Features - Storage Innovations:

MCDATA INTRODUCES SANTEGRITY AUTHENTICATION

McDATA Corporation, a world leader in open, ultra-high availability storage network solutions, has announced the first demonstration of SANtegrity Authentication and the management of advanced storage networking security features through McDATA's SANavigator. SANtegrity Authentication builds intelligence into the Fabric and enables customers to significantly increase the security of their storage networks. SANtegrity Authentication is based upon the interoperable authentication protocol, DH Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP), which after a unanimous vote by the Fibre Channel Security Protocol standards group (FC-SP), was mandated as the Fibre Channel standard for security in storage networks.

The demonstration at Storage Networking World (SNW) Oct. 27-30, in Orlando, Florida, is the first of its kind involving standards-based authentication in storage networks. It was developed with partners and leverages the best practices IT professionals use today. Furthermore, McDATA and QLogic will demonstrate the first inter-switch interoperability with advanced features, specifically CHAP security authentication, authorization, and management access control.

"Security in storage networks is not a product but a solution that fills a key concern that customers face today," Jamie Gruener, Senior Analyst for the Yankee Group. "Features in McDATA's SANtegrity provide end-users with real value and true open solutions because they leverage current best practices, are developed with partners, and are based on mandated standards. CHAP is a great technique for authentication because customers have deployed the technology today and understand how it works and how to manage it. Furthermore, since CHAP has been mandated by the IETF for iSCSI gateways end users can deploy one consistence authentication technique across their storage network today and leverage it as they deploy new protocols." McDATA's SANtegrity Security Suite is not only a security product, but is an essential customer-focused solution that leverages McDATA's leadership in providing enterprise-class, secure solutions. McDATA's SANtegrity Security Suite delivers to the customer the right balance of security technologies, best practices in enterprise wide storage security, and end-to-end tested solutions that enable security-conscious enterprises to improve