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BY DAVE SIMPSON
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Emulex, one of the leading
vendors of Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs), last month
sketched its plans for HBAs based on the evolving iSCSI
standard. iSCSI allows block-level I/O over standard IP
networks such as Ethernet.
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Rather than depicting iSCSI as
an alternative to Fibre Channel for building storage area
networks (SANs), Emulex sees it primarily as a means to link
Fibre Channel SANs to remote storage and systems.
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"We do not see iSCSI as a
replacement technology for Fibre Channel, because Fibre
Channel provides higher performance and meets the needs of
data centers," says Jane Shurtleff, director of marketing
programs in Emulex's IP Networking Group (which was formed
from Emulex's acquisition of Giganet Inc. last month).
"We see the primary purpose of iSCSI as integrating Fibre
Channel SANs in data centers to remote systems and storage
over a wider area," Shurtleff adds.
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According to the company, the
key applications for iSCSI include
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- Remote backup and disaster
recovery;
- Remote access to block-level
storage on Fibre Channel SANs; and
- Storage virtualization. (For
more information on virtualization, see InfoStor, January
2001, p. 20.)
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This summer, Emulex plans to
deliver to its server and storage OEMs a prototype iSCSI HBA
(Ethernet-PCI) and an iSCSI Development Kit (IDK). The IDK
will include a sample iSCSI software driver and a Service
Level Interface (SLI) application programming interface (API).
The SLI API will enable Emulex OEMs that have already written
code for the company's LightPulse Fibre Channel HBAs to more
easily develop code for its iSCSI HBAs.
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Emulex server OEMs-in
decreasing order of market share-include IBM, Compaq, Fujitsu,
Hitachi, NEC, SGI, Unisys, and Groupe Bull. Its storage OEMs
include Compaq, EMC, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, Fujitsu,
NEC, SGI, and Comparex.
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Production versions of Emulex's
iSCSI HBAs are due by year-end, which is approximately when
the iSCSI standard is expected to be finalized by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF).
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To increase performance and
decrease host CPU utilization, Emulex is implementing the
iSCSI protocol and TCP/IP protocol stack in firmware and
hardware on the adapter.
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Emulex's entry into the iSCSI
market was enabled in large part by its acquisition of Giganet,
which was completed March 1. In addition to iSCSI, Giganet's
main area of expertise is in the Virtual Interface (VI)
architecture for IP-based storage/networking. For example, the
company will supply VI-over-IP HBAs to network-attached
storage market leader Network Appliance.
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Last month, Giganet became the
IP Networking Group of Emulex. Ron Quagliara, chief technology
officer of Emulex, assumed the role of president of the IP
Networking Group. Other officers include Kirk Roller, chief
operating officer (formerly senior vice president of worldwide
sales and marketing at Emulex) and Fred Gill, executive vice
president of worldwide sales.
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InfoStor April, 2001
Author(s) : Dave
Simpson |
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