10 Gigabit Ethernet
A cloud data center is designed with the high density of virtual machines coupled with a high processor core count.
From a networking perspective, the increase in virtual machine and processor core density promotes a transition to
10 Gigabit Ethernet as the required mechanism for attaching servers. Multiple virtual machines on a single server can
quickly overwhelm a single Gigabit Ethernet link, and multiple Gigabit Ethernet links can increase costs. Moreover,
there needs to be a strategy in place to not only take the existing investment in 1 Gigabit Ethernet and seamlessly
integrate it into a 10 Gigabit infrastructure, but to also enable migration to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and unified fabric
(described next). Interestingly, this adoption necessitates virtual machine–aware networking. Cisco is bringing new
terminology and implementation to the industry in this regards, called VN-Link. VN-Link is the virtual link between the
virtual machine and the physical interface of the physical server. This implementation will enable operational
consistency down to the individual virtual machine as well as policy portability, so network and security policy follows
virtual machines as they move around the data center. Cisco VN-Link helps enable new capabilities and features,
simplifies management and operations, and allows scaling for server virtualization solutions. Specific benefits include: