Session Abstract

In this session we will describe what defines a network fabric, it's relationship to a switch fabric, and the difference between a network fabric and a tree-shaped network design for modern data center architectures. The Ethernet switch was originally designed to solve the LAN problem. The Ethernet switch was a major breakthrough, greatly simplifying network deployments and becoming the basic building block of all subsequent networks. The tree structure was created to provide the level of fan-out required to support and connect all the clients in the local area. But in the data center, with the advent of modern applications, service-oriented architectures, web browsers and cloud computing, the traffic flows have changed and the data center design needs to draw on different topologies to support new traffic patterns and larger data center infrastructure.