DataCore Software, a provider of storage virtualization, business continuity and disaster recovery software solutions, today announced support for native Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) connectivity for its SANmelody and SANsymphony storage virtualization solutions.
The company has added the Emulex and Brocade FCoE converged network adapters (CNAs) and Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches to its FCoE-qualified support list. Additional FCoE CNAs will be announced over the next year. FCoE software drivers are currently available for Microsoft Windows and VMware ESX / vSphere.
FCoE is changing the way customers can use Ethernet in their data centers. DataCore customers can transition to an FCoE infrastructure while still supporting existing Fibre Channel investments – meaning greater choice and flexibility while building out their storage networks. 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. The ability to run FC protocol over existing Ethernet cabling is significant for network administration. It means that administrators do not need to have a separate network for running Fibre Channel protocol.
FCoE is primarily used to consolidate back-end cables in a data center – enabling network administrators to use the Ethernet infrastructure for FC and IP protocols. What is needed to make it work is a converged network adapter (CNA), which serves as an FCoE card, along with a network switch. For storage, this connects to DataCore-powered SANs using Ethernet networks – thereby connecting application servers to the virtual storage pool as easily as you would connect your desktop to a printer.