QLogic announced that its 8200 Series 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) converged network adapters (CNAs) and 3200 Series 10-GbE intelligent network adapters have been tested and certified as fully interoperable with Alcatel-Lucent's OmniSwitch product family, an integral part of the Alcatel-Lucent Application Fluent Network (AFN). Alcatel-Lucent says its AFN scheme is designed "to understand the unique requirements of each application, user, device and conversational context to automatically adapt the network to ensure optimal performance."
The QLogic 8200 and 3200 Series adapters, combined with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch products, will support storage and data networking over 10-GbE. By evolving and transforming technologies deployed in the data center, the two companies say they seek to make it easier for organizations to build more efficient networks and deliver the cost benefits of a converged network infrastructure to administrators, including improved asset use, enhanced performance and flexibility.
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QLogic says its 10-GbE network adapters combined with Alcatel-Lucent switches deliver a cohesive infrastructure that is fully compatible and interoperable with a broad range of networking and storage environments. Together with QLogic's next-generation server I/O virtualization technologies -- including simultaneous, multiprotocol processing and QLogic's patented NIC Partitioning (NPAR) method of dividing a physical NIC into partitions or virtual ports -- the combined solution makes it easier to build more efficient and flexible networks, the companies claim.
"Today's applications require data center solutions that deliver new levels of performance, scalability and flexibility," comments Amit Vashi, vice president of marketing, Host Solutions Group, QLogic. "QLogic adapters excel in dense computing and high-performance virtualized environments and deliver advanced virtualization services that make them highly suitable for Alcatel-Lucent deployments."
With wire-speed performance, QLogic says its network adapters are designed to address the increasingly complex requirements of virtualized data centers, cloud service providers and the converged enterprise. All of these environments require 10GbE line-rate throughput for virtualized data traffic and low CPU utilization.
"Data center administrators face ongoing business challenges that are made worse by shrinking IT budgets. They are focused on improving asset use to enhance performance and flexibility while reducing costs," adds Dave Fortini, director of strategic alliances, Enterprise Networks Group, Alcatel-Lucent. "The Alcatel-Lucent AFN Mesh and QLogic adapters simplify operations and future-proof IT investments by delivering a lossless 10-Gigabit Ethernet fabric for the next-generation data center. This simplified, converged network enables IT administrators to consolidate resources and deliver services more quickly in a standardized manner."
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