Light Reading Publishes First-Ever Test of 2-Gbit/s Fibre Channel
Five Vendors Invited to Participate in Event Conducted by Network Test Inc.
and Spirent Communications. Only QLogic Turned Up
NEW YORK, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com), the premier information resource for the optical networking industry, today published the results of the first-ever test of 2-Gbit/s Fibre Channel switches.
Light Reading teamed with two companies to undertake the test: Network Test Inc. (Westlake Village, Calif.), a benchmarking and network design consultancy, and Spirent Communications (Calabasas, Calif.), a supplier of performance analysis systems.
Although five vendors claim to be shipping 2-Gbit/s switches, only one, QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq: QLGC), was willing and able to submit a switch and complete the rigorous program of tests. QLogic's product, the SANbox2, posted generally excellent numbers.
"The performance of QLogic's switch is very encouraging for enterprises thinking about upgrading to 2-Gbit/s Fibre Channel technology," says David Newman, president of Network Test. "Its switches really do run at 2-Gbit/s, or close to it."
QLogic's SANbox2 processed data at breakneck rates, the tests showed, posting the lowest latency (the delay added by a networking device) ever recorded by Light Reading or Network Test in tests of ultra-high-speed networking technologies. On average, the SANbox2 took a mere 400 nanoseconds to switch each data frame. (For comparison's sake, a hummingbird beats its wings 20 times per second -- or once every 50 milliseconds. Assuming 400ns latency, a QLogic switch can transmit 125,000 frames in the time it takes a hummingbird to flap its wings once.)
"I was very pleased with the professionalism and quality of the testing process. Enterprises should feel very confident in accepting the results of the tests that were conducted," said David G. Hill, Research Director, Storage and Storage Management, at the Aberdeen Group (Boston, MA).
Five companies were invited to submit products: Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCD), Gadzoox Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: ZOOX), and McData Corp. (Nasdaq: MCDT) declined. Vixel Corp. (Nasdaq: VIXL) entered the test and then withdrew.
"This test was as notable for who didn't turn up as for who did," says Stephen Saunders, cofounder of Light Reading. "It's boggling that Brocade, which claims to have the premier 2-Gbit/s Fibre Channel solution in the industry, refused to participate. It raises the question: What's wrong with their product?"
2-Gbit/s Fibre Channel switches represent the next generation in storage area networking technology. Previous iterations of Fibre Channel have run at a maximum speed of 1-Gbit/s, which is already proving to be too slow for some mission critical networks.
All the results are being published on two of Light Reading's Websites: Light Testing (http://www.lightreading.com/testing/) and Byte and Switch (http://www.byteandswitch.com), Light Reading's storage networking site.
Disclosure: The test was paid for by Light Reading. Neither Light Reading editors, nor Network Test employees, nor either corporation owned equity, stock options, or warrants in any of the companies mentioned in this release.
About Light Reading
Light Reading launched in February 2000. Its Website, lightreading.com, delivers timely and entertaining in-depth analysis of optical networking developments for free. Profitable from its inception, Light Reading has rapidly gained a reputation as required reading for anybody associated with next-generation Internet technology. 850,000 people visit Light Reading each month. In June 2001, Light Reading launched a sister site, byteandswitch.com, which has rapidly become the go-to destination on the Internet for independent analysis of storage networking issues.
About Network Test Inc.
Network Test is an independent benchmarking and network design consultancy. Its clients include service providers and Fortune 50 enterprises on three continents. The company is headed by David Newman, who formerly managed the award-winning lab test program for Data Communications magazine for nearly 10 years. Newman is also the author of the IETF specification for firewall performance measurement and a coauthor of a pending draft on quality- of-service measurement.
About Spirent Communications
Spirent Communications unites the best in performance analysis technology with network operations expertise. Spirent enables its customers to accelerate the development, deployment, and assurance of next-generation network equipment and services worldwide. Its products include SmartBits and Adtech analysis systems for all LAN/MAN/WAN and access technologies.
Contacts:
Blythe Teed
Marketing Manager
Light Reading
teed@lightreading.com
212-925-0020 x 106
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SOURCE Light Reading
CO: Light Reading; QLogic Corp.; Network Test Inc.; Spirent Communications
ST: New York
IN: CPR MLM
SU:
01/17/2002 14:00 EST prnewswire.com |
