In big data environments, the goal is to move as much of the processing as possible to where the data resides. But once processing is completed on local nodes, it is critical to move the results to the next point in the chain – be that another node where additional processing occurs or to the application layer – as fast as possible.
When trying to move big data between nodes using 1Gb Ethernet in any sort of mesh network framework, the elapsed time between when the data leaves point A and arrives at point B is prohibitively high, with throughput levels much too low. The result is destination B waiting around idle for data to arrive so it can perform its part of the processing chain. Put simply, 1Gb Ethernet does not cut it in big data environments.
10Gb Ethernet, therefore, should be a no-brainer in big data and high performance computing environments. 10Gb Ethernet on Intel Xeon Processor E5-2600 will provide dramatically improved transmission speeds and much faster big data movement to support the types of real-time big data applications that enterprises across industries are eager to exploit. The latency of 10Gb Ethernet continues to decline, meaning transmission speeds will likewise continue to rise.
Action Item: When it comes to the networking component of the new big data paradigm, the watchword is “speed.” End-users want “real-time” big data applications and analytics to make decisions faster and smarter than the competition. This requires moving around large volumes of multi-structured data needs at much higher speeds than in traditional application environments. In such scenarios, 1Gb Ethernet simply doesn’t cut it. Enterprises that want to leverage big data to build real-time applications should explore alternative networking options, such as 10Gb Ethernet on Intel Xeon Processor E5-2600, to build the high-speed, high-throughput networks needed in the big data era.
Footnotes: For more on Big Data Networking, see Stu Miniman's Architecting a Network for Hadoop.
