Pirus Networks Unveils Storage Utility Switch

Pirus Networks today announced what they claim is the industry’s first carrier-class storage networking system that enables enterprises and service providers to deploy NAS (file) and SAN (block) storage technologies through a highly scalable switch-based system.

The company described the Pirus Storage Utility Switch(TM) as an intelligent storage networking infrastructure that will leverage Fibre Channel and IP/Ethernet protocols, provide storage subsystem and location independence, consolidate and more efficiently manage existing installed equipment and smooth the transition to next generation storage architectures.

“The cost of storage ownership is skyrocketing as organizations try to keep up with the rapid increase in volumes of digital data,” said Pirus President and CEO Rich Napolitano. “While SAN and NAS appliances have started to address some of the issues, they also create enormous complexity as these disparate islands of storage must be managed separately. The requirement for a single intelligent infrastructure for diverse storage demands is very real, especially in an economic environment where controlling costs is a pressing issue. Our switching platform combines a carrier-class design, standards compliance, and unique capabilities that will protect existing investments while consolidating storage devices. Basically we will support any data, any time, from anywhere.”

Pirus said the Storage Utility Switch provides a converged storage infrastructure, optimal scaling of new connections, storage device independence, and allows the bridging and convergence of network environments, among other features.

The first released product, the PSX-1000, will be available in beta in Q2 2001 and is expected to be generally available in Q4 2001.