What Makes InfiniBand Stand Out?

In the ever-evolving landscape of networking technologies, InfiniBand has emerged as a standout solution, revolutionizing the way data is transferred and processed. With its unique features and capabilities, InfiniBand has become the backbone of high-performance computing (HPC) and data center environments. In this article, we delve into three key aspects that make InfiniBand stand out in the realm of networking.

Support for Software-Defined Networking (SDN)

InfiniBand is one of the earliest industry standard specifications capable of supporting Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Unlike traditional Ethernet, including ROCE lossless Ethernet, InfiniBand switches do not run any routing protocols. A centralized subnet manager calculates and distributes the entire network's forwarding table. The subnet manager provides traffic routing functionality and achieves greater flexibility in the architecture. The SDN structure allows the creation of multiple paths between nodes, and the subnet manager can determine the optimal route between nodes based on the requirements of the applications running on them. Running the subnet manager on a single entity allows the use of simple switches within the structure, thus saving associated costs.

In addition to flexible and efficient traffic routing, the subnet manager also supports multiple levels of Quality of Service (QoS), ensuring different minimum shares of available bandwidth. Applications can be configured to place data on channels that suit their data priority. This enables InfiniBand-based software-defined infrastructure to support a variety of communication needs.

InfiniBand's support for Software-Defined Networking (SDN) facilitates the creation of a more efficient and flexible network. SDN enables the decoupling of the control and data planes, providing administrators with centralized control and programmability. This not only streamlines network management but also allows for dynamic allocation of resources based on application requirements.

Ex-ante Credit Congestion Avoidance Mechanism

One of InfiniBand's standout features is its ex-ante credit congestion avoidance mechanism, which avoids the problems of buffer overflow and packet loss to ensure a native lossless network.

Each InfiniBand network link has a predetermined buffer for storing the data packets to be transmitted. Before transferring data, the sender checks the available credits at the receiver, indicating the amount of buffer space available for incoming data. The sender decides whether to initiate the data packet transfer based on this credit value. If the receiver's credits are insufficient, the sender will wait until the receiver releases enough buffers and reports new available credits. This approach prevents congestion by signaling the sender when the network approaches capacity, allowing congestion to be avoided before it occurs. The result is a lossless network that ensures reliable and efficient data transmission, even under heavy workloads. This capability is particularly crucial for applications requiring data integrity and low-latency communication. It positions InfiniBand networks as a high-speed, low-latency, and scalable solution for high-performance computing, AI, and cloud data centers.

Cut-Through Switching Mode for Lower Latency

Ethernet employs a store-and-forward mode, where switches need to fully receive and store the entire data packet in the cache, and inspect the packet's destination address and integrity before forwarding. In contrast, InfiniBand utilizes a cut-through switching mode. InfiniBand switches only need to fetch the header information of the data packet, immediately initiating the forwarding process upon determining the destination port. This eliminates the need to wait for the entire data packet to be received before forwarding.

This approach minimizes the time required for data to traverse the network, thereby reducing latency and enhancing the overall system responsiveness. InfiniBand's cut-through switching mode provides a competitive advantage by delivering unparalleled performance in applications demanding real-time communication, such as financial trading platforms, scientific simulations, and interactive gaming.

For more information: Comparison Between Store-and-Forward Switching and Cut-Through Switching

Conclusion

InfiniBand's prominent position in the field of networking can be attributed to its support for SDN, pre-credit congestion avoidance mechanism, and cut-through switching mode. These features collectively contribute to making InfiniBand an efficient solution tailored for modern high-performance computing environments and data-intensive applications.

To meet the global demand for InfiniBand infrastructure, FS can provide high-performance InfiniBand solutions through a comprehensive product portfolio, including InfiniBand transceivers and cables with speeds of 800G, 400G, 200G, 100G, and 56/40G, NVIDIA InfiniBand adapters and NVIDIA InfiniBand switches. From cutting-edge R&D to global warehouses, FS's professional team is poised to deliver customized and effective solutions based on your needs, guaranteeing network stability and optimal performance.