NetEffect the First Ethernet Company to Support Microsoft’s NetworkDirect Interface; Achieving Network Performance on Par With Linux

NetEffect, Inc., the leader in 10Gb Ethernet connectivity solutions, today announced it is the first Ethernet company to work with Microsoft to support NetworkDirect interface, Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) interface for high-speed, low-latency networks. NetworkDirect support for NetEffect accelerated Ethernet adapters will enable Windows HPC Server 2008 to take full advantage of iWARP RDMA, achieving optimal cluster performance in enterprise and high-performance HPC applications.

The NetworkDirect API in Windows HPC Server 2008 dramatically reduces latency and CPU utilization through RDMA techniques (RDMA enable applications to bypass the operating system during many types of network processing calls). NetEffect Ethernet adapters fully implement iWARP (RDMA) as well as other accelerations that comprise the IETF-approved iWARP extensions to Ethernet. Able to take full advantage of RMDA in a standard Ethernet environment, upcoming version of Windows HPC Server 2008 can achieve ultra-low latency, exceptional throughput, and higher levels of server productivity on par with Linux implementations of iWARP Ethernet, InfiniBand, or proprietary clustering fabrics. Early performance results show latency under 6 microseconds and 10Gb wire rate performance with messages under 2KB.

NetEffect adapters supporting NetworkDirect enable Windows HPC Server 2008 to tackle massively parallel programs over standard Ethernet infrastructures – such as those found in Financial Services, Oil & Gas, Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Engineering, and other industries. In particular, latency sensitive applications, such as computational fluid dynamics, financial services, reservoir simulations, and finite element analysis, among others, benefit immediately.

“Our work with technology partners, such as NetEffect, is part of Microsoft’s long-term commitment to the HPC space,” said Kyril Faenov, General Manager of the HPC division at Microsoft. “New capabilities are quickly making the latest releases of Windows HPC Server 2008 the premier HPC solution for a broad range of commercial and in-house applications. NetEffect, the first 10 Gigabit RDMA Ethernet provider for NetworkDirect, is playing an important role in helping us bring high performance and high-efficiency Windows solutions to our customers.”

“HPC applications are extremely demanding, they require exceptionally low latencies to sustain low wall clock and response times,” said Rick Maule, CEO and president, NetEffect. “We’ve worked with Microsoft for some time now and are pleased to be first to demonstrate accelerated Ethernet solutions that both open up new markets and help existing Ethernet and Microsoft customers leverage their existing Ethernet investments.”

In addition to delivering performance advantages, NetEffect adapters also set the bar for the lowest energy consumption. Using 6.5 watts – less than half that of the competition – no other adapter comes close to providing such energy savings.

Availability

NetEffect adapters are available now directly through the company or through a nationwide network of resellers and systems integrators. For more information visit: www.neteffect.com. Contact Microsoft for availability of NetEffect 10GbE support for NetworkDirect in Windows HPC Server 2008. For more information, visit: www.microsoft.com/hpc.

Editors Note: NetEffect will be present to field questions at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC), June 17 – 19, Microsoft Booth, B01-B12, in Dresden, Germany.

About NetEffect

NetEffect is a network connectivity solutions company providing high-performance, low-power multi-gigabit accelerated Ethernet products. Using a unique patented architecture, NetEffect products deliver the highest Ethernet performance in the industry while dramatically reducing latency and networking overhead on host processors for a wide range of data center applications. A single NetEffect adapter handles all data communications traffic – networking, storage, and clustering – saving space, power, and simplifying deployment and infrastructure. NetEffect products are fully compatibility with existing Ethernet infrastructure in any data center. Visit www.neteffect.com for more information.