HP 4X - DDR InfiniBand Mezzanine HCA Using Manual page 3

Figure 2 shows an example of cluster architecture that integrates computing, storage, and
visualization functions into a single system. Applications are usually distributed to compute nodes
through job scheduling tools.
Figure 2. Sample clustering architecture
Scale-out systems allow infrastructure architects to meet performance and cost goals, but interconnect
performance, scalability, and reliability are key areas that must be carefully considered. A cluster
infrastructure works best when built with an interconnect technology that scales easily, reliably, and
economically with system expansion.
Ethernet is a pervasive, mature interconnect technology that can be cost-effective for some application
workloads. The emergence of 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) offers a cluster interconnect that meets
higher bandwidth requirements than 1GbE can provide. However, 10GbE still lags the latest
InfiniBand technology in latency and bandwidth performance, and lacks native support for the fat-tree
and mesh topologies used in scale-out clusters. InfiniBand remains the interconnect of choice for
highly parallel environments where applications require low latency and high bandwidth across the
entire fabric.
3