long and deservedly been taken as a standard when compared with other similar devices.
Every year, Intel presents several new products. Among them, a gigabit Ethernet network controller, created using the development of CSA (Communications Streaming Architecture). And also the world's first server adapter with a bandwidth of 10 Gbps for use in large networks and enterprises.
What is hidden behind the name of the CSA?
The CSA architecture integrated in the Intel PRO / 1000 CT network controller provides a twofold increase in the throughput of computers connected to a gigabit data network. This board, thanks to its outstanding capabilities, without exaggeration, can be considered the most advanced development in the world among “desktop” network adapters.
With the new CSA architecture, which allows the adapter to be directly connected to memory chips, bypassing the PCI bus, computer resources are freed from unnecessary operations. This, in turn, significantly reduces the load on the system with a large amount of data pumped through it. Of course, taking into account such a feature of the hardware and the CSA compatible driver, the network controller is equipped with updated versions for most systems.
As a result, an adapter with CSA technology on board can reach a speed of 2 Gbit / s and almost double the maximum speed for information exchange that is acceptable for standard devices. This increase probably did not go unnoticed among those technical specialists for whom the task of increasing network bandwidth with minimal cost is a daily headache.
The world's first 10 Gb interface for local servers
Intel offers a one-of-a-kind ten-gigabit Ethernet adapter for local area networks, which the company positions as a solution for busy servers. All 10 Gbit implementations that have been created so far have aimed primarily at the switches used in the production of supercomputers. And now, thanks to Intel and its product, the Intel PRO / 10GbE LR adapter, all the power of data transfer via the 10 Gbit interface will be available even to small companies. Using this network card, all those who need to organize a broadband data transmission medium for a large number of tasks, including exchanging large files between network nodes, will be able to realize their tasks using several simple and easily configurable devices. A network controller, the driver of which supports any server OS, can be easily integrated into any, even heterogeneous server environment, where it will immediately provide all the advantages of 10 Gbps over 1 Gbps interfaces. Well, those who need to connect several remote points along the trunk line will be interested to know that the maximum connection length of two Intel PRO / 10GbE LRs is 10 km via a single-mode optical cable.
Interestingly, the creators of supercomputers also noticed this novelty, and as soon as Intel received the first samples of its adapter, Cray, whose name is known to anyone interested in IT technologies, began testing this network controller to include it in the development program of the world-famous Red project Storm This supercomputer has long been the fastest on the planet at a speed of 1 teraflop. Then this indicator was doubled, the next ambitious goal was set at 40 teraflops. And for such a speed of operations, new interfaces for exchanging data with the outside world were required.