From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Ben Greear Subject: Re: cheap 4-port tulip-based cards available Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 14:59:56 -0700 Sender: netdev-bounce@oss.sgi.com Message-ID: <3DB1D5DC.6040800@candelatech.com> References: <3DB1C96B.4070505@candelatech.com> <20021019141417.A11659@synapse.neuralscape.com> <3DB1CF5A.9080701@candelatech.com> <20021019144236.C11659@synapse.neuralscape.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: netdev@oss.sgi.com Return-path: To: Karen Shaeffer Errors-to: netdev-bounce@oss.sgi.com List-Id: netdev.vger.kernel.org Karen Shaeffer wrote: > On Sat, Oct 19, 2002 at 02:32:10PM -0700, Ben Greear wrote: > >>Karen Shaeffer wrote: >> >>>On Sat, Oct 19, 2002 at 02:06:51PM -0700, Ben Greear wrote: >>> >> >>I make traffic generators out of them (www.candelatech.com) >> >>They are also good for firewalls and routers, as well as more >>exotic network devices. Using linux for a switch does not make so >>much sense these days when you can buy a 16 port switch for under $100, >>but with bridging code it can be done. > > > Actually, I think linux based switches could be quite interesting in > a pipelined, beowulf-like or openmosix cluster. (Of course, GigE would > probably be employed rather than FE.) You could then integrate traffic > shaping/monitoring functionality into the switch that could be designed > to interoperate with the cluster nodes to assist in optimizing data flow > and subsequent processing. With openmosix, this could also be used to > migrate processes towards optimum node placement, based on network > traffic analysis as well as nodal resource availability. > > It's a subject I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. This is most > interesting in adaptive, pipelined clusters that will be processing > real-time streaming data. That's certainly a niche market at the present > time. Right now, you'll have a tough time getting a single GigE NIC to run line speed, full duplex. However, I've thought about writing a controlling process that monitors and dynamically configures a switch though SNMP or some other API. That way, you could migrate machines across LANs/VLANs to better distribute your traffic. And, you could keep all your traffic running line speed (or however fast your switches run) > > cheers, > Karen -- Ben Greear President of Candela Technologies Inc http://www.candelatech.com ScryMUD: http://scry.wanfear.com http://scry.wanfear.com/~greear