OnPATH new 8Gb FC Switch With up to 1,536 Ports

OnPATH Technologies, provider of intelligent infrastructure switch solutions that enable companies to automate and virtualize their physical infrastructure layer, introduced the industry’s first 8Gbps switch module for Enterprise-class physical layer switching.

The new 8Gb Fibre Channel port interface module automatically operates at all of the industry standard 8, 4, 2 and 1Gbps Fibre Channel speeds, based on the device connected. Each switch port uses a small form pluggable (SFP+) interface to connect at any mix of Fibre Channel speeds. The SFP+ modularity also supports both multi-mode and single-mode optical fiber, which provides media conversion functionality where needed.

"8Gb Fibre Channel allows data centers to optimize resource usage and enable more traffic with less cables, which improves IT efficiency and service delivery," said Greg Schulz, founder StorageIO and author of ‘The Green and Virtual Data Center’. "Leveraging intelligent automated cable switching and management further enhances an IT organization’s ability to address management costs and productivity while also putting a dent in cooling costs, which on average accounts for 50% of data center power consumption. Combining network virtualization with higher speed Fibre Channel solutions provides a win-win combination."

The new module supports up to 12 multi-rate Fibre-Channel ports and can be scaled up to 1536 8Gb FC ports in one non-blocking switch. The standard modules are operated through the OnPATH Universal Connectivity System 2900 (UCS 2900) system port interface module slots, backplane switching matrix, and management software. The module flexibility allows 8Gb FC applications to mix and match with all other UCS 2900 supported applications, ranging from below 1 Mbps to 10 Gbps. The UCS 2900 management software provides extensive port, line and switching management and diagnostics via a command line interface, graphical user interface, or standard SNMP alerts. The UCS 2900 is available in four modular chassis sizes and scales up to 4096 ports for applications running 4Gbps or below.

The UCS 2900 system offers full enterprise-class reliability, accessibility and serviceability (RAS). The system includes hot-swappable modules for all critical elements and there are no single points of failure. The patented switching backplane is a 34Tbps protocol independent, 3-stage CLOS switch architecture that offers non-blocking connectivity and switching redundancy. The overall system has 99.999% system availability.

"Data center and test lab infrastructure managers need to keep pace with growing storage interface speeds and the increasing demands for connectivity monitoring," said Brian McCann, OnPATH’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. "Our new 8G Fibre Channel module expands our automated network connectivity solutions to simplify network operations, increase application utilization, and reduce energy costs, while improving overall scalability for our customers."

The new 8Gbit/s switch module will be released for general availability in December 2008.