EMC Offers FCOE Switch

DALLAS -- EMCCorporation, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, todayintroduced the EMC(R) Connectrix(R) NEX-5020, its first Fibre Channel overEthernet (FCoE) switch and the first to be offered by a storage provider. Thenewest addition to EMC's family of switches and directors uses the emergingFCoE standard to transfer data between physical and virtual servers andstorage systems using the highly reliable Fibre Channel protocol over highspeed, lossless 10 Gb/s Ethernet networks.

A network that consolidates data and storage area networking (SAN) on thesame wire helps to simplify server, network and storage infrastructures andcan lower costs and protect existing technology investments withoutsacrificing performance, security or reliability. Based on the Cisco Nexus5000 Series Switches for data centers, the Connectrix NEX-5020 providesline-rate, low-latency, lossless 10 Gb/s Ethernet switching for networkconnectivity. It is designed to meet the ever-increasing I/O (input/output)demands of multi-core processors, VMware Infrastructure and other virtualizedserver and SAN environments. FCoE can help simplify server and networkinfrastructure by reducing the number of cables and adapters required fornetwork connectivity, which in turn reduces power consumption and overall datacenter costs. It also enables additional servers to be attached to the SANinfrastructure and take advantage of the capabilities of EMC's industryleading networked storage systems.

"FCoE technology is an evolutionary approach to consolidated storagenetworking and EMC is helping to lead this evolution with our key partners,"said Barbara Robidoux, EMC vice president, Storage Product Marketing. "TheConnectrix NEX-5020 is designed to help address immediate challenges ourcustomers are facing around infrastructure sprawl, asset utilization, and therelated power and cooling issues in the data center. Just as important, itprovides investment protection for current data center assets and traditionalSAN tools and training."

EMC Corp.