HPCwire: EMC Adds New Fibre Channel Over Ethernet Switch

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September 14, 2009

EMC Adds New Fibre Channel Over Ethernet Switch

Expands FCoE lineup with new EMC Connectrix MP-8000B switch; enables server I/O consolidation to reduce operational costs

HOPKINTON, Mass., Sept. 14 -- EMC Corporation, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, today expanded its lineup of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) technology with the introduction of the EMC Connectrix MP-8000B (FCoE) switch. The newest addition to EMC's Connectrix family of switches and directors enables server and cable consolidation by utilizing the FCoE and Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) standards to transfer data between physical and virtual servers and storage systems over high speed, lossless 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) networks.

Based on OEM technology from Brocade, the new Connectrix MP-8000B Switch allows both local area network (LAN) and storage traffic to travel on a single 10 Gigabit Ethernet link, eliminating the need for separate storage area network (SAN) and LAN adapters and cables. Reducing the number of adapters and simplifying cabling helps lower equipment acquisition costs as well as the operational costs associated with server power consumption and cooling. The FCoE protocol preserves Fibre Channel constructs and services, allowing the Connectrix MP-8000B to seamlessly integrate with existing Fibre Channel SANs, management processes, and workflows, offering a smooth migration path for existing SAN customers.

The new switch features eight 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports along with twenty-four 10 GbE ports. The 10GbE ports support Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE), a new version of the Ethernet standard which increases the reliability, efficiency, and scalability of Ethernet networks. This enhanced version supports multiple traffic classes over a lossless Ethernet fabric, thus enabling the consolidation of LAN, SAN, and cluster environments. In addition, FCoE/CEE switches are managed by the same Fibre Channel management tools and applications currently deployed in datacenters without disrupting operations.

"As FCoE technology continues to gain market momentum, EMC is continuing to expand its capabilities and leadership to further help customers address some key datacenter challenges, including infrastructure sprawl and power and cooling issues," said Barbara Robidoux, EMC vice president of storage marketing. "The Connectrix MP-8000B is designed to help datacenter managers meet the ever-increasing I/O (input/output) demands of multi-core processors, VMware Infrastructure and other virtualized server and SAN environments. It also enables additional servers to be attached to the existing SAN infrastructure and take advantage of the capabilities of EMC's industry leading networked storage systems."

The MP-8000B is based on Fabric OS (FOS) with extensions covering FCoE and CEE, and it delivers distributed intelligence throughout the network while enabling a wide range of value-added applications and advanced fabric services, including Fabric Watch, Inter-Switch Link (ISL) Trunking, and end-to-end Advanced Performance Monitoring. The switch is managed by Connectrix Manager Data Center Edition, which enables the management of traditional Fibre Channel SAN and new FCoE/CEE environments from a single application.

EMC Connectrix Family of Switches and Directors

The EMC Connectrix family offers the industry's most extensive selection of networked storage connectivity products, ranging from highly available enterprise-class directors to edge switches and management tools. All Connectrix systems concurrently support multiple hosts and operating systems, enabling multiple servers to connect to multiple storage systems from EMC as well as other vendors. This flexible family of platforms helps facilitate the consolidation of information onto fewer storage systems for improved management, protection and availability.

Availability

The Connectrix MP-8000B switch is generally available from EMC.

About EMC

EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) is the world's leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC's products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

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Source: EMC Corp.

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