QLogic FCoE proves to be compatible with HP Fibre Channel Storage | | 2008-07-24 | | QLogic have released the results of a test drive of the Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) conducted in early June. Participants included HP, Cisco, Computer Associates, DataDirect Networks, EMC, FalconStor, Finisar, Infortrend, LSI, Microsoft, MiraLink, NetApp, Promise Technology and Symantec.
The test established that FCoE networks are compatible with existing Fibre Channel storage, enabling quick adoption by the industry.
The results showed that QLogic Converged Network Adaptors (CNAs), HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Arrays, and HP StorageWorks media storage libraries and software management applications easily recognized Fibre Channel and FCoE devices, with the FCoE network simply appearing as a Fibre Channel network. The FCoE devices test proved to be 100 percent compatible with existing Fibre Channel products.
“FCoE is ready to be tested by those customers that want to run their storage traffic over a single 10GbE converged fabric,” said Dennis Martin of computer industry analyst firm Demartek, a third-party auditor of the test drive.
“During the FCoE Test Drive, we found that all applications ran correctly, unaware of any difference in the underlying hardware interface. While we recognize that enterprise infrastructures take a number of years to change and some minor protocol issues still need to be resolved, we believe that FCoE will soon take its place as a viable, stable enterprise-ready protocol, especially as enterprises consider and deploy 10Gb Enhanced Ethernet networks.” he added.
FCoE, the standard for transporting Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet, is designed to make converged networks possible for data centres. With converged networks now on the way to becoming a reality, servers will no longer require separate interfaces for data and storage Uses can increase functionality while reducing cost and complexity by using a single set of cables and switches.
| |
|
