Sponsor Talk
Will Eatherton
SVP, Data Center, Internet & Cloud Infrastructure Engineering at Cisco
Title: Ethernet for Shared AI Fabrics: InfiniBand-Class Performance with Multi-Tenant Scale
Abstract:
AI and HPC clusters are moving from isolated, dedicated and proprietary networks to shared, multi-tenant, open standards-based infrastructures. In these settings, networks must provide more than high bandwidth. They require consistent performance, strong tenant isolation, rapid congestion recovery, and efficient accelerator-to-accelerator communication at scale. This session demonstrates how modern Ethernet fabrics are purpose-built to match or exceed InfiniBand by leveraging technologies such as RoCEv2, MRC, SRv6, Priority Flow Control, adaptive routing, packet-level multipathing, and hardware-assisted transport.
This presentation will outline the key technologies and architectural decisions that establish Ethernet as the preferred network for large-scale, distributed AI training and HPC production. We will highlight how integrated multi-job scheduling, strict tenant isolation, congestion avoidance, and intelligent traffic management make Ethernet a foundational solution. Additionally, we will discuss how Ultra Ethernet, programmable congestion control, and open standardization enhance Ethernet’s scalability, interoperability, and readiness for next-generation AI workloads.
This presentation will outline the key technologies and architectural decisions that establish Ethernet as the preferred network for large-scale, distributed AI training and HPC production. We will highlight how integrated multi-job scheduling, strict tenant isolation, congestion avoidance, and intelligent traffic management make Ethernet a foundational solution. Additionally, we will discuss how Ultra Ethernet, programmable congestion control, and open standardization enhance Ethernet’s scalability, interoperability, and readiness for next-generation AI workloads.
Biography:
As the SVP of the Data Center, Internet & Cloud Infrastructure Engineering team, Will leads a wide-ranging group responsible for data center, web, and service provider solutions. This group encompasses cutting-edge technologies, longstanding Cisco product lines, and the recently launched Cisco 8000 series.
Will initially joined Cisco in 2000 with the acquisition of Growth Networks. During his early years at Cisco, Will expanded his expertise in routing systems architecture and co-authored several patents on packet processing. In 2013, Will co-founded Skyport Systems, a cloud technology pioneer addressing industry gaps in cloud-managed secure virtualized systems. In 2018, Will returned to Cisco with the acquisition of Skyport Systems. With his return, Will has led the Cisco Networking Engineering team, bringing with him a wealth of industry knowledge and experience.
Will is an active technology researcher, author, and speaker. His most recent speaking engagements include sessions on high-performance ethernet fabrics for AI infrastructure and enabling enterprise generative AI with ethernet AI networking.
Will has a master’s degree in Electric Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a Bachelor’s in Electric Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Will initially joined Cisco in 2000 with the acquisition of Growth Networks. During his early years at Cisco, Will expanded his expertise in routing systems architecture and co-authored several patents on packet processing. In 2013, Will co-founded Skyport Systems, a cloud technology pioneer addressing industry gaps in cloud-managed secure virtualized systems. In 2018, Will returned to Cisco with the acquisition of Skyport Systems. With his return, Will has led the Cisco Networking Engineering team, bringing with him a wealth of industry knowledge and experience.
Will is an active technology researcher, author, and speaker. His most recent speaking engagements include sessions on high-performance ethernet fabrics for AI infrastructure and enabling enterprise generative AI with ethernet AI networking.
Will has a master’s degree in Electric Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a Bachelor’s in Electric Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.