Integrated Virtual Ethernet feature

Preface

The introduction of the POWER6™ processor-based servers brought to market several advances in server design, performance, and function. One of these enhancements is the capability to virtualize Ethernet within a server. The feature that provides this function is named Integrated Virtual Ethernet adapter (IVE). IVE is the integration of several technologies, including the Host Ethernet Adapter (HEA), advanced software, and updates to the hypervisor that provide integrated high-speed Ethernet adapter ports with hardware assisted virtualization capabilities.IVE is a standard set of features offered on every IBM® System p™ POWER6 processor-based 570, 560, 550, and 520 server. The IVE provides:

• Either two 10 Gbps Ethernet ports or four 1 Gbps ports or two 1 Gbps ports
• External network connectivity for LPARs using dedicated ports without the need of a Virtual I/O Server
• Industry standard hardware acceleration, loaded with flexible configuration possibilities
• The speed and performance of the GX+ bus, faster than PCI Express x16

Introduction