ALISO VIEJO, Calif., July 31, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- QLogic(R) Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC), the leader in Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs), stackable switches and blade server switches, today announced the Sun StorageTek(tm) Enterprise Class 4Gb FC PCI Express ExpressModule HBA from QLogic is now shipping. The innovative new hot plug PCI Express HBA form factor can be added or removed without powering down the server or opening the server chassis. This allows Sun Microsystem's Sun Blade(tm) 8000 modular systems running the Solaris(tm) 10 Operating System (OS), Linux and Windows to deliver unprecedented up-time for enterprise servers in a storage network, as well as industry leading HBA performance of 300,000 I/Os per second.
"Adding and removing conventional HBAs is disruptive to business because powering down and opening servers is required," said Michael McNerney, director of blade servers, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "For businesses that want to eliminate downtime, the ExpressModule HBA from QLogic is an essential component of their high availability SAN architecture."
Sun Blade 8000 Modular System
The Sun Blade 8000 modular system is one of the latest additions to Sun's leading server line-up and is the only modular system designed specifically for high-end x86 computing that delivers the performance, price and flexibility of top-of-the-line rackmount servers together with the serviceability and efficiency of blade servers. In addition, the system is designed to support future increases in I/O, power, cooling and blade real estate -- doubling the system's longevity compared to today's leading blade servers.
The Sun Blade 8000 system's focus on high-end x86 computing makes it an ideal datacenter compute engine for server consolidation and virtualization, business applications, large-scale HPC deployments and high-requirement databases running in the Solaris 10 OS, Linux or Windows environments.
Industry Standard PCI Express ExpressModule
The PCI Express ExpressModule is a new form factor for PCI Express I/O adapters. The specification defines hot-pluggable I/O modular form factors that greatly improve reliability and design flexibility for enterprise-class server and workstation platforms. PCI Express ExpressModule gives system managers an integrated hot-plug feature for the same cost as non-hot-pluggable options, as well as closed chassis, tool-less adapter installation and removal, which significantly reduces system downtime.
SANblade - "A Better 4Gb" HBA from QLogic
SANblade 4Gb HBAs from QLogic offer a suite of technology advancements that help storage administrators in large enterprises ensure complete business continuity, maintain application performance and cost-effectively scale their networks.
For Better 4Gb Reliability:
-- PCI Express ExpressModule - A new form factor for PCI
Express I/O adapters that defines hot-pluggable I/O modular
form factors that greatly improve reliability.
-- Overlapping Protection Domains - This QLogic exclusive
ensures that data is not left unprotected, even for the
smallest fraction of time, by generating a new check of
parity or ECC before stripping out the old check. This
offers a superior level of protection, well beyond
traditional implementations.
-- HBA Failover with Linux - To protect data even if there
is a component failure, QLogic uniquely offers Linux
drivers that provide customers with automatic failover
and fail back between redundant HBAs.
For Better 4Gb Performance:
-- Intelligent Interleaved DMA - Unlike round-robin schemes
for transmitting data in a mixed 1Gb/2Gb/4Gb environment,
QLogic HBAs detect the link rate that each target can
support and transmit simultaneously, and at maximum
performance, to each storage device.
-- DRDMA - QLogic's DRDMA significantly improves overall
system performance by allowing multiple DMA read requests
to be issued/processed efficiently.
-- Out Of Order Frame Reassembly - Only HBAs from QLogic
reassemble frames within an exchange in the correct order,
even though they may have been received out of order. This
improves performance by eliminating the need to retransmit
the entire I/O block.
For Better 4Gb Scalability:
-- Virtual SAN (VSAN) - This QLogic exclusive allows a single
HBA to read VSAN tags in packets sent from a Cisco MDS
switch. As a result, QLogic HBAs can support multiple VSANs,
each with a completely isolated fabric topology and set of
fabric services including name server, zone server, domain
controller, alias server and login server.
About QLogic
QLogic is a leading supplier of high performance storage networking solutions including Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs), blade server embedded Fibre Channel switches, Fibre Channel stackable switches, iSCSI HBAs, iSCSI routers and storage services platforms for enabling advanced storage management applications. The company is also a leading supplier of server networking products including InfiniBand host channel adapters that accelerate cluster performance. QLogic products are delivered to small-to-medium businesses and large enterprises around the world via its channel partner community. QLogic products are also powering solutions from leading companies like Cisco, Dell, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, IBM, NEC, Network Appliance and Sun Microsystems. QLogic is a member of the S&P 500 Index. For more information, go to www.qlogic.com.
Note: All QLogic-issued press releases appear on the Company's website (www.qlogic.com). Any announcement that does not appear on the QLogic website has not been issued by QLogic.
Disclaimer - Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements relating to future results of the Company (including certain beliefs and projections regarding business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements. The Company advises readers that these potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: potential fluctuations in operating results; gross margins that may vary over time; revenues may be affected by changes in IT spending levels; the stock price of the Company may be volatile; the Company's dependence on the storage area network market; the ability to maintain and gain market or industry acceptance of the Company's products; the Company's dependence on a limited number of customers; seasonal fluctuations and uneven sales patterns in orders from customers; the Company's ability to compete effectively with other companies; declining average unit sales prices of comparable products; a reduction in sales efforts by current distributors; dependence on sole source and limited source suppliers; the Company's dependence on relationships with certain silicon chip suppliers; the complexity of the Company's products; sales fluctuations arising from customer transitions to new products; the uncertainty associated with SOX 404 compliance; environmental compliance costs; terrorist activities and resulting military actions; international economic, regulatory, political and other risks; uncertain benefits from strategic business combinations; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; recognition of compensation expenses related to employee stock options and employee stock purchases; the decreased effectiveness of equity compensation; difficulties in transitioning to smaller geometry process technologies; the ability to protect proprietary rights; the ability to satisfactorily resolve any infringement claims; reliance on third party licenses; the use of "open source" software in our products; changes in our tax provisions or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income tax returns; computer viruses and other tampering with the Company's computer systems; charter documents that may discourage a business combination; and facilities of the Company and its suppliers and customers are located in areas subject to natural disasters.
More detailed information on these and additional factors which could affect the Company's operating and financial results are described in the Company's Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other reports filed, or to be filed, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company urges all interested parties to read these reports to gain a better understanding of the many business and other risks that the Company faces. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
QLogic and the QLogic logo are registered trademarks of QLogic Corporation. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of the companies with which they are associated.
Sun, Solaris and Sun Blade are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.