SANcastle Technologies Inc. and Anritsu Co. teamed up at NetWorld+Interop in Las Vegas to demonstrate an end-to-end networking solution integrating Fibre Channel-based Storage Area Networking (SAN) data and enterprise LAN data over high-speed optical MAN/WAN links up to OC-48 (2.5 Gbps) speed. The companies claim there has never before been a way to transport SAN and native Ethernet LAN traffic together over an OC-48 link.
This new capability combines the Anritsu MultiFlow(TM) 5000 Layer 2/3/4 Gigabit Ethernet switch and the SANcastle GFS-8(TM) Global Fabric Switch. The resulting enterprise networking solution greatly lowers costs and equipment requirements by using Ethernet and IP technology to allow both SAN and LAN data streams to share a single 2.5 Gbps OC-48 optical link.
SANcastle said it has developed a multiple protocol switch that enables seamless bi-directional integration of Fibre Channel (FC) and Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) networks over long distances without disruption or technology changes. The company claims its GFS-8(TM) is the world’s first Global Fabric Switch. The high-speed integrating switch enables a company’s Fibre Channel network and IP network to work together seamlessly as a single connected network fabric. No changes are required to either network since GFS-8 is compatible with both networks’ standards.
“The GFS-8 is an ideal solution for customers who wish to create multiple virtual SANs while maintaining performance and service levels so that individual applications are not impacted,” said James Keady, vice president of Marketing for SANcastle. “Anritsu’s MultiFlow 5000 is an ideal complement to the GFS-8 for customers who want to use their MAN/WAN links for transporting both SAN and LAN data.”
“We are pleased to offer this solution with SANcastle because many of our enterprise customers want to use our MultiFlow 5000 switches with OC-48 connectivity for both their SAN and LAN data,” says Jack Landau, Director of marketing for Anritsu. “Since Fibre Channel has the same 1 Gbps rate as Gigabit Ethernet, the GFS-8 provides an ideal SAN gateway and our full duplex 2.5 Gbps OC-48 link is perfect for sharing both these kinds of traffic.”
