InfiniBand and Ethernet are both high-speed network interconnection technologies, which have their own characteristics and are constantly evolving in different application fields. Here’s what they are and how they differ.
What is the InfiniBand Network
InfiniBand is a high-speed network interconnection technology designed for high-performance computing (HPC), data centers, and more. InfiniBand is widely used in supercomputer clusters because of its high reliability, low latency, and high bandwidth, and it is also the preferred network interconnection technology for GPU servers.
What is the Ethernet Network
Ethernet is the most widely used LAN communication protocol. At the heart of Ethernet is the IEEE 802.3 standard, which has become a popular choice for a variety of application scenarios due to its low cost, ease of use, and interoperability. Ethernet technology can transmit data through a variety of different communication media, to support different transmission rates and distances.
What Are the Differences Between Them?
Bandwidth
InfiniBand offers high bandwidths, from the early SDRS (10Gbps) to the latest NDRS (up to 800Gbps or more). Ideal for large data transmission and processing, such as artificial intelligence. Traditional Ethernet is generally used in 1G or 10G scenarios, and the current standard supports 100G or 400G scenarios.
Latency
InfiniBand is suitable for high-performance computing (HPC) with extremely low latency. Ethernet, while continuously reducing latency, is still higher than InfiniBand.
Scalability and Reliability
Ethernet is widely used in a star or layered architecture for data transmission through switches and routers. Compatible with data center infrastructure and supports a wide range of devices. It guarantees long uptime and a low error rate.InfiniBand, by contrast, uses an exchange architecture that supports a variety of complex network connections, but this also limits its scalability and interoperability.
Application Scenario
InfiniBand is widely used in high-performance computing (HPC) and is designed for servers, storage systems, and more in data centers and HPC environments. It is suitable for scenarios that require high bandwidth, low latency, and large-scale data processing capabilities, such as supercomputer clusters, large-scale data centers, and AI learning.
Ethernet is suitable for a variety of scenarios, including home and enterprise networks, cloud computing, smart cities, and data centers.
Cost-Effectiveness
InfiniBand usually has a high cost, and switches and network cards are expensive, but it has significant economic benefits in specific application scenarios (such as HPC). In contrast, Ethernet is inexpensive, economical, and easy to deploy and maintain.
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