Partner POV | 5 Key Connectivity Considerations for Data Center Optimization

This article was written by Jason Fedder, NEX Sales General Manager, Intel Corporation.

Data is the currency of modern workloads, from AI to analytics and more. Based on a recent industry report, the global data center market is expected to grow to 1,008.65 billion US dollars (USD) by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.24 percent from 2025 to 2034.[1] It's no surprise then that most businesses are moving quickly to keep up with this demand by updating their servers with modern processors, memory, and storage.

If you're one of those organizations, don't shortchange your network infrastructure in your digital transformation journey. Today, enterprise-generated data is created and processed across both traditional centralized data centers and the cloud, which means your network adapters could become a bottleneck if they aren't equipped to handle low-latency, distributed computing needs. Performance is no longer the only factor to consider. With so much data crossing your networking threshold, scalability, reliability, and security are paramount. And of course, you need to think about the bottom line, especially when you're tasked to do more with less.

Taking these challenges into account, the following five key connectivity considerations, along with readily available solutions, can help you achieve your data center optimization objectives.

1. Achieving consistent, low-latency performance

Despite the rise of AI, the demand for high-performance data centers is mainly driven by other causes, including growing data volumes, increasingly complex enterprise applications, and the continued growth of cloud computing. These factors, along with ongoing digital transformation initiatives, demonstrate the need for robust infrastructure that can support demanding initiatives beyond those associated solely with advanced AI. To address these demanding workloads, you can deploy servers built on advanced CPUs, like Intel® Xeon® 6 processors. But how do you also ensure your network infrastructure is up to par?

Pairing servers built on modern processors with high-performance network adapters and efficient network protocols can help optimize quality of service (QoS) for fast, reliable Ethernet connectivity. With network adapters that excel in minimizing latency, you can ensure the consistent, reliable performance needed for your demanding applications.

Another way to boost performance is to use Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) to reduce work handled by the processor. RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) v2 and Internet Wide Area RDMA Protocol (iWARP) can help offload tasks from the CPU during data transfers between systems.[2]

2. Ensuring reliability and compatibility

Don't let your networking infrastructure be the weakest link in your data center. You could deploy the most reliable servers on the market and still waste valuable time and money troubleshooting downtime if your network adapters aren't built to keep up.

The same goes for compatibility. Network adapters that can't interoperate with previous-generation adapters or the rest of your infrastructure can inevitably lead to more costly downtime, troubleshooting, and headaches. This is particularly true for infrastructure modernization, which can be complex and disruptive if your adapter software drivers are not compatible with your existing prior-generation devices.

A better approach would be to deploy adapters with dependable failover mechanisms and other features that help ensure your network can handle disruptions without significantly impacting business-critical workloads.

You can also save yourself hours of planning, troubleshooting, and compromising by choosing solutions that come with validation, assuring comprehensive interoperability across a broad ecosystem of servers and switches. The Intel® Ethernet E830 and E610 Controllers and Network Adapters provide those benefits because they are rigorously tested for interoperability and compatibility, with extensive conformance testing and comprehensive operating system support. Additionally, both adapters offer software drivers with backward compatibility to enable consistent deployment across product generations.

3. Improving scalability and flexibility

With the explosion of data and the rapid growth of evolving technologies like 5G Virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN), you need a network infrastructure that can meet your needs today and into the future with scalability and flexibility. For example, if your infrastructure can't scale efficiently, you might run into performance and latency bottlenecks as you try to roll out new applications and services. Without flexibility, you could find yourself reconfiguring and redeploying adapters every time you need to adjust your infrastructure to meet changing needs.

Consider the flexibility and cost savings offered by the higher port density of the Intel Ethernet family of controllers and network adapters. For example, the Intel Ethernet E830 Network Adapter offers a wide variety of configuration choices, including 1 x 200 gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 2 x 100GbE, 8 x 25GbE, 8 x 10GbE, 2 x 25GbE, 2 x 10GbE, and 2 x 1GbE ports in a single adapter. You can use the Ethernet Port Configuration Tool (EPCT) to reconfigure the number of ports and port speeds as often as needed without revalidation, which simplifies port management. Higher port density on one adapter reduces hardware costs compared to buying multiple lower-density adapters. That's a big advantage over other network adapters with lower port densities and more complex management schemes.

4. Strengthening security

You could deploy the industry's highest-performing and most flexible network adapters but still regret your decision if those adapters open the door to security breaches. Loss of data or confidential information could cost your business dearly from remediation costs, downtime, and damage to your reputation. Look for network adapters that support modern cryptographic security features and a hardware root of trust that adds resilient protection against supply-chain attacks, unauthorized access, and cyberattacks.

The Intel Ethernet E830 and E610 Controllers and Network Adapters, for example, both meet Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-3 Level 1 requirements and support secure boot and secure firmware updates compliant with Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) 1.0 to provide resilient protection against unauthorized access and cyberattacks. They also offer device and firmware attestation, which protects firmware using a verifiable certificate chain and security-enabled measurement communication to help protect businesses from supply-chain attacks.

5. Improving total cost of ownership (TCO)

Performance, power consumption, and cooling costs all add up over time. According to a Goldman Sachs report, power demand from data centers is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2027, and by as much as 165 percent by the end of the decade.[3] If your data center infrastructure doesn't operate as an integrated, well-oiled machine, you might see your overall operating costs rise precipitously, regardless of how low your initial capital costs were.

Efficiency in data center deployments is increasingly driving down costs. Features like high port-density hardware minimize initial capital expenditures (CapEx) by requiring fewer units to achieve the same levels of connectivity. In addition, selecting components with low power consumption directly curtails ongoing operating expenses (OpEx). Robust manageability and tools such as EPCT not only streamline management but also contribute to lower OpEx. The synergy of pairing these efficient network adapters with appropriately scaled servers is key to unlocking a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).[4]

Meeting data center demands with Intel Ethernet

The Intel Ethernet family of controllers and network adapters helps businesses achieve their digital transformation goals by offering high performance with low-latency data transfer between systems. That means your data center is ready to take on demanding workloads without breaking a sweat.

Need flexibility? The Intel Ethernet E830 and E610 Controllers and Network Adapters offer scalable architectures, comprehensive security and manageability features, small form factors, and a broad range of port-configuration options. Intel Ethernet E830 Network Adapters, with 200 Gbps maximum throughput and broad port density that includes the unique 8 x 25GbE configuration, are ideal for optimized, higher bandwidth data-plane operations. Intel Ethernet E610 Network Adapters provide industry-leading power efficiency, the latest advancements in 10GBASE-T connectivity, and comprehensive manageability features for control plane networking.

With both adapters, you can combine flexibility, simplified management, efficiency, interoperability, and strong security to achieve exceptional performance and a lower TCO in your data center.

The path to optimization

Navigating the complexities of data center optimization requires a holistic approach. By keeping these five key considerations at the forefront of your strategy, you can build a more agile, efficient, and cost-effective data center that not only meets your current business needs, but that also lays a strong foundation for future growth and innovation. The journey to an optimized data center is an ongoing one, but with these considerations as your guide, you'll be well-equipped to navigate the path to success.