Data Center Bridging FAQThis FAQ is designed to answer questions regarding the policies of the UNH-IOL Data Center Bridging Consortium.
[Top]
What is the UNH-IOL DCB Consortium?
The UNH-IOL DCB Consortium is a division of the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Laboratory that focuses on testing and implementing IEEE 802.1 Data Center Bridging with members and industry in such a way that diverse systems and organizations have the opportunity to work together. Like other UNH-IOL Consortiums, the DCB Consortium is fully funded by our member companies that are industry leaders who have shown a commitment to the interoperability of DCB technologies and have agreed to contribute to the DCB Consortium test bed.
[Top]
What standards are you testing?
The UNH-IOL DCB Consortium is developing test suites to address the following IEEE 802.1 standards: 802.1Qau, 802.1Qaz and 802.1Qbb.
[Top]
How much does it cost?
Full membership in the Data Center Bridging Consortium is $14,000 USD for a full year, which covers the costs of research, development, and testing services provided by the UNH-IOL. This fee provides a full year of testing as often as our scheduling policy allows. Members must also provide at least one device to the DCB Consortium's Test Bed, which ensures that the consortium maintains a viable and useful test bed of representative devices across the industry.
[Top]
What are the membership benefits?
The DCB Consortium offers the following benefits to our members:
[Top]
How do I become a member?
Becoming a member of the UNH-IOL Consortium is a simple process: online membership form, payment, and provision of a platform. Detailed information about becoming a member of the DCB Consortium could be found at "Join the UNH-IOL" page.
[Top]
Do you offer certification?
No. The UNH-IOL is not a certification body and does not provide certification of any kind. However, other organizations may choose to use our reports as evidence for certification purposes.
[Top]
Do I need to be present during scheduled testing?
No. Attendance is not required in order for us to perform scheduled testing. However, members who attend often find it easier to troubleshoot interoperability issues as they are discovered. Members who attend are not limited to our test suites; they are welcome and encouraged to perform their own testing utilizing our test bed as an extension of their own in-house test lab.
[Top]
Who will see the results of the testing performed on my product?
Confidentiality of results is of the utmost importance to us. All test results are documented in formal UNH-IOL test reports which are provided solely to the members whose devices are tested. Results are not shared among consortium members, and are not publicly released by the UNH-IOL.
Report recipients are free to distribute copies of their test reports at their discretion, provided they adhere to the guidelines described in Section 6.2.1 of the UNH-IOL Usage Agreement.
[Top]
Is there an additional fee for members to perform testing?
No, as long as the testing is scheduled using our normal scheduling procedure. Members test for free, as often as they wish, as scheduling allows.
If a test is needed sooner than scheduling will allow, a member may request an "overtime" test for a flat fee. This test will be performed over the weekend that the request is made, and the reports issued the following Monday.
[Top]
What is the difference between the pre-standard baseline DCBX version and the IEEE standard version?
Baseline DCBX is not a standard, some vendors have implmented a version of DCBX that is pre-standard and was provided as an initial discussion point in the standardization process. The IEEE has completed the development of the standard version of DCBX as of November 2010. As more vendors implement the IEEE standard version any vendors not implementing it will cause SEVERE Interoperability problems. To find a helpful comparison of baseline versus IEEE standard version please visit our knowledge base here: Knowledge Base |