Storage and data networks are on a collision course, with convergence and virtualization in the driver’s seat. The order of the day is creation of comprehensive data center fabrics which recognize the unique challenges of virtual machine mobility and the end of the old “North-South” network divide.
On March 28, 2012 the industry will come together at the Data Center Fabric Symposium! This all-day in-person event features panelists from key networking companies and will be moderated by independent experts, Greg Ferro, Ivan Pepelnjak and Stephen Foskett.
The Data Center Fabric Symposium will be held in San Jose immediately preceding Networking Field Day 3. It will be streamed live from the Tech Field Day site and will include many of the Field Day delegates. Free tickets for seating will be made available soon if you would like to attend in person!
Order of the Day
10:00-12:00 – Morning Session
- 10:00 – Welcome and Introduction by Stephen Foskett and Greg Ferro
- 10:15 – Panelist Presentations
- Each panelist gives a short presentation followed by a short Q&A session
- 11:30 – Open Discussion and Audience Q&A
- 12:00 – Morning session close
12:00-14:00 – Break/Lunch
- 12:00 – Closed Press and Analyst Q&A
- 12:30 – Break/Lunch
14:00-16:00 – Technology Deep-Dive Sessions
- 14:00 – Welcome and Introduction by Stephen Foskett
- 14:15 – Session 1 by Greg Ferro
- 14:45 - Session 2 by Ivan Pepelnjak
- 15:15 - Session 3 by Stephen Foskett
- 15:55 – Session Close by Stephen Foskett
- 16:00 – Wrap Up and “Network Beers“
Topics of Discussion
Building a data center fabric is a major challenge to the status quo. Some elements are standardized (TRIL, Fibre Channel, DCB, FCoE) but there are numerous approaches to implementation. The Symposium will present an overview of the reasons behind data center fabrics, including the challenges of mobility and changes to the traditional hub and spoke network architecture.
The Symposium includes discussion of a wide variety of data center fabric technologies:
- Ethernet Fabric: TRILL, FabricPath, QFabric, etc
- Fibre Channel: FCoE, FCF, NPV
- Virtual I/O with Ethernet and InfiniBand
Moderators
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Greg Ferro | EtherealMind Packet Pushers |
@EtherealMind |
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Stephen Foskett | Pack Rat | @SFoskett |
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Ivan Pepelnjak | ipSpace.net | @IOSHints |
Panelists
We are currently in the process of selecting panelists for the Data Center Fabric Symposium. If you would like to be involved, please contact sfoskett@gestaltit.com.
Join Us!
Join us at the DoubleTree San Jose Hotel on Wednesday for the Data Center Fabric Symposium
Tickets for live attendance at the Data Center Fabric Symposium will be released shortly, and we will be streaming the entire event live over the Internet. Watch this page for the embedded video!
About the Organisers
Packet Pushers is a podcast and website focussed on data networking. The weekly podcast reaches a highly technical audience of 3500 network engineers and architects.
Tech Field Day is a regular event that brings together vendors and independent thought leaders to share information and opinions in a presentation and discussion format. Independent bloggers, freelance writers, and podcasters have a public presence that has immense influence on the ways that products and companies are perceived and by the general public.
