Overview over 10G Ethernet interconnection solutions (Standards, Form factors, Transceivers and DAC, AOC)

1Gbps to 10 Gbps Transition

For years the predominant connection in data centers was the 1Gbps standard. While 10GbE deployments have grown every year since then, the technology has primarily been used to interconnect switches and routers. Almost all of the server connections in data centers have remained at 1 Gbps, limiting the amount of network throughput available to each server. With recent enhancements in CPU performance, system I/O, and storage I/O the gigabit network has increasingly become the application and workload performance bottleneck. The standard for 10 Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE802.3ae) was ratified in 2002.The primary reason for staying with Gigabit Ethernet has been cost-performance. Until recently it has been more cost effective to have multiple GbE connections rather than a single 10 GbE port. In addition, most installed servers typically cannot utilize the full bandwidth of a 10 GbE connection. However both of these factors are changing, which will lead to widespread adoption of 10 GbE for server connectivity over the next few years.

Server virtualization relies heavily on networking and storage. Virtual machines grow and require larger amounts of storage than one physical server can provide. Network attached storage (NAS) or storage area networks (SANs) provide additional, dedicated storage for virtual machines. Connectivity between servers and storage must be fast to avoid bottlenecks. 10GbE provides the fastest interconnectivity for virtualized environment.

Form Factors & Standards

Table 1: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Physical Interfaces (PHY 10GBase-R) for Fiber

Table 2: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Module Form Factors (Optics)

Active optical cable - (AOC)

When a fiber cable is pre terminated with an optical transceiver at each end, the assembly becomes an active optical cable (AOC). The application an AOC supports depends on the type of optical transceivers it has. Because an AOC constructs a network channel from end to end, it doesn’t have any fiber connector interface accessible by users, and its fiber type (SMF vs. MMF) carries less significance.

Examples:

BO252503KXM - BlueOptics© Active Optical Cable (AOC), 40GBASE-SR4, QSFP to QSFP, 850nm, Multimode, up to 100 Meter Reach

BO253503KXM - BlueOptics© Active Optical Breakout Cable (AOC), 40GBASE-SR4 to 4x10GBASE-SR, QSFP to 4xSFP+, 850nm, Multi-mode, up to 100 Meter Reach

BO282803LXM - BlueOptics© Active Optical Cable (AOC), 100GBASE-SR4, QSFP28 to QSFP28, 850nm, Multi-mode, up to 100 Meter Reach

Direct attach copper cable - (DAC)

The copper counterpart of AOC is direct attach copper cable (DAC). Although DACs have the same mechanical packages as optical transceivers,DACs don’t have equivalent electronic circuits of optical transceivers. Many DACs actually are passive copper twinax cable assemblies. Most DACs are deployed to connect servers to top-of-rack switches within the same rack/cabinet.

Examples:

BlueLAN© SC282801LXM30 Direct Attach Cable (DAC) as passive 100 Gigabit Twinax copper type with QSFP28 to QSFP28 connector, for linking hardware in racks and across adjacent racks. BlueLAN SC282801LXM30 QSFP28 Direct Attach Cables are suitable for 100G Ethernet as well as InfiniBand (EDR) applications and are available in various lengths and AWG.

HPE Accessories vs BlueOptics compatible modules

HP ProCurve was the name of the networking division of Hewlett-Packard from 1998 to 2010 and associated with the products that it sold. The name of the division was changed to HP Networking in September 2010. Now, the name in use is the  HP Networking Products for an actual list of products.

The HP ProCurve division sold network switches, wireless access points, WAN routers, and Access Control Servers/Software under the "HP ProCurve" brand name.

The accessories often come with an ending letter such as ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ , we have to keep in mind that the main difference between the J4858A, B and C is that the J4858A is not fully compatible with the newer versions of HP hardware.

See the table for 1:1 comparison of transceivers and DAC cables from HPE and BlueOptics.