QLogic Corp., a provider of Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs), stackable switches and blade server switches, has unveiled the first network platform for storage and server area networking with end-to-end connectivity from host adapters to switched fabrics. Designed for I.T. professionals who simplify and save by deploying common infrastructure, the QLogic Network Platform unifies Fibre Channel, iSCSI, Ethernet and InfiniBand technologies from server edge to switched fabric core.

In addition, the company is introducing the SANbox 9000 Series, a new class of core switches designed exclusively for the rigorous price:performance demands of open systems environments. With a list price starting at $50,450, the SANbox 9000 can scale to 128 ports in a single 4u chassis, offers redundancy for high availability, and supports a family of I/O blades for intelligent networking. For data center managers concerned about available rack space, power and cooling, the compact 4u chassis takes less rack space, power and cooling than any director switch available today.

THE QLOGIC NETWORK PLATFORM

The QLogic Network Platform consists of the company's line of SANbox switches, routers and storage services platforms, as well as SANblade and InfiniPath host adapters for server connectivity to Fibre Channel, iSCSI and InfiniBand networks.

Winner of this year's Windows IT Pro "Readers' Choice" award, the entire QLogic SANbox line of products works together as an intelligent network solution, or can be deployed as individual, best-in-class components. QLogic covers the complete spectrum of fabric switch needs from the core with the SANbox 9000 Series core switches, to the distribution layer with SANbox 5000 Series stackable Fibre Channel switches, to the edge with SANbox 1000 Series fixed port switches. For low-cost local and remote server connectivity, QLogic SANbox 6000 Series intelligent storage routers boost storage utilization while driving down cost and complexity, and for storage virtualization, the QLogic SANbox 8000 Storage Services Platform offers network-based command and control of heterogeneous storage.

SANBOX 9000 SERIES CORE SWITCHES

Finally, there's a new class of core switch that represents a sane alternative to quarter million dollar director switches. The SANbox 9000 is designed to the core for cost-sensitive, business-critical, open system environments that require ultra high density, blazing performance and intelligent switching for their data center core. The SANbox 9000 Series represents a number of industry firsts: a 4U chassis for a smaller footprint and cost effective scalability, the simplicity and economies of customer replaceable units (CRUs) and a comprehensive set of core switch software management tools included as standard. Pricing starts at less than $100,000.

The highly scalable SANbox 9000 is a core switch with a dedicated 800Gb/s HyperStack connection between as many as two chassis modules. The high-port-count SANbox 9000 supports up to 256 ports in a dual chassis configuration. The intelligent SANbox 9000 offers in one chassis module: 8 slots for any mix of 4Gb or 10Gb Fibre Channel I/O Blades, iSCSI intelligent storage router I/O blades, FCIP intelligent storage router I/O blades, or storage services platform (SSP) blades. For high availability, the SANbox 9000 features redundant, hot-swap I/O, CPU, power supply and fan blades. And for comprehensive fabric management, the SANbox 9000 includes the powerful and easy-to-use Enterprise Fabric Suite 2007 for setting-up, monitoring, tuning, troubleshooting and servicing an unlimited number of large fabrics.

more information, see www.qlogic.com . ENS