2009 Chairperson's Message

Claudio DeSanti
Distinguished Engineer
Server Access and Virtualization Business Unit
Cisco Systems

Ethernet, like spring, is bursting out all over. The Ethernet Technology Summit is the conference of choice to find out about its latest advances.

Long the most popular technology for enterprise LANs, Ethernet is now expanding into other areas. In data centers, Ethernet has become the technology of choice for I/O consolidation, as a single converged network capable of transporting multiple traffic types traditionally carried over different network infrastructures. Service providers offer Ethernet services to replace existing high-speed links and use Ethernet in their backbones as an upgrade to SONET. Furthermore, Ethernet is finding other uses in backplanes, home networking, storage, industrial networks, power distribution, and embedded applications.

The demand for increasingly diverse services and greater bandwidth continues. Ethernet is now capable of transporting many traffic types through approaches such as Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), iSCSI, and T1-over-Ethernet. Data Center Bridging and Edge Virtual Bridging enable a richer set of services. Rapid advances in high-speed technologies allow improved support for virtualization, leading to higher server utilization. Ethernet speeds are increasing, with 10-Gigabit Ethernet replacing or supplementing Gigabit Ethernet in data centers, while new standards emerge for 40-Gigabit and 100-Gigabit speeds.

When inquiring what network technology is in use somewhere, we may truly say as Goethe said: “I must answer, ‘The same as everywhere!’” Ethernet is everywhere.

What does “Ethernet everywhere” mean technically? It implies extensions of the core technology and the evolution of an ecosystem to handle more applications. Data centers need Ethernet extensions to support I/O consolidation and management simplification. Carriers require predictability, quality-of-service guarantees, OAM (operational, administration, and management) tools, performance analysis, security, scalability, diagnostic tools, certification programs, and service-level agreements. Embedded and industrial uses require low latency, high availability, and often tolerance of extreme environments. Ethernet is moving far beyond the simple best-efforts LAN of the past.

The Ethernet Technology Summit will prepare you for today’s expansion of Ethernet by providing tutorials, presentations, panels, expert tables, market research, keynotes, and exhibits. The Summit is for everyone, from those evaluating the flexibility Ethernet can bring to new applications to experienced Ethernet-savvy technologists. Moreover, it offers a place for Ethernet designers at all experience levels to check out new offerings, share insight, and learn from leaders in the field.

Please join me in trading ideas with colleagues and gaining new perspectives during presentations from leading edge Ethernet companies. Learn about the latest advances in standards, technologies, hardware, software, and approaches. Hear from the experts and ask your questions in panels and other interactive sessions. Find out what is happening in the industry and where Ethernet is heading.

If you want to be successful designing and deploying Ethernet-based systems, creating products for Ethernet networks, or working with Ethernet at any level, don’t miss the First Annual Ethernet Technology Summit. See you there!

About the Chairperson:
Claudio DeSanti is a Distinguished Engineer in the Server Access and Virtualization Business Unit at Cisco Systems. He represents Cisco in several standards bodies and in industry associations. He is Vice Chairman of the INCITS T11 Technical Committee, Chairperson of several working groups, including FC-BB-5, which developed FCoE, and technical editor of several standards, including IEEE 802.1Qbb. He is author of several patents and international publications, including ten RFCs in IETF and other standards in ANSI. He is co-author of the book "I/O Consolidation in the Data Center", published by Cisco Press. He has received many honors and awards, including the INCITS 2008 Technical Excellence Award. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy.