Accelerating its momentum as the premier supplier of single-chip-based Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) converged network adapters (CNAs), QLogic today announced that its award-winning 8100 Series CNAs are now EMC E-Lab Qualified with EMC Symmetrix V-Max, Symmetrix DMX and CLARiiON CX4 networked storage systems and the EMC Celerra NS line of unified storage systems. They are also now available from EMC through the EMC Select program.

While Ethernet connectivity is ubiquitous in the enterprise with a 100 percent server attach-rate, only about 20 percent of servers today are equipped with Fibre Channel ports. As server vendors shift toward implementing low-profile CNAs from QLogic, enterprises can use 10Gb/sec Ethernet to connect new servers to their storage area network (SAN) and create broader access to the capabilities and features of Symmetrix, CLARiiON, and Celerra storage systems. This consolidation of server adapters reduces the number of cables and provides the advantages of storage area networks such as LAN-free backup, point-in-time snapshots, improved disaster recovery and greater business continuity.

"EMC's E-Lab(tm) qualification of QLogic's single-chip CNA is another important milestone on the journey to FCoE adoption," said David Vellante, co-founder and principal contributor of Wikibon.org. "EMC is considered the gold standard of Fibre Channel storage and QLogic single-chip CNAs are a key ingredient to evolving toward a converged network future while preserving client investments in Fibre Channel assets."

"The innovative Symmetrix V-Max, CLARiiON CX4 and Celerra NS systems are specifically designed for virtual environments and to help customers consolidate more servers for easier management and cost savings," said Barbara Robidoux, vice president, Storage Marketing at EMC. "The attractive form factor of the QLogic(r) 8100 Series and its availability through EMC Select will help drive customer adoption of complete FCoE solutions from EMC, which include our leading storage platforms and EMC Connectrix FCoE switches."

Connecting today's powerful, multi-core processor-based servers to the new high-end EMC Symmetrix V-Max storage system, midrange CLARiiON CX4 systems and Celerra NS unified storage systems, QLogic 8100 Series converged network adapters can help customers achieve unprecedented performance and scalability throughout the data center.

"EMC continues to drive innovation in enterprise storage and transcend the boundaries of data centers," said Amit Vashi, vice president of marketing, Host Solutions Group, QLogic Corp. "The QLogic 8100 Series, the first single-chip FCoE converged network adapter generally available on the market, with its low-profile design for easy integration into any server, and battle-proven Fibre Channel stack for complete interoperability, is the logical choice for server connectivity to EMC's leading storage systems."

"As virtualized server environments play a more prominent role in the data center, many enterprises wrestle with the challenge of how to maximize their existing networked storage environments," said Bob Laliberte, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "EMC and QLogic are working together to alleviate that issue. By leveraging EMC's thorough E-Lab testing and Select program, they are ensuring that organizations can deploy proven and optimized end-to-end solutions leveraging QLogic single-chip converged network adapters, EMC FCoE switches and a wide selection of EMC storage arrays."

Based on QLogic's advanced Network Plus Architecture, the 8100 Series is designed for next-generation, virtualized and unified data centers with powerful multi-processor, multi-core servers and is available in multiple form factors, including standard and mezzanine cards. QLogic 8100 Series CNAs are optimized for both data and storage networking virtualization with superior 10Gb Enhanced Ethernet performance to handle massive quantities of virtual machines.

More information on the QLogic 8100 Series is available at: http://www.qlogic.com/Products/Datnetworking_products_landingpage.aspx

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