QLogic Network Fibre Channel Switch

Solve Your Storage Problems with QLogic Switches

If your storage requirements are always increasing, a QLogic fibre channel switch may be the solution to your problem. These switches allow users to share resources across multiple servers and to boost their overall storage capacity. You can find switches in a variety of options, from entry-level to stackable.

A fibre-channel storage area network (SAN) refers to systems that connect network storage devices to multiple servers at once. When a SAN is implemented, the data transmission between the servers and the storage devices is optimized. When setting up a SAN, there are many necessary components. Some of them include:

• Fibre channel nodes, such as host bus adapters and node ports
• Platform devices
• End devices, like storage subsystems, that are fabric-attached
• Essential device fabric, like switches

The fibre channel switch serves a specific purpose within the storage area network: it examines the header of each data packet, locates origin and destination, and sends the data to the desired system. When multiple switches are used simultaneously, you can connect thousands of storage ports and servers, resulting in an ever-expanding SAN fabric.

QLogic offers several switch options, such as:

• Fibre channel switch: The brand's standard fibre channel switch is designed for small SANs. These switches allow users to connect as many as eight devices with to single switch. They are compatible with all storage and adapters, and they can be deployed with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB optics.
• Fibre channel stackable switch: QLogic's fibre channel stackable switch options are designed to provide expandable transport for traffic. These switches are used as part of a stackable architecture, which means every switch has ISL ports that connect to other switches. This improves bandwidth while minimizing the necessary number of connections. When it comes time to expand the SAN, simply add another switch without disrupting the existing devices and cables.

The standard QLogic fibre channel switch options come with features like:

• Configuration Wizards: Each switch comes with a configuration wizard that makes setup fast.
• I/O StreamGuard: This feature provides stability for streaming applications.
• Easy expansion: To optimize expansion, each fibre channel switch is equipped with flexible transparent routing.
• NPIV support: This support is essential for virtualized environments.

The brand's stackable switch options come with features like:

• Transparent routers: This feature makes it easy to connect to a vendor's SAN.
• SANDoctor: This feature provides extra security for SANs.
• Preferred service: QLogic's 24/7 support line helps solve SAN problems.
• 20GB ISL bandwidth: 20GB of bandwidth can be accessed on demand.