Performance Analysis of a Fibre Channel Switch supporting Node Port Identifier Virtualization

The server virtualization architecture encompassing sharing of storage subsystems among virtual machines using fibre channel fabrics, to improve server utilization and reduce the total cost of ownership, was pioneered by IBM through their System z9 mainframe and its predecessors. With the advent of sharing small computer system interface storage subsystems among host servers through fibre channel based storage area networks, has cropped up new set of security and associated performance issues when the host servers are virtual machines on a single physical server. To address the security issues and reduce the total cost of ownership, IBM introduced new storage virtualization architecture known as node port identifier virtualization enabling thousands of virtual machines on a server to share storage subsystems through a few numbers of host bus adapters.In this paper, we introduce the node port identifier virtualization architecture and the associated fibre channel switch latency performance issue that would affect virtual machine instantiation when supporting thousands of virtual machines. We first show the architectural problem in hard zoning mechanism contributing to the large fibre channel switch latency by actual performance measurements on a switch using hardware simulators. Next, we suggest a modification to the hard zoning mechanism to reduce the fabric channel switch latency significantly and demonstrate the reduction using hardware simulators. The performance issue we have identified and addressed will allow a single fibre channel switch to support thousands of virtual machines on a server using only a few numbers of host bus adapters

Fibre Channel Switch Modeling at Fibre Channel-2 Level for Large Fabric Storage Area Network Simulations using OMNeT++

Abstract—Typically, in the current enterprise data centers dedicated fabrics or networks are implemented to meet their LAN, Inter-Processor communication and storage traffic requirements. The storage traffic requirements of a group of servers are met through multiple storage area networks based on fibre channel, which has become the standard connection type. Typically, this fibre channel storage area networks are small (maximum of 32 switches/directors in a single fabric) and do not experience any scaling, stability and other performance issues.The advent of I/O consolidation in enterprise data centers for multiple traffic types to converge on to a single fabric or network (typically Ethernet platform) to reduce hardware, energy and management costs has also the potential to allow implementation of large storage area networks based on the fibre channel standards. Large storage area networks are being planned with more than two hundred switches/directors in a single fabric or network in addition to servers and storages connected to the fabric on Ethernet platforms. Even though these large storage area networks are envisioned to operate on Ethernet platform, they still have to satisfy the stringent operating and performance requirement set forth by the fibre channel standards. The two important issues of concern with large storage area networks are scaling and stability. The scaling and stability issues are dependent on the interactions and performance capabilities of various fabric servers located on each switch/director in the fabric in order to provide fabric services. In order to determine the extent of scaling and stability issues of a large fabric first the detailed models of the switch/director addressing the operations of the individual fabric servers are required. Next, the interactions of the switches/directors using the detailed models are to be simulated to study the scaling and stability issues.In this paper, the detailed modeling of the fibre channel switch and the fabric servers using the OMNeT++ discrete event simulator is presented first. Detailed models are developed addressing the behavior of the switch at the level-2 of the fibre channel protocol since this layer addresses the requirements and operations of various mandatory fabric services like fabric build, directory, login, nameserver, management, etc. Next, using the OMNET++ discrete event simulator large fabrics are simulated. The results from the simulation are compared against the test bed traffic and the accuracy is demonstrated. Also, results and analysis of multiple simulations with increasing fabric size are presented

Novel Composite Hydrogen-Permeable Membranes for Non-Thermal Plasma Reactors for the Decomposition of Hydrogen Sulfide

The goal of this experimental project is to design and fabricate a reactor and membrane test cell to dissociate hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) in a non-thermal plasma and recover hydrogen (H{sub 2}) through a superpermeable multi-layer membrane. Superpermeability of hydrogen atoms (H) has been reported by some researchers using membranes made of Group V transition metals (niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and their alloys), although it has yet to be confirmed in this study. Several pulsed corona discharge (PCD) reactors have been fabricated and used to dissociate H{sub 2}S into hydrogen and sulfur. Visual observation shows that the corona is not uniform throughout the reactor. The corona is stronger near the top of the reactor in argon, while nitrogen and mixtures of argon or nitrogen with H{sub 2}S produce stronger coronas near the bottom of the reactor. Both of these effects appear to be explainable base on the different electron collision interactions with monatomic versus polyatomic gases. A series of experiments varying reactor operating parameters, including discharge capacitance, pulse frequency, and discharge voltage were performed while maintaining constant power input to the reactor. At constant reactor power input, low capacitance, high pulse frequency, and high voltage operation appear to provide the highest conversion and the highest energy efficiency for H{sub 2}S decomposition. Reaction rates and energy efficiency per H{sub 2}S molecule increase with increasing flow rate, although overall H{sub 2}S conversion decreases at constant power input. Voltage and current waveform analysis is ongoing to determine the fundamental operating characteristics of the reactors. A metal infiltrated porous ceramic membrane was prepared using vanadium as the metal and an alumina tube. Experiments with this type of membrane are continuing, but the results thus far have been consistent with those obtained in previous project years: plasma driven permeation or superpermeability has not been observed. A new test cell specially designed to test the membranes has been constructed to provide basic science data on superpermeability

