ExpressFabric is a PLX-initiated method for extending the PCI Express (PCIe) standard from its current dominant presence inside servers, switches and storage appliances to a central position as a fabric.
The PLX presentation is part of the Server Design Summit’s Cloud Track Session A-202, titled Cloud Server Design, on Wednesday November 28 at 2:00 P.M., at the Santa Clara Marriot Hotel, in Santa Clara, Calif.
A PCIe-based ExpressFabric offers system designers the ability to combine different data types in a single converged pathway. The PCIe convergence model and ongoing software development being implemented is designed to be compatible and will co-exist with Ethernet, InfiniBand and other fabrics in the data center. All devices and subsystems offer native PCIe, thus allowing immediate use of an existing infrastructure, whereas any other approach adds bridging devices that inherently increase latency, cost and power. Small- to medium-sized clusters (20 to 1,000 CPU nodes, on one to eight racks) are best suited for ExpressFabric technology.