IMPROVING I/O BANDWIDTH TECHNOLOGIES PCI, PCI-EXPRESS, AND INFINIBAND TECHNOLOGIES

Data transfers are handled by the computer bus which connects the device to the memory. The data bus is analogous to the transmission in a car which is often overshadowed by the horsepower of the engine. The three technologies PCI, PCI-Express and InfiniBand Technology all share the same general goal of improving I\O bandwidth, but each technology attacks a different problem. In this survey we'll show how these technologies interact and complement each other. First, we provide the definitions for each one of them, and then we provide a brief description for their architectures. Beside that we'll conclude an over view of some differences between the technologies.

Motivation: in this paper, a better understanding of the different I/O bandwidth technologies are explored, the vital features and characteristics of each technology was presented.

Method: providing clear description for the different technologies and estimating the improvements implemented in their hardware during the generations’ improvements.

Conclusion: none of the technologies could replace the PCI bus, but rather implement upgrade paths to get critical needed features such as compatibility and capability.