Novel Composite Hydrogen-Permeable Membranes for Nonthermal Plasma Reactors for the Decomposition of Hydrogen Sulfide

The goal of this experimental project was to design and fabricate a reactor and membrane test cell to dissociate hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) in a nonthermal plasma and to recover hydrogen (H{sub 2}) through a superpermeable multi-layer membrane. Superpermeability of hydrogen atoms (H) has been reported by some researchers using membranes made of Group V transition metals (niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and their alloys), but it was not achieved at the moderate pressure conditions used in this study. However, H{sub 2}S was successfully decomposed at energy efficiencies higher than any other reports for the high H{sub 2}S concentration and moderate pressures (corresponding to high reactor throughputs) used in this study

A Method to Improve Signal Quality in Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks with Limited Mobility

Abstract-A wireless ad-hoc network is a collection of nodes that are dynamically and arbitrarily located in such a manner that the interconnections between each node are capable of changing on a continual basis. In this paper, we provide a novel way to improve node interconnects without changing the overall network topology by allowing nodes to have limited mobility. Received signal strength (RSS) measurements are recorded from neighboring nodes as the node makes small changes in position. This allows the node to move out of fades due to multi-path or shadowing, and is a form of selection diversity that requires only a single antenna. This algorithm is tested using a full 3-D ray tracing propagation model as well as physical measurements in an indoor scenario

Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Storage Friendly TCP Performance in Distributed Storage Area Network

Fibre channel storage area networks (SAN) are widely implemented in production data center environments. Recently the storage industry has moved towards deployment of distributed SANs (DSAN), geographically dispersed across large physical distances. In a DSAN, specialized gateway devices interconnect the individual Fibre Channel (FC) fabrics over IP networks using TCP/IP based protocols (iFCP or FCIP) or over metro to long distance optical networks such as Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) based networks that utilize native FC ports supporting large numbers of link credits. When using TCP/IP based storage networking protocols to interconnect local FC fabrics in a DSAN, the sustained throughput achievable depends upon the link characteristics and TCP/IP stack implementation. Sustaining maximum possible storage traffic throughput across the wide area network enables practical DSAN deployments by maintaining the required site to site service level agreements.This study explores the effects of several TCP/IP modifications on sustained traffic throughput for a DSAN interconnected via iFCP gateways across an impaired network. The TCP/IP stack modifications, known as storage friendly, include changes to the window scaling, congestion avoidance, and fast recovery algorithms. The theoretical background and experimental results are presented to explain and illustrate these modifications

NOVEL COMPOSITE HYDROGEN-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES FOR NON-THERMAL PLASMA REACTORS FOR THE DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE

The goal of this experimental project is to design and fabricate a reactor and membrane test cell to dissociate hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) in a non-thermal plasma and recover hydrogen (H{sub 2}) through a superpermeable multi-layer membrane. Superpermeability of hydrogen atoms (H) has been reported by some researchers using membranes made of Group V transition metals (niobium, tantalum, vanadium, and their alloys), although it has yet to be confirmed in this study. Experiments involving methane conversion reactions were conducted with a preliminary pulsed corona discharge reactor design in order to test and improve the reactor and membrane designs using a non-toxic reactant. This report details the direct methane conversion experiments to produce hydrogen, acetylene, and higher hydrocarbons utilizing a co-axial cylinder (CAC) corona discharge reactor, pulsed with a thyratron switch. The reactor was designed to accommodate relatively high flow rates (655 x 10{sup -6} m{sup 3}/s) representing a pilot scale easily converted to commercial scale. Parameters expected to influence methane conversion including pulse frequency, charge voltage, capacitance, residence time, and electrode material were investigated. Conversion, selectivity and energy consumption were measured or estimated. C{sub 2} and C{sub 3} hydrocarbon products were analyzed with a residual gas analyzer (RGA). In order to obtain quantitative results, the complex sample spectra were de-convoluted via a linear least squares method. Methane conversion as high as 51% was achieved. The products are typically 50%-60% acetylene, 20% propane, 10% ethane and ethylene, and 5% propylene. First Law thermodynamic energy efficiencies for the system (electrical and reactor) were estimated to range from 38% to 6%, with the highest efficiencies occurring at short residence time and low power input (low specific energy) where conversion is the lowest (less than 5%). The highest methane conversion of 51% occurred at a residence time of 18.8 s with a flow rate of 39.4 x 10{sup -6} m{sup 3}/s (5 ft{sup 3}/h) and a specific energy of 13,000 J/l using niobium and platinum coated stainless steel tubes as cathodes. Under these conditions, the First Law efficiency for the system was 8%. Under similar reaction conditions, methane conversions were {approx}50% higher with niobium and platinum coated stainless steel cathodes than with a stainless steel cathode