LONG BEACH, Calif. (Storage World Conference), June 28, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC), the company that powers storage area networks (SANs), today announced that its SANblade QLA4010 iSCSI HBAs are now supported by Network Appliance for NetApp iSCSI storage systems as a result of having successfully completed the NetApp Open iSCSI program. Under the NetApp Open iSCSI program, Medusa Labs, an independent third-party test lab, performed extensive iSCSI qualification testing on host-based iSCSI initiators and host bus adapters (HBAs) to ensure they met NetApp and industry standards for iSCSI quality.
"NetApp has a long standing relationship with QLogic in delivering open-standard Fibre Channel storage solutions to customers," said Rich Clifton, vice president of the SAN/iSAN Business Unit at Network Appliance. "Today's announcement reaffirms that QLogic has the same level of expertise and commitment to quality in iSCSI technology and focus on delivering plug-and-play products to the marketplace."
The Medusa Labs testing process was designed to verify proper functionality and operation between iSCSI initiator and iSCSI target hardware. Test suites monitor product functionality, stability, data integrity, and performance while being performed in optimal and error-induced states. Error injection and recovery verify that the products are up to the most stringent data center requirements.
"The NetApp Open iSCSI qualification program will help accelerate iSCSI adoption in environments currently using direct-attached and internal storage," said Frank Berry, vice president of marketing, QLogic Corp. "Now customers that are widely using Ethernet infrastructures can tap into the power and flexibility of networked storage in the rest of their business."
QLogic SANblade QLA4010 Advantages
The 1Gb/second QLA4010 iSCSI-to-133MHz PCI-X HBA offers high-speed, low CPU utilization and server connectivity directly to iSCSI storage or to iSCSI storage through an Ethernet network. The QLA4010 offers several advantages over many competitive products including:
-- Full iSCSI off-load, which reduces the burden of
transaction processing from the host system. This
feature drastically improves overall system performance
and reduces costly investments in additional systems.
-- Full TCP/IP off-load including exception handling, which
keeps the host system free from processing out-of-order
and fragmented frames and improves the consistency of
system performance.
-- Hardware iSCSI digest implementation, which ensures
data integrity over a layer 3 TCP network without burdening
the host CPU.
-- Embedded processors design, based on QLogic ISP4010
controller. This approach enables code updates via
simple software download, which protects customer
investments in the event of future changes in features
or standards.
-- Consistent interface with QLogic Fibre Channel products,
which simplifies integration of multiple I/O technologies.
-- Exposed TCP, IP and Ethernet interfaces, which reduces
solution costs, by enabling networking applications such
as SNMP management and storage capabilities to run on
the same controller.
-- Highly integrated single chip design, which simplifies
chip integration, reduces real estate requirements and
reduces power consumption. This allows many HBAs to be
installed in a single host system.
QLogic SANsurfer Management Suite
Standard and free of license fees with all QLogic HBAs and switches, QLogic SANsurfer Management Suite provides one complete solution for storage network device management. SANsurfer Management Suite simplifies SANs with point-and-click configuration wizards for easy device management. By putting the complexity of the SAN into the software rather than in front of the end user, these wizards dramatically simplify complex tasks like installation and zoning. Users answer simple on-screen prompts (NEXT, NEXT, NEXT) to reduce long manual routines into quick point-and-click operations.
About Network Appliance
Network Appliance is a world leader in unified storage solutions for today's data-intensive enterprise. Since its inception in 1992, Network Appliance has delivered technology, product, and partner firsts that continue to drive "The evolution of storage(tm)." Information about Network Appliance solutions and services is available at www.netapp.com.
Powered by QLogic
Since 1993, over 50 million QLogic products have shipped inside servers, workstations, RAID subsystems, tape libraries, disk and tape drives. These products were delivered to small, medium and large enterprises around the world. Powering solutions from leading companies like Cisco, Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Network Appliance, Quantum, StorageTek and Sun Microsystems, the broad line of QLogic controller chips, host bus adapters, network switches and management software move data from storage devices through the network fabric to servers. A member of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100, QLogic was named to the following during fiscal year 2004: (i) Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies list for the fourth consecutive year; (ii) Forbes' Best 200 Small Companies for the fifth consecutive year; and (iii) Business Week's list of 100 Hot Growth Companies. For more information visit 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 within 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 wishes to advise readers that these potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the volatility of the Company's stock price; fluctuations in operating results; the dependence on the storage area network market; the ability to maintain and gain market or industry acceptance of the Company's products; the dependence on a limited number of customers and fluctuations or cancellations in orders from customers; the ability to compete effectively with other companies; a reduction in sales efforts by current distributors; the dependence on relationships with certain silicon chip suppliers and other subcontractors; the complexity of the Company's products; terrorist activities and resulting military actions; international, economic, regulatory, political and other risks; changes in semiconductor foundry capacity; the ability to maintain or expand upon strategic alliances; the strain on resources caused by rapid growth and expansion; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; and the ability to protect proprietary rights or to satisfactorily resolve any infringement claims.
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.
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