Brocade to Deliver Its First Interoperability Solution for Blade Server SAN Switches
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SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 8 /- Brocade® (NASDAQ:BRCD), the leader in networked storage solutions that help enterprises connect and manage their information, today introduced new capabilities that enable interoperability between Brocade blade server SAN switches and products from other SAN switch and director manufacturers. The new feature, known as Brocade Access Gateway, is the first solution that fulfills Brocade's commitment to deliver interoperability between Brocade switches and the large installed base of McDATA SANs. Brocade Access Gateway will be available on Brocade bladed SAN switches from HP, IBM, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens; these new capabilities add further value to blade server environments by improving SAN management and reducing ownership costs.
"As firms increasingly turn to bladed systems, Brocade continues to provide innovations that ease connectivity of bladed servers to network storage," said Tom Buiocchi, Brocade Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. "Our new Access Gateway capabilities will allow companies to deploy bladed server solutions with unprecedented simplicity, scalability, and interoperability."
The new capabilities from Brocade utilize N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) technology, which has been standardized by the industry's T11 Technical Committee as a methodology to virtualize multiple SAN devices for greater interoperability and scalability. Brocade's implementation is the first to utilize the technology to enhance bladed SAN switch environments.
"For many companies blade servers are a key element in the ongoing evolution of their data centers, so it is critical that these systems be easily integrated into existing SAN environments," said Richard Villars, Vice President of Storage Systems Research at IDC. "Solutions like Brocade's Access Gateway that deliver interoperability across Brocade and McDATA SAN environments will give many enterprises the assurance that they can incorporate blade servers into their data center plans without causing disruptions or increasing management burdens."
Interoperability at the Edge of the SAN along with Simplified SAN Management
Previously, bladed server installations required carefully matched SAN connectivity devices from the server chassis to the storage network in order to avoid SAN interoperability and manageability complications. Brocade's new solution allows organizations to connect Brocade bladed servers to any vendors' SAN fabric that supports NPIV with the confidence that devices will operate seamlessly and with full performance and functionality.
The new bladed SAN switches also deliver breakthroughs in the scalability and management of enterprise SANs. The use of NPIV technology contributes to lower operational costs by allowing server and storage administrators to manage larger and more consolidated SANs with fewer switch domain counts, thereby improving overall SAN management productivity.
Broad OEM Partner Support
Industry leading server and system providers that intend to offer Brocade SAN switch modules with new Access Gateway capabilities include Dell, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, and IBM. Together, these leaders supply an estimated 89 percent of the world's bladed servers, according to IDC.*
"Brocade is a valued member of the BladeSystem Solution Builder Program and Brocade's Access Gateway will be a welcomed addition to our extensive portfolio of interconnect options for HP BladeSystem customers," said Mark Potter, Vice President, BladeSystem Division, HP. "Paired with HP BladeSystem, Brocade Access Gateway gives customers additional choice in building a high- performance, change-ready, time-smart infrastructure while consolidating SAN connectivity for blade servers."
"By collaborating with leading technology vendors such as Brocade, IBM has developed the largest ecosystem in the industry for a blade server platform," said Doug Balog, Vice President and Business Line Executive, IBM BladeCenter. "We are pleased to add Brocade Access Gateway to the IBM BladeCenter portfolio to provide customers a simplified option to connect multiple blade servers to external storage networks through a single physical connection. IBM BladeCenter has been a leader in driving SAN interoperability and the Brocade Access Gateway continues to extend blade server multivendor support."
"By removing scalability limits and reducing complexity, the Brocade Access Gateway enhances the performance of blade server farms," said Jens- Peter Seick, Senior Vice President Enterprise Server Business, Fujitsu Siemens Computers. "Coupled with the unique adaptability of our PRIMERGY Advanced Blade Ecosystem, Brocade Access Gateway is another step towards the dynamic data center, through extending virtualization capabilities."
For more information on Brocade Access Gateway, please visit http://brocade.com/products/software/AccessGateway.jsp.
About Brocade
Brocade is the leading provider of networked storage solutions that help organizations connect, share, and manage their information. Organizations that use Brocade products and services are better able to optimize their IT infrastructures and ensure compliant data management. For more information, visit the Brocade Web site at www.brocade.com/ or contact the company at info@brocade.com.
*Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Server Tracker, Dec 2006
Source: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
CONTACT:
Media Relations,
Michelle Leach,
+1-408-705-8237,
mleach@brocade.com;
or
Mat Small,
Bite PR,
+1-415-365-0398,
mat.small@bitepr.com
Web site: www.brocade.com/
