Networking Support

Building A Backbone Network With 10GbE

February 19, 2024

Introduction to 10GbE and Backbone Networks

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) is an Ethernet networking standard that offers data rates up to 10 Gigabits per second. It allows for high bandwidth, low latency networks ideal for backbone connectivity.

A backbone network is the part of a network infrastructure that interconnects different networks and provides a path for exchange of data between different LANs and WANs. It is the central connectivity pathway on which the subnetworks rely.

Building a high speed 10GbE backbone network offers significant advantages:

Much higher bandwidth – 10GbE offers 10x more bandwidth than regular Gigabit Ethernet. This allows transfer of huge volumes of data.
Lower latency – 10GbE has lower transmission delays allowing faster response times.
Future proofing – 10GbE future proofs your network as bandwidth demands increase.
Supports bandwidth intensive applications – 10GbE has the bandwidth to support video, high res graphics, big data etc.
Backbone aggregation – 10GbE allows seamless aggregation of traffic from 1GbE edges.

Components Needed for a 10GbE Backbone

Building a 10GbE backbone network requires the following key components:

10GbE Compatible Switches

Core switches with 10GbE ports for the backbone. Aggregation switches also need 10GbE uplink ports.
Managed layer 3 switches offer best scalability, performance and reliability.

10GbE Network Interface Cards

Servers need 10GbE NICs (network interface cards) for connecting to the 10GbE switches.
Options include 10GBASE-T RJ45, 10G SFP+ and 10GBASE-T SFP+ cards.

10G SFP+ Transceivers and fiber optic cables

To connect the switches over long distances, 10G SFP+ transceivers and multi-mode fiber optic cables are needed.
Transceivers plug into the SFP+ ports on the switches.

Category 6a or 7 twisted pair copper cabling

For short 10GbE connections up to 100 meters, Cat 6a or Cat 7 twisted pair copper cabling can be used.
They can connect servers to aggregation switches.

Designing the 10GbE Backbone Architecture

The network architecture will depend on the size and design of your overall network. Here are some common 10GbE backbone design principles:

Core-Aggregation – Use a layered design with Core 10GbE switches interconnected in a redundant mesh or ring topology forming the backbone. Connect Access/Aggregation layer switches to the Core using 10GbE links.
Redundant Physical Topology – Implement a redundant physical fiber ring or mesh topology between Core switches to eliminate single point of failure. Aggregation switches also connect redundantly to two Core switches.
Logical Star Topology – Logical connections follow a hierarchical star formation with Core at the center interconnected to each Aggregation switch. The Aggregation layer builds the gateway to the access layer.
High Availability – Core and Aggregation layers are highly redundant. Access switches have dual homing uplinks using technologies like multi-chassis LAG.
Scalability – Modular Core switches and uplinks provide room to scale connectivity as network grows.

Configuring Switches for 10GbE Connectivity

To leverage the full power of 10GbE, the switches need proper configuration. Here are key settings:

Enable jumbo frames by increasing MTU size to at least 9000 bytes. This allows larger packets ideal for high throughput across 10GbE.
Enable link aggregation groups (LAG) between Core and Aggregation switches to load balance connections. Use multilink trunking on Core and LACP on Aggregation side.
Optimize switchport settings – Configure 10GbE ports as trunk ports allowing tagged VLAN traffic. Disable unused functions like CDP.
Leverage quality of service (QoS) to prioritize traffic – Implement QoS on switches to ensure important traffic like VoIP gets priority.
Secure management access – Use SSH instead of Telnet. ACLs to restrict management access. Disable unused ports/protocols.

Challenges in Adopting 10GbE

Migrating to 10GbE comes with few unique challenges:

Cost – 10GbE switches, transceivers and NICs still cost more than 1GbE hardware. May require justification of ROI.
Cabling – Fiber optic cables needed for long 10GbE connections are more rigid and expensive compared to copper Cat5e/Cat6.
Compatibility – All network devices like servers, storage and switches must have 10GbE support for complete deployment.
Skill Gap – Network team needs training on managing high speed 10GbE networks.

The Future of 10GbE Backbone Networks

10GbE forms the perfect backbone today but networks are evolving even faster:

25GbE and 50GbE – Higher speeds like 25GbE and 50GbE are emerging for more headroom.
100GbE – 100GbE ports are already available on high end Core switches. This offers 100 Gbps per port for massive expansion of backbone capacity.
200GbE and 400GbE – Working groups are developing standards for 200GbE and 400GbE to push throughput boundaries.
Terabit Networks – Multi-Tbps backbone capacity is becoming achievable by bundling 100GbE and 400GbE ports using SDN optimization.

Conclusion

Implementing a 10GbE backbone offers exponentially higher capacity and lower latency vital for modern networks. Careful design considerations around redundancy, scalability and configuring switches optimally helps build a high performance and reliable backbone. While emerging standards provide even greater throughput, 10GbE forms the ideal backbone networkconnectivity for today and the near future.