… And Adding Universal Access Point Switch

As part of its Adaptive Convergence strategy, QLogic Corp. announced the multi-protocol Universal Access Point switch, the UA5900, giving servers access to advanced storage and converged networking capabilities.

                                         UA5900

No matter how an organization’s network and storage infrastructure evolves, the UA5900 provides FC and FCoE Top of Rack (TOR) switch features that will facilitate technology transition.

The company also unveiled its next-generation iSR intelligent Storage Router designed to provide SAN-over-WAN connectivity for business continuity and disaster recovery, as well as a data migration solution for enterprise data centers.

Organizations with an immediate need to expand their SAN infrastructure can deploy the UA5900 as a pure 16Gb FC switch providing scalability, port density and cost-per-port advantages not found in existing FC products. Entry-level configurations start with as few as 24 small form factor pluggable (SFP) device ports and can grow to an unprecedented 68 device ports per single rack unit, via pay-as-you-grow port licenses. Four optional quad small form factor pluggable (QSFP) ports can be used as 64Gb FC trunking ports to link up to six UA5900 without using any of the device ports. Included QLogic flexible port (flex port) capability allows customers to toggle the identity of any of the 68 SFP ports between 16Gb FC and 10GbE converged networks, enabling deployment of CNAs within a traditional FC fabric. This first step in converged infrastructure migration can be achieved before making other network changes, and without paying a premium on the switch side.

"The IT needs of enterprises are evolving non-stop as organizations constantly struggle to contend with the latest technology advancements and address ever-changing business requirements," said Jesse Parker, vice president and general manager, Network Solutions Group, QLogic. "QLogic Universal Access Point switches and iSR intelligent Storage Routers eliminate the trade-offs between supporting today’s network and preparing for the future. With single-platform, any-to-any connectivity, this portfolio can accommodate change and facilitate technology transitions, protecting legacy investments and laying the foundation for years of growth."

Beyond its lineup of FC features, the UA5900 is more than just a FC switch – it also provides a platform for convergence at the server/network edge. When strategic IT plans require new switch capabilities, including the ability to attach the UA5900 directly to LANs, QLogic’s Converged Networking (CVN) license option converts the UA5900 into a full function FCoE switch, providing investment protection through all phases of technology migration. This single software license provides switch-wide access to features including Data Center Bridging (DCB) Ethernet, FC forwarding and 40GbE transit ports, allowing the UA5900 to be deployed as an edge or TOR solution in any Ethernet topology.

Both LAN and SAN interoperability in multi-vendor environments is ensured, thanks to new QLogic capabilities such as Hybrid Switch which lets users partition their switches to load balance NPIV-standard transparent traffic on a designated subset of ports, while simultaneously delivering fabric services on the remaining ports. Switch ports in the fabric partition can connect local storage/host devices within a rack, while ports in the transparent partition establish a high-performance, ‘lightly managed’ conduit to one or more remote networks. These features make it easy to create portable rack solutions that can plug into any network, further facilitating customer-paced Adaptive Convergence.

"As OEMs, enterprises and cloud service providers evolve their computing infrastructures, they are looking for solutions that give them flexibility without compromising cost and life cycle requirements," said Deni Connor, founding analyst from Storage Strategies NOW. "The QLogic Universal Access Point switch platform goes beyond 16Gb FC-only alternatives to give customers a new class of product that provides consistent connectivity to changing storage and network fabrics. Why should customers wire the edge more than once? Once servers are attached to the UA5900, they can continue to receive the same edge access service, no matter how the core network changes."

According to Crehan Research, the Data Center Switch market is expected to grow in excess of 75 percent over the next five years. Furthermore, 10Gb and 40GbE, 16Gb FC, and FCoE are some of the major growth engines for this increase. "A high port-count server access switch that combines these protocols in a flexible and cost-efficient manner offers compelling, wire-once investment protection," said Seamus Crehan, president of Crehan Research.

Backed by over a decade of QLogic switch silicon design, the new switch portfolio addresses the demands of evolving businesses, including increased agility for flexible private cloud designs. Universal Access Point supports connecting FC, FCoE, iSCSI or 10GbE devices on any port.

"As organizations evolve their computing infrastructures, they are looking for solutions that give them flexibility without compromising on cost or functionality," said Bob Laliberte, senior analyst from ESG. "The QLogic Universal Access Point switch platform goes beyond 16Gb FC-only alternatives to give customers a new class of product that provides consistent connectivity to changing storage and network fabrics, with no need to wire the edge more than once. Now enterprises can deploy solutions that can adapt, regardless of how the core network changes."

"The QLogic Universal Access Point switch is a superior cost-performance solution that offers multi-protocol functions capable of supporting all types of server traffic," said Randy Kerns, senior strategist from Evaluator Group. "The any-to-any connectivity features give the UA5900 great flexibility. With the ability to support connectivity options to any core switch, QLogic brings to market a high performance, multi-protocol networking solutions that will make IT more agile, while protecting investments, and lowering operating costs."

"As OEMs, enterprises and cloud service providers evolve their computing infrastructures, they are looking for solutions that can support multiple environments, extending the life cycle of hardware without compromising cost," said Stuart Miniman, senior analyst from Wikibon. "The QLogic Universal Access Point switch platform brings unprecedented flexibility to storage and networking teams, delivering a new class of product that provides consistent connectivity across FC and Ethernet options. QLogic switching provides the path to 16Gb FC, but unlike FC-only alternatives, does this with the option to converge with Ethernet now or in the future."

QLogic is also leveraging its FlexSuite 16Gb adapter IP as the foundation of its new intelligent Storage Router Series, supporting 16Gb FC for improved SAN performance and flexibility. The QLogic intelligent Storage Router (iSR) will allow cross-protocol routing for 16Gb FC, 10GbE/1GbE iSCSI and 10GbE FCoE. The 16Gb FlexSuite adapter technology utilized in the next-generation router provides continued multi-protocol host connectivity to storage systems, SAN-over-WAN connectivity for business continuity and disaster recovery, as well as enterprise data migration solutions for enterprise data centers.