We use the F-760 in a cluster and Cisco 6509 switches with Gigabit connectivity to Suns and HP-UX boxes. We haven't had any problems with Gig-e or the switches, but we haven't got them spun up to full production usage levels yet. I would say that you need to make sure that you get the Intel NICs for the filer, but if you are order new gear now from Netapp, that should be a given.

Rick Hulsey
Southwest Airlines
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>>> "Todd C. Merrill" <tmerrill@mathworks.com> 09/06/00 10:14AM >>>

We are considering moving our F740 and F760 toasters from quad 100-Mbit
ethernet EtherChannel'ed on a Cisco 5500 switch to the gigabit NICs on a
new Cisco switch, a 6509. We're doing this 'cause:

1. We need more ports. Period.
2. The 6509 has a higher density of ports and gig ports.
3. The gigabit NICs are supposedly much faster, and you can offload
the checksum processing from the main CPU to the gigabit card. (We're
not even close to saturating the quad link now; I'm just talking
latencies. Plus, we beat the crap out of our toasters; if the CPU can
do less overhead and more data serving, I want it.)

Anybody have any experience with the 6509 and NetApp's gigabit cards?
Just want to assuage our concerns before placing the PO's.

    Until next time...

The Mathworks, Inc.                508-647-7000 x7792
3 Apple Hill Drive, Natick, MA 01760-2098    508-647-7001 FAX
tmerrill@mathworks.com                http://www.mathworks.com
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