QLogic Demonstrates Open-Standards, Heterogeneous Fabric SANs with Other Leading Switch Vendors at CeBIT; Companies Join to Support Open Switch Compatibility Standards
HANOVER, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2001--QLogic Corp. (NASDAQ: QLGC), the only end-to-end storage area network (SAN) infrastructure provider, furthered its commitment to switch-to-switch compatibility by joining with other major switch vendors to support and demonstrate standards that will enable multi-vendor fabric switch interoperability at the CeBIT conference and exposition. In addition to QLogic, participants included in the Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA)-sponsored demonstration include Gadzoox, McData and Vixel.
"Customers tell us that they want the ability to deploy multi-vendor solutions and today's demonstration is proof that this is now possible," said Dave Hubbard, vice president of QLogic's Switch Products Group. "Open standards benefit vendors and customers alike. QLogic remains strongly committed to open standards like FC-SW2 and we will continue to participate with the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) and the FCIA in critical activities like the SANmark program that are designed to empower customers with compatibility and freedom of choice."
The demonstration showcases the interoperability of QLogic's and others' advanced switches using E-port functionality (inter-switch links) and improved routing protocols contained in several emerging standards, including the forthcoming NCITS (ANSI) Fibre Channel Switch Fabric-2 (FC-SW2) and Fibre Channel Methodologies for Interconnects (FC-MI) open fabric standards.
The FC-SW2 standard defines aspects of interoperability such as fabric configuration path selection, Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF) routing, name server and management server synchronization, distribution of registered state change notification (RSCN), and exchange of zone information. The FC-MI standard defines interoperability behavior for loop devices, switch devices, fabric behavior, discovery, and management.
"QLogic has actively supported all efforts to achieve switch-to-switch compatibility through industry standards and testing with other vendors," said David Deming, FCIA president, interoperability chair, and president of Solution Technology. "The FCIA and SNIA are grateful to QLogic and all the other companies who are driving the industry toward standards that give customers a range of hardware choices as they implement heterogeneous SANs."
The demonstration is the second in a series of six conducted through the Fibre Channel Industry Association, (FCIA), in cooperation with the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA). QLogic and the other three vendors demonstrate interoperability using E-port functionality (inter-Switch Links) and improved routing protocols contained in several emerging standards, including the forthcoming NCITS (ANSI) Fibre Channel Switch Fabric-2 (FC-SW2) and Fibre Channel Methodologies for Interconnects (FC-MI) open fabric standards.
QLogic and the other switch vendors first illustrated their intent to support the new standards by participating in a FCIA sponsored Plugfest Kickoff in January 2001. Switches from Brocade, Gadzoox Networks, McDATA, QLogic and Vixel were run through an early version of the FCIA SCD-3001 conformance test suite developed specifically to test SAN devices for FC-SW2 and FC-MI compliance. SCD-3001, developed by FCIA in cooperation with ANSI T11 and the University of New Hampshire is a comprehensive series of tests designed to test the conformance of Fibre Channel fabric and fabric services behavior with standards from physical to application layer.
Vendors whose switches are qualified under SCD-3001 will receive the SANmark Trademark License under the FCIA SANmark(TM) Qualification and Trademark Licensing Program. SANmark is designed for Fibre Channel manufacturers or independent laboratories to verify compliance among products from multiple vendors. The SANmark program divides functionality of an entire I/O system, up to and including the application layer, to allow industry vendors to participate in the development of test suites and specifications.
QLogic SAN connectivity products control the flow of data between storage systems, tape libraries and network servers. The company simplifies SAN implementations by providing OEMs, system integrators and resellers with a single point of contact for end-to-end SAN hardware and software. Customers value QLogic's technology, support and ability to provide best-of-breed products with short time-to-sales. QLogic saves customers time and resources by providing a portfolio of hardware, software and service components. With these tools, OEMs and resellers can develop and deploy SAN connectivity solutions faster, more cost effectively and with less risk.
About the FCIA
The Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA) is an international organization of manufacturers, systems integrators, developers, systems vendors, industry professionals, and end users. With more than 190 members and affiliates in the United States, Europe and Japan, the FCIA is committed to delivering a broad base of Fibre Channel infrastructure to support a wide array of industry applications within the mass storage and IT-based arenas. FCIA Working Groups focus on specific aspects of the technology that target both vertical and horizontal markets, including storage, video, networking and SAN Management. For information, please contact the Fibre Channel Industry Association at (415) 750-8355 or via e-mail at info@fibrechannel.org, or visit the FCIA web site at fibrechannel.org.
About QLogic
QLogic Corporation (Nasdaq:QLGC) is changing the way the world views Storage Area Networks (SANs), serving OEMs, VARs and system integrators with the only end-to-end SAN infrastructure in the industry. With over 15 years of enterprise storage experience, the company delivers a full range of Fibre Channel switches, PCI host bus adapters, controller silicon and management chips for systems and peripherals, as well as the QLogic Management Suite of SAN management software solutions. A member of the S&P 500 Index, QLogic was ranked fourth on Forbes' Best 200 Small Companies and number 22 on Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies. QLogic is integrated in over 200 OEM solutions, including: AMI, Compaq, Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, INRANGE, Iwill, MTI Technology Corp., Quantum, Raidtec, Siemens, Sony, Sun and Unisys. For more information about QLogic and its products, contact QLogic Corp., 26600 Laguna Hills Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; telephone: 800/662-4471 (sales); 949/389-6000 (corporate); fax: 949/389-6126; home page qlogic.com.
Note: All QLogic-issued press releases appear on the company's web site (www.qlogic.com). Any announcement that does not appear on the QLogic web site has not been issued by QLogic.
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