STORAGE

QLogic, the company that powers storage area networks (SANs), today announced that QLogic Fibre Channel switches and SANsurfer SAN management software are now available through authorized Apple Computer resellers and the Apple Store. QLogic SANbox 5200 stackable switches, SANbox2-64 modular chassis switches and SANsurfer software for Mac OS, combined with Xserve RAID storage, make it possible for Apple to offer storage networks with leading-edge price, performance, scalability and ease-of-use. "Cost effectively dealing with the rapid growth of video files was one of the most difficult challenges for our storage architecture," said Joachim Blunck of Bunim/Murray Productions, known for producing such hit TV series as "The Real World" (MTV), "Road Rules" (MTV), "The Simple Life" (FOX) and "Starting Over" (NBC). "Xserve RAID from Apple and stackable switches from QLogic deliver high performance at a low cost of entry, plus modular scalability to keep up with the never-ending growth of video data." SANbox 5200: Industry's First Stackable Switches and First Product with 10Gb Fibre Channel The SANbox 5200 stackable switch from QLogic is the first stackable Fibre Channel switch and the first product to deliver 10Gb Fibre Channel technology. Capitalizing on features that made stackable IP switches the best selling type of IP switch, the SANbox 5200 offers a low cost of entry with an eight-port configuration, breakthrough ease-of-use with wizard-based installation, the ability to scale to 64 ports without losing a single port to inter-switch links, blazing 10Gb performance, and complete stack management from a single application. SANbox2-64 Modular Fabric Switch Designed to help SAN architects fill an important middle ground between bladed Director switches and fixed port Edge switches, the highly scalable, modular bladed architecture of the SANbox2 64-port switch combines the high port count of a Director with the low cost-per-port of an Edge switch. For SAN architects, the SANbox2-64 is a simple alternative to a mesh of smaller switches, and by delivering 99.999% fabric availability, a pair of SANbox2-64 switches can serve as a Core switch solution for business-critical storage applications. QLogic SANsurfer -- The Software That Makes SANs Simple Standard and free of license fees with all QLogic HBAs and switches, QLogic SANsurfer 4.0 provides one complete solution for storage network device management. SANsurfer simplifies SANs with point-and-click configuration wizards for easy device management. By putting the complexity of the SAN into the software rather than in front of the end user, these wizards dramatically simplify complex tasks like installation and zoning. Users answer simple on-screen prompts (NEXT, NEXT, NEXT) to reduce long manual routines into quick point-and-click operations. Apple Xserve RAID The elegantly-engineered companion to Apple's highly-regarded Xserve line of server hardware, this cutting-edge, self-contained storage solution holds up to 14 hot-swappable Apple Drive Modules -- a phenomenal 5.6 terabytes of data -- in a rack-optimized storage enclosure. Xserve RAID features a breakthrough Apple-designed architecture that combines affordable, high-capacity Ultra ATA drive technology with an industry standard 2Gb Fibre Channel interface for reliable -- and incredibly fast -- data access. Xserve RAID is hands-down the best value in external RAID storage. Xserve RAID works well with Mac OS X Server, and you can use it with Windows- or Linux-based servers as well. "Apple is the standard-bearer for elegantly designed, high quality and easy-to-use information technology," said Frank Berry, vice president of marketing for QLogic Corp. "QLogic is confident that SANbox brand switches and SANsurfer software will serve as key ingredients in Apple storage offerings, delivering the same level of excellence for educational, creative and rich media applications." Availability QLogic SANbox 5200 and SANbox2-64 switches and SANsurfer software are available to Apple customers now, through authorized Apple resellers and the Apple Store at www.apple.com/store