SAN Test Module addresses 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel standard.
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Press Release Summary:
Agilent 1733A Storage area network (SAN) test module enables Fibre Channel traffic generation at wire speeds of 2 or 4 Gb/s with allowances for any combination of data, error, link, fabric control, and fabric services test. Test engineers can use SAN tester to emulate 2,000 devices in 2U chassis. It offers device virtualization, host bus adapter behavior emulation, FICON device initialization, and capture buffer for failure analysis.
Original Press Release:
Agilent Technologies Introduces Industry-First Storage Area Tester Modules, Software for Next-Generation 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel Fabrics
Test Equipment Addresses Emerging Storage Networking Standard, Speeds Time to Market, Reduces Device Costs by 97 Percent
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 1, 2004 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced industry-first test capabilities of its storage area network (SAN) tester that address the 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel standard, allowing storage network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) to stay at the forefront of storage technology and speed time to market. The Agilent 1733A SAN tester's 4 Gb/s functionality builds on the existing platform of the Agilent 1730A and 1730B, and the new modules fit in the same platform as the existing 1 and 2 Gb/s.
SAN networking equipment is typically tested with actual servers and storage equipment. With the emergence of new standards, such as 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel, storage NEMs need to test next-generation switches and fabrics prior to the availability of 4 Gb/s servers and storage devices. Moreover, as SAN fabrics grow in size each year, traditional server- and storage-based test reaches scalability limits and becomes increasingly challenging and expensive.
The Agilent 1733A SAN test module enables Fibre Channel traffic generation at wire speeds of 2 Gb/s or 4 Gb/s, with allowances for any combination of data, error, link, fabric control and fabric services test. The new module can be used simultaneously with the current 1 Gb/s and 2 Gb/s 1730B modules in the same SAN tester chassis, protecting existing investments.
The Agilent 1733A SAN tester modules offer device virtualization, host bus adapter behavior emulation, FICON device initialization and a capture buffer for failure analysis. Test engineers can use the Agilent SAN tester to emulate 2,000 devices in a 2U chassis, compared with emulating fewer than 10 actual devices using the same space, at a fraction of the cost. With the dual-speed capability of the 1733A modules, the SAN tester platform can also be used to test current-generation SAN fabrics, saving test equipment costs. Each test port includes an internal real-time protocol analyzer with triggers and filters for protocol debugging, allowing simultaneous traces on multiple ports. Combining analyzer capabilities with fabric-performance measurements into one tool lowers overall cost of test.
"In SAN testing, time to market and cost control of large-scale test infrastructures is key to increasing revenue," said Siegfried Gross, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Digital Verification Solutions division. "Agilent's 4Gb/s Fibre Channel test equipment addresses the critical needs of our customers. Virtualization reduces the price per device by up to 97 percent, resulting in reduced cost of test."
Since the introduction of the SAN tester platform in November 2003, it continues to earn the trust of new customers as evidenced by orders of more than 300 test ports for 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel prior to public introduction. The Agilent SAN tester will be demonstrated at Storage Networking World, April 5-8, 2004, Phoenix, Ariz., Booth No. C1.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Agilent 1733A SAN tester is now available for order at a list price of $40,000 and will ship in May 2004. More information about the SAN tester is available at www.agilent.com/find/santester.
Agilent Storage Networking Solutions
Agilent is a leading supplier of 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel component, board and test solutions. No other vendor offers protocol, physical layer, and fiber optic components combined with leading-edge signal and protocol testing. More than half of all storage-networked arrays use Agilent components. For more information, visit www.agilent.com/view/storage.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $6.1 billion in fiscal year 2003. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.
