100 Gigabit Ethernet

100 Gigabit Ethernet
Name	100 Gigabit Ethernet
Introduced	2010s
Standard	IEEE 802.3ba, IEEE 802.3bj, IEEE 802.3bm
Media	fiber optic, copper
Speed	100 Gbit/s
Common ports	QSFP28, CFP, CFP2, CFP4

100 Gigabit Ethernet 100 Gigabit Ethernet emerged as a high-speed network technology to meet escalating demands in data centers, carrier networks, and research institutions. Major industry actors including Intel Corporation, Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Arista Networks, and Broadcom Inc. collaborated with standards bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and regional organizations like ETSI and IEEE 802.3 Working Group to formalize specifications. Early adopters included hyperscale providers such as Google LLC, Facebook, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and national laboratories like CERN.

Overview

The technology defined a tenfold increase over technologies used by 10 Gigabit Ethernet and aligned with ongoing developments from consortia such as the Optical Internetworking Forum and companies including Finisar, Mellanox Technologies, and Luxtera. Adoption was driven by traffic growth from services like YouTube, Netflix, Twitter, and research projects like Large Hadron Collider and initiatives at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Interoperability testing events organized by entities like University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory and standards meetings at IEEE 802.3 ensured multi-vendor ecosystem development.

Standards and Protocols

Formal standards were ratified in amendments such as IEEE 802.3ba and later complemented by IEEE 802.3bj and IEEE 802.3bm, with implementation guidance referenced by ITU-T recommendations and collaboration with IETF working groups. Protocol stacks relied on established layers including Ethernet frame formats and management interfaces like SNMP and NETCONF for operational control in equipment from vendors such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Dell Technologies. Test methodologies used equipment from EXFO, Viavi Solutions, and industry labs at National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Physical Layer and Media Types

Physical implementations spanned optical modules such as CFP, CFP2, CFP4, and QSFP28 form factors produced by manufacturers like Oclaro and Amphenol. Media types included single-mode fiber deployed by carriers like Verizon and AT&T, multimode fiber common in campuses managed by Stanford University and MIT, and short-reach copper assemblies used in enterprise campuses like Harvard University. Optical transceivers used wavelengths and multiplexing techniques informed by research from Bell Labs and companies including Nokia and Ericsson.

Performance and Features

Design objectives targeted throughput suitable for workloads from Hadoop clusters operated by Yahoo! to high-performance computing centers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Features included link aggregation methods compatible with Link Aggregation Control Protocol implementations in products by Brocade Communications Systems and Extreme Networks, energy management influenced by initiatives at Green Grid, and latency characteristics appropriate for financial trading firms on NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange networks. Hardware offload capabilities were provided by network interface cards from Mellanox Technologies and accelerators integrated into servers by Supermicro.

Deployment and Use Cases

Major deployments occurred in cloud provider backbones of Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and interconnect fabrics at content delivery networks like Akamai Technologies. Research and education networks such as Internet2, GEANT, and national research networks in Japan and South Korea adopted the technology for science projects tied to facilities like RIKEN and KEK. Telecommunications operators including NTT Communications and Deutsche Telekom used 100 Gbit/s links for metro and long-haul aggregation, while media companies such as BBC and Sky Group leveraged the capacity for live video and production workflows.

Interoperability and Cabling Considerations

Interoperability testing coordinated by organizations like Ethernet Alliance and equipment labs at CETECOM addressed optics compatibility among vendors such as Huawei, ZTE, and Telefonica. Cabling strategies referenced standards from TIA and ISO/IEC with guidance used by system integrators including Siemens and Schneider Electric to plan structured cabling in data centers operated by firms like Equinix and Digital Realty. Power and cooling considerations were informed by best practices from ASHRAE and facilities teams at Facebook and Google.

Future Developments and Successors

Successor technologies and roadmap discussions involved higher rates standardized under projects like IEEE P802.3bs and experimental efforts toward 200 Gigabit and 400 Gigabit Ethernet pursued by vendors including Cisco Systems and research at institutions like MIT and Stanford University. Continuing evolution integrates photonics advances from Intel Corporation, modulation research from Caltech, and scaling strategies influenced by cloud operators such as Alibaba Group and Tencent. Standards and industry forums including IEEE Standards Association and Optical Internetworking Forum continue to coordinate migration paths and ecosystem readiness.

Category:Ethernet