Adva and Colt Deploy 8Gb FC Over Distance

ADVA Optical Networking and COLT Telecom Group S.A., a provider of data, voice and managed enterprise services, announced the market’s first deployment of an 8Gbit/s Fibre Channel (FC) service over distance. Featured within a customer’s Storage Area Network (SAN), the new service, built specifically upon the ADVA FSP 3000’s 8Gbit/s FC card, provides a point-to-point link that stretches beyond 135km. Connecting two data centers with an 8Gbit/s FC link across this distance was dependent upon the ADVA FSP 3000’s Raman amplification capabilities to eliminate the need for mid-span huts and the associated operations and maintenance costs.

“The increasing growth in data-intensive, high-speed networking applications, particularly in storage environments, is driving the demand for Fibre Channel solutions at higher bit rates and longer distances,” said Dr. Alireza Mahmoodshahi, COLT group chief technology officer (CTO). “ADVA Optical Networking understands this demand and has developed an industry leading 8Gbit/s FC solution capable of responding to our customers’ needs. Successfully tested and deployed, ADVA Optical Networking has helped us to deliver a key service and a market first. We look forward to rolling this out to more customers soon.”

ADVA Optical Networking and COLT Telecom are currently the only companies capable of deploying 8Gbit/s FC over distance and have worked extensively to ensure the solution is able to perform under the most stressful network demands. Before installation, ADVA Optical Networking developed and extensively tested its 8Gbit/s FC solution in its Meiningen, Germany, laboratories, ensuring that it could operate over large distances and that it is compatible with 10-, 4-, 2- and 1Gbit/s FC interfaces and a range of industry switches, including Brocade’s 8Gbit/s SAN switch. This comprehensive compatibility ensures that enterprises can deploy all FC interfaces in the same network without additional capital expenses.

“ADVA Optical Networking has a long history of developing technology innovations of real market value. We were among the first companies to introduce 4Gbit/s and 10Gbit/s FC, and this successful implementation of 8Gbit/s FC further emphasizes our commitment to the storage industry,” stated Dr. Christoph Glingener, chief technology officer (CTO) at ADVA Optical Networking. “COLT and ADVA Optical Networking have worked extensively to ensure this 8Gbit/s FC service is specifically tailored to meet enterprises’ growing data demands with the most cost-effective and flexible solution possible.”