HP Selects 8Gb FC Switches From QLogic

QLogic Corp. announced that its 5800V and 5802V Series 8Gb FC switches are now available from HP as scalable SAN solutions for use with HP’s server and storage portfolios, including HP BladeSystem Virtual Connect, HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Array (MSA) and HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) systems.

Branded as the HP StorageWorks SN6000 Stackable 8Gb FC Switches, the switches incorporate QLogic’s unique inter-switch link (ISL) technology, which enables companies to reduce total-cost-of-ownership by up to 43 percent compared to non-stackable alternatives, according to a recent economic value study from Wikibon. (The Total Cost of Ownership of Stackable Switches, by Wikibon)
 
The switch’s dedicated high speed 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) FC stacking ports, which can be easily upgraded to 20 Gbps performance, make possible the innovative stackable architecture of the HP SN6000. By providing high performance, dedicated switch-to-switch connectivity through stacking ISLs, the SN6000 eliminates cabling sprawl and preserves 8 Gbps FC ports specifically for device connectivity – meaning no user ports are needed for connecting SN6000 switches to each other. By reducing cable and connection costs while enhancing SAN performance, the SN6000 enables lower capital and operational expenditures. In addition, it enables automated management and improved administrative productivity through management software included with every switch.
 
“QLogic continues to innovate and lead the way in Fibre Channel stackable switch solutions,” said Jesse Parker, vice president and general manager, Network Solutions Group, QLogic. “Our 8Gb Fibre Channel switches provide industry-leading performance while allowing businesses to build scalable SANs with minimal business disruption at considerably lower costs and significantly reduced complexity.”
 
“Customers can mitigate risk by adopting a networking infrastructure that can scale in a modular, non-disruptive way as storage needs change,” said Bob Wilson, vice president, Platforms Division, StorageWorks, HP. “The HP SN6000 Stackable FC Switches utilizing 8Gb Fibre Channel technology deliver storage networking that customers can leverage to keep up with growing data volumes."
 
“Wikibon believes that stackable switches are a significant improvement over non-stackable switches. Stackable switches scale to 25 percent higher user port counts, simplify configuration growth and improve inter-switch bandwidth and manageability,” said Dave Vellante, founder and chief research advocate, Wikibon. “For CIOs this means better asset leverage because you have greater granularity at scale.”
 
The stackable design of the HP SN6000 Stackable FC Switches offers improved flexibility and eliminates the need to reconfigure switches, leading to better productivity for IT staff and less disruption for users. Conventional switching technology requires at least two ports to link to other switches in the data center. For example, if all 24 ports of a switch are used, an IT manager would need to repurpose four device ports to ISL ports in order to connect to other switches. The design of the SN6000, with dedicated stacking ports, enables non-disruptive expansion requiring the IT manager to only add stacking cables between the switches without interrupting application uptime.
 
“By providing stacking ports that deliver 20 Gbps switch-to-switch connectivity, QLogic makes it possible for businesses to grow their switches as slowly or quickly as they need by simply ‘stacking,’ avoiding the disruptive ‘rip and replace,’ process,” said David Floyer, chief technology officer, Wikibon. “This enables companies to scale with less business impact, which decreases the chance of downtime and improves productivity of the organization.”
 
“CFOs will rejoice over the numerous cost-savings, short-term and long-term, that QLogic’s innovative, stackable switch technology delivers,” continued Vellante. “Companies aren’t buying capacity they don’t need. IT departments can simply add ports if and when necessary, which is much more efficient. This translates to better utilization of cash, an improved balance sheet and the ability to take advantage of price reductions over time.”
 
8Gb Fibre Channel Switches Address Need
for Increased SAN Bandwidth in Virtualized Data Centers
As multi-core servers begin to drive higher adoption rates of virtualization, there is a commensurate increase in customer demand for higher bandwidth connectivity options. With 20 dedicated 8 Gbps FC device ports per switch and scalable to more than 500 device ports in the fabric, HP SN6000 switches address the needs of server virtualization, massive storage capacities, resource-intensive applications and other sources of unpredictable IT growth.
 
Simple to Install with Intuitive Management Tools
Seamless integration of the SN6000 is a snap with HP’s Simple SAN Connection Manager (SSCM), an integrated suite of intuitive installation and monitoring tools exclusive to HP’s H-series portfolio. Available with the SN6000, SSCM has the ability to manage an entire SAN implementation from a single management console.
 
The HP StorageWorks SN6000 is available immediately.