This document discusses Mellanox's ConnectX-3 Pro networking adapter, which provides hardware offloading for overlay networks like VXLAN and NVGRE. This dramatically lowers CPU overhead, allowing more virtual machines to be supported per server. Test results show that with hardware offloading, VXLAN throughput is higher and CPU utilization is lower compared to software-only implementations. Offloading also reduces capital and operating expenses through increased server utilization and efficiency.

1. Mellanox VXLAN Acceleration
VMWorld 2014

2. Leading Supplier of End-to-End Interconnect Solutions
Server / Compute Switch / Gateway
Virtual Protocol Interconnect
Storage
Front / Back-End
Virtual Protocol Interconnect
56G IB & FCoIB 56G InfiniBand
10/40/56GbE & FCoE 10/40/56GbE
Comprehensive End-to-End InfiniBand and Ethernet Portfolio
ICs Adapter Cards Switches/Gateways Host/Fabric Software Metro / WAN
Cables/Modules
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 2

3. ConnectX-3 Pro is The Next Generation Cloud Competitive Asset
 World’s first Cloud offload interconnect solution
 Provides hardware offloads for Overlay Networks – enables mobility, scalability, serviceability
 Dramatically lowers CPU overhead, reduces cloud application cost and overall CAPEX and OPEX
 Highest throughput (10/40GbE, 56Gb/s InfiniBand), SR-IOV, PCIe Gen3, low power
Cloud 2.0
The Foundation of Cloud 2.0
More users
Mobility
Scalability
Simpler Management
Lower Application Cost
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 3

4. Protocols:
VXLAN – VMware and Linux
NVGRE – Windows
VM VM VM VM
Server
Physical
Switch
The Challenge:
Software implementation leads
to performance degradation
CPU overhead increases
Less virtual machines can be
Domain
1
supported
Domain
2
Domain
3
VM VM VM VM
Three virtual domains connected by Overlay Network
protocols
Overlay Networks
What is it?
Overlay Networks provide a
method for “creating” virtual
domains
Enable large scale multi-tenant
isolation
VM VM VM VM
Server
Server
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 4

5. VXLAN and NVGRE Hardware Offload
Scalable
VXLAN
& NVGRE
Multi-tenant
Isolation
Cloud
ConnectX-3 Pro
Overlay networks
Hardware offload
Lowering CPU Overhead
Higher Throughput
OPEX and CAPEX
Savings
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 5

6. CPU CPU
Payload Payload
HyperVisor (+ vSwitch) Stateless
Offload
Payload VXLAN
header
CRC
VXLAN Hardware Offload
Payload VXLAN
header
CRC
Stateless
Offload
Improved CPU utilization
More VMs per server
Higher Networking Throughput
VM VM VM VM
VM
VM
VM
VM VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM VM VM VM
HyperVisor (+ vSwitch)
Mellanox ConnectX-
3 Pro
Legacy NIC
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 6

7. VXLAN Throughput with Hardware Offload
20.51
40GbE VXLAN Throughput
36.25 36.11 36.21 36.12
4.85
7.62
11.39
17.62 17.04
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1 VM pairs 2 VM pairs 4 VM pairs 8 VM pairs 16 VM pairs
Bandwidth Gb/s
ConnectX3-Pro VXLAN HW offload ConnectX3-Pro VXLAN no offload
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 7

8. VXLAN CPU Utilization (Receive)
1.78
40GbE VXLAN Receive CPU%/1GbE
0.39 0.43
2.49 2.42
0.64 0.72
1.00
3.48
3.72
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1 VM pairs 2 VM pairs 4 VM pairs 8 VM pairs 16 VM pairs
CPU%/1GbE
ConnectX3-Pro VXLAN HW offload ConnectX3-Pro VXLAN no offload
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 8

9. CAPEX and OPEX Savings
 Without VXLAN Offload  With VXLAN Offload
17 VMs 36 VMs
CPU Utilization: 61% 26%
Example: 1Gb/s traffic per VM
© 2014 Mellanox Technologies - Mellanox Confidential Internal Use Only - 9

10. Thank You
tomt@mellanox.com