StorageTek said it has stretched the traditional reach of interconnects for storage area network (SAN) systems to as far as 225km by replacing LED transmission technology with the more powerful laser technology more usually associated telecoms transmission systems. Conventional Fiber Channel arbitrated loop systems can only support high-speed interconnects at distances up to 45km, at which point the diffuse light source produced by an LED system becomes impossible to refresh. But the new laser equipment, which StorageTek’s European marketing director, Mel Taylor claims will be fully compatible with existing systems, fires a tighter beam down a fiber cable, extending the readable range of the signal.
Taylor said that StorageTek’s new access hubs, which support the SONET (synchronous optical network) standard found in carrier backbone networks is available immediately, although pricing has yet to be finalized. Demand for the technology, which is likely to be comparatively expensive, is unlikely to be massive, but for some customers, it will provide a cheaper alternative to relocating their data center Taylor said.
