Researchers at Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are experimenting with a low-cost prototype of a switch they envision as being able to support data center network (DCN) operations more efficiently than software-based control systems that are currently under development. Presented in a white paper (.pdf) at the Usenix Symposium on Networked System Design and Implementation, ServerSwitch utilizes multiple PCIe lanes to interconnect between an ASIC chip and a server-class CPU.

Compared to a pure software-based approach, ServerSwitch offers fast switching performance that the team says can help realize new data center networking services. According to the white paper, the combination of limited programmable ASIC with control software to handle DCN traffic allows for a more affordable solution that is also easier to configure than a FPGA hardware approach. 

The downside is that ServerSwitch in its configuration supports only four Gigabit Ethernet ports, and has high packet processing latency. Plans are underway to boost Ethernet ports to 10 Gigabits though, and the group intends to release the Server-Switch card and associated software packages to the research community in the future.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at CIO

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