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Martin Courtney | Analyst Some observers have lauded Fibre Channel over Ethernet as the holy grail of storage consolidation, for its potential to run storage and data traffic on the same network. Others remain determined to keep those areas separate, almost as if their jobs depended on it – which, in some cases, they will. more Fibre Channel Over Ethernet: Extending FC Into the Future The Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) protocol may still be in the early stages of development, but its potential to consolidate separate storage and data networks into a single unified architecture within the data center has generated a lot of interest. Most data centers today use two or three separate networks: An Ethernet LAN connects servers with each other and the outside world, and a storage area network (SAN) – in the vast majority of cases based on Fibre Channel (FC) – connects the same servers with a range of storage devices. In some cases, the same facility will also use another interconnect fabric (usually InfiniBand) specifically for clustered servers in high-performance computing (HPC) environments. FCoE is designed to merge at least two of those separate networks by allowing native FC data traffic to be carried unaltered across a 10-Gbit/s Ethernet network. Previous attempts to persuade IT managers to run block-based storage traffic over standard Ethernet networks have failed for a number of reasons, but largely because of ongoing concerns that the reliability and bandwidth of 1-Gbit/s Ethernet was not up to the job. But if FCoE can solve those problems and deliver on its promises, it can yield significant consolidation and management benefits. Fibre Channel Over Ethernet: Extending FC Into the Future explains what FCoE is, how it works, what its benefits are, and how vendors are likely to implement the protocol into new and existing storage technologies. It also attempts to compare the advantages of using FCoE against other non-FC storage technologies, specifically Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) and InfiniBand, and explains where FCoE is likely to make inroads against them. This report provides critical data and analysis for a range of industry participants, including: Storage technology suppliers needing a deeper understanding of FCoE's potential as a challenger to iSCSI and InfiniBand SAN operators and enterprises seeking a clear, independent analysis of FCoE's costs and benefits for upgrading infrastructure Investors needing a better understanding of the scale of the opportunity FCoE presents Sample research data from the report is shown in the excerpts below: Table of Contents (bsi0208_toc.pdf) FCoE can be deployed in a variety of topologies, either as an addition to existing storage and data infrastructure, or as the basis of a completely new network in greenfield sites. Given most storage managers' preference not to completely scrap legacy equipment, the most common scenario is likely to see FCoE consolidating traffic in the network's access layer, with FCoE converged network adapter (CNA) installed in the servers and passing FC packets to the SAN and Ethernet packets to the LAN via FCoE-enabled switches. [click on the image above for the full excerpt] FCoE is intended primarily as a way to unify FC and Ethernet networks, but it may also have an impact on other technologies being used in enterprise SANs and data centers. [click on the image above for the full excerpt] Companies profiled in this report include: Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCDD); Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO); EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC); Emulex Corp. (NYSE: ELX); Finisar Corp. (Nasdaq: FNSR); Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC); LSI Corp. (NYSE: LSI); Network Appliance Inc. (Nasdaq: NTAP); Nuova Systems, Inc.; and QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq: QLGC). Other companies mentioned in this report include: Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM); Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ); IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM); Fujitsu Ltd. (OTC: FJTSY); Mellanox Technologies Inc.; NeoScale Systems Inc.; PMC-Sierra Inc. (Nasdaq: PMCS); Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW); Teak Technologies Inc.; Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. (Pink Sheets: VTSS); and VMware Inc. (NYSE:VMW). Total Pages: 18		DECEMBER 2007 SAS Beyond the Server This report provides an overview of the external SAS RAID array market – listing available solutions, assessing the vendors providing them, analyzing the advantages SAS holds over rival SCSI, SATA, and Fibre Channel products, and mapping changes in how SAS RAID arrays will be sold and used over the next year. READ SUMMARY Including table of contents, executive summary, and financial metrics OCTOBER 2007 Thin Provisioning & SANs: A Cure for Server Sprawl? This report provides a concise look at how thin provisioning compares with conventional technologies for different storage environments, focusing on SANs. It profiles vendors now offering thin provisioning solutions and provides a comparative analysis of their products, as well as an evaluation of how the industry will expand and develop. READ SUMMARY Including table of contents, executive summary, and financial metrics AUGUST 2007 Content Delivery Networks & IPTV Storage Strategies This report discusses the key vendors and service providers that run CDNs to incorporate IPTV storage. It examines the need for IPTV storage in the delivery ecosystem and the rationale for various operators to deploy different CDN strategies, along with the impact of these strategies on choices in IPTV gear. READ SUMMARY Including table of contents, executive summary, and financial metrics ANALYST Martin Courtney Martin is a veteran analyst in the storage sector and a regular contributor to Byte and Switch Insider. MORE Martin Courtney CONTACT AUTHOR ANALYST Tim Kridel Tim is the author of Cable Industry Insider. He has previously covered the wireless industry for a number of research firms, including Heavy Reading. MORE Tim Kridel CONTACT AUTHOR FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, EARLSWOOD MARKETING Simon Stanley Simon writes the Components Insider research newsletter, covering the latest developments in telecom silicon and subsystems. MORE Simon Stanley CONTACT AUTHOR "Provides content and insights not found within alternate sources. I look forward to each installment." - Anne-Marie Johnson, Market Research Manager, CNT "Looks very good; great content, too." - Ted Uhler, Product Manager, Dot Hill Systems Corp.