SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - August 11, 2009) - NetApp® (
NASDAQ:
NTAP) today announced a
convergence-ready end-to-end 10Gb Ethernet (10GbE) infrastructure based on
the Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) standard. This infrastructure
enhances enterprises' ability to efficiently migrate to Ethernet and
achieve capital and operational efficiencies.
NetApp, a pioneer in Ethernet storage, continues to advance the technology
with leadership and innovation. Today, NetApp offers standards-based
products that support converged Ethernet (FCoE, iSCSI, NFS, CIFS) data
access and help customers streamline their data centers and maximize ROI.
With partners such as Cisco and QLogic, NetApp is expanding Ethernet as a
storage infrastructure, offering a next-generation unified target adapter
for its storage systems, switches, and converged network adapters (CNAs).
The move to converged data and storage networks has recently driven
increased adoption of 10GbE in the data center; NetApp 10GbE target port
shipments have more than doubled since June of 2008, from 3,000 to more
than 7,500.
"We have been testing our new FCoE infrastructure over the last few months
and have been impressed most by the performance," said Howard Eddy, vice
president of Information Technology at Subaru New England. "For instance,
we are seeing over 75% greater performance on SQL versus our existing DAS
solution. We've also been able to dramatically reduce our overall
complexity for our storage and networking by streamlining down to a single
network technology: Ethernet."
With NetApp and its solutions partners, customers can build end-to-end FCoE
infrastructures while still supporting existing Fibre Channel investments
and take a phased approach to consolidating their data centers around
Ethernet. Now customers can build out their Ethernet infrastructure over
time and while protecting previous infrastructure investments. In addition
to the unified target adapter for NetApp systems, NetApp now offers the new
QLogic 8100 Series CNA, which offers customers greater choice and
flexibility while building out their infrastructures. With this adapter,
customers can run both FCoE and IP traffic through the same port and on the
same wire, eliminating the need and expense for separate SAN and LAN
adapters and cables.
"FCoE is changing the way customers can use Ethernet in their data
centers," said Amit Vashi, vice president of Marketing, Host Solutions
Group, QLogic. "Together with NetApp, we're adding value to FCoE by helping
customers reduce data center complexity when running multiple protocols as
they move to a unified Ethernet infrastructure."
NetApp also offers Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches, a leading family of
high-performance, low-latency switches for data center networks supporting
lossless 10GbE, Fibre Channel, and Fibre Channel over Ethernet. The Cisco
Nexus Series switches offer a highly cost-effective access-layer strategy
for Gigabit Ethernet and mixed Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet server
environments.
"FCoE is a logical extension of our unified storage architecture," said
Patrick Roger, vice president of Solutions Marketing at NetApp. "With our
leadership in the space, we're helping more customers than ever meet their
business needs without undue cost and complexity and without sacrificing
investments they've already made in more expensive Fibre Channel systems.
With our partners like QLogic and Cisco, customers will have an
ever-growing ecosystem of compliant, end-to-end solutions as the Ethernet
growth trend continues."
NetApp has been an active participant in the development and marketing of
the Fibre Channel over Ethernet standard, which the FC-BB-5 working group
of the T11 Technical Committee recently completed work on and unanimously
approved as a final standard for FCoE, as well as the Data Center Bridging
(DCB) standard within the IEEE.
"FCoE is out of its infancy and has emerged as a flexible and
cost-effective technology for enterprise infrastructures," said Dennis
Martin, president of Demartek. "NetApp, with its network of partnerships,
has a unique ability to provide end-to-end, native 10GbE unified solutions
and is poised as a leader as this technology continues to grow in
popularity and demand. I have tested the end-to-end NetApp® unified
solution in the Demartek lab and seen it in action."
The next-generation FCoE unified target adapter, Ethernet switch, and CNAs
mentioned above are all available for order.
For more information about the QLogic 8100 Series CNA, please visit
http://www.qlogic.com/Products/Datnetworking_products_landingpage.aspx.
To read today's Ethernet announcement from Brocade and NetApp, please visit
www.netapp.com/us/company/news/news-rel-20090811-brocade-fcoe.html.
For more information on NetApp Ethernet storage news, visit
www.netapp.com/us/company/news/fcoe/fcoe-partnerships.html
For more information about NetApp's solutions partnerships with Cisco and
QLogic, please visit
www.netapp.com/us/solutions/solution-partners/infrastructure/platform-networking.html.
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About NetApp
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Discover NetApp's passion for helping companies around the world go
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Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this document contains certain
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements contained
herein represent NetApp's beliefs regarding future events, many of which
are, by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside NetApp's control.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding the future of and trends in the Ethernet industry.
NetApp cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained
herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such
statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the adverse
global economic and market conditions, risks associated with the
anticipated growth in network storage and content delivery markets,
NetApp's ability to deliver new product architectures and enterprise
service offerings, and other important factors as described in NetApp's
reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. NetApp disclaims any obligation to update and revise
the forward-looking statements contained in these materials based on new
information or otherwise.
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