EMC has expanded its lineup of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) technology with the launch of Connectrix MP-8000B (FCoE) switch.
EMC said that the new addition to Connectrix family of switches and directors enables server and cable consolidation by utilising the FCoE and Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) standards to transfer data between physical and virtual servers and storage systems over lossless 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) networks.
The company said that based on OEM technology from Brocade, the new MP-8000B switch allows both local area network (LAN) and storage traffic to travel on a single 10GbE link, eliminating the need for separate storage area network (SAN) and LAN adapters and cables. The FCoE protocol preserves Fibre Channel constructs and services, allowing the MP-8000B to integrate with existing Fibre Channel SANs, management processes, and workflows, offering a migration path for existing SAN customers.
According to EMC, the new MP-8000B switch features eight 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports along with twenty-four 10 GbE ports. The 10GbE ports support CEE, a new version of the ethernet standard that is expected to improve the scalability of ethernet networks. This enhanced version supports multiple traffic classes over a lossless ethernet fabric, enabling the consolidation of LAN, SAN, and cluster environments.
In addition, FCoE/CEE switches are managed by the same Fibre Channel management tools and applications currently deployed in data centres without disrupting operations.
The new MP-8000B switch is based on Fabric OS (FOS) with extensions covering FCoE and CEE, and it delivers distributed intelligence throughout the network while enabling a range of applications and fabric services, including Fabric Watch, Inter-Switch Link (ISL) Trunking, and Advanced Performance Monitoring. It is managed by Connectrix Manager Data Centre Edition, which enables the management of traditional Fibre Channel SAN and new FCoE/CEE environments from a single application. the company added.
