Storage Cat 08 3/10/08 17:04 Page 30
30 ADVERTORIAL
UNDERSTANDING DEPLOYMENT ASPECTS
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) technology has gained a good
amount of industry awareness since its launch in April 2007
Words: By Ranga Bakthavathsalam, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Emulex Corporation
As a leading enterprise storage connectivity vendor, Emulex Ethernet interfaces and support the storage and networking
has been actively working with its ecosystem partners in I/O requirements. The support for lossless Ethernet, through
educating server, storage and network administrators about the use of a priority flow control mechanism and enhanced
FCoE enabled convergence in the data centre. As with any transmission selection mechanism, enable traffic partitioning
new technology, FCoE has gone through its fair share of and guaranteed levels of service for the different traffic types.
feasibility questions from a wide range of industry segments The Emulex CNAs fully leverage the proven Emulex
and across geographical regions. Some of these discussions LightPulse
®
architecture. The use of common driver model
had a recurring pattern with a specific focus on deployment ensures same driver code is used for Emulex FCoE CNAs and
and manageability of the technology. This article will capture Fibre Channel HBAs, thus extending the reliability,
some of these key topics and thus provides data centre performance and manageability characteristics of Emulex’s
managers and administrators with additional information proven Fibre Channel HBAs.
pertaining to FCoE adoption.
The FCoE protocol uses a lossless Ethernet infrastructure Emulex and Cisco – Joint Solution for a Converged Network
to carry native Fibre Channel traffic. The technology Emulex has closely partnered with Cisco in developing FCoE
encapsulates complete Fibre Channel frames onto Ethernet enabled converged network solution for enterprise data
frames and enables a converged10Gb/s Ethernet centres. The combination of the Cisco Nexus 5000 switch and
infrastructure to carry both data networking and storage the Emulex LP21000 family of CNAs provide a standards
networking traffic. compliant, fully interoperable solution that facilitates faster
By continuing to use Fibre Channel as the upper layer adoption of FCoE enabled convergence in the data centre.
protocol, FCoE retains the use of proven Fibre Channel drivers
and SAN Connecting to Existing Fibre Channel Storage Devices
management tools. With the significant Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks
This convergence of (SANs) investments enterprises have made, there are obvious
data networking and questions regarding whether FCoE will be able to leverage this
storage networking infrastructure. FCoE technology was built from the ground up
infrastructures in to ensure that Fibre Channel investments are fully protected
the data centre and that FCoE and Fibre Channel networks operate in tandem.
reduces the number The Cisco Nexus 5000 Ethernet switch, when configured
of cables, switch with the Fibre Channel module provides FCoE to Fibre Channel
ports and NICs, forwarding functions and also provides all the same services
which in turn lowers of a Fibre Channel switch. The Cisco Nexus 5000 switch can
the overall power either be connected directly to a Fibre Channel storage array
and cooling using the F-port functionality or the solution can be
requirements and Component View: The FCoE Converged connected to another Fibre Channel switch or a Fibre Channel
the total cost of Network Adapter is provisioned with director (using E-port or NPIV mode), which in turn is
ownership. both a FCoE driver and a NIC driver. connected to the rest of the SAN. Emulex and Cisco have
conducted extensive interoperability testing to ensure that
Emulex LightPulse
®
LP21000 Product Family the solution enables seamless deployment, while protecting
Emulex is one of the leading proponents and developers of existing investments.
FCoE technology. Emulex LP21000 Converged Network
Adapters (CNAs) are designed to support high performance Installation and Management
storage and networking applications in enterprise data Minimising the time it takes to install and manage an
centres. Servers supporting PCI Express 1.0a (x8 or higher) infrastructure is a key objective for IT administrators. Fibre
will be able to utilise the full potential of the two 10Gb/s Channel technology has helped administrators maintain highly
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The most reliable, innovative name
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in storage networking
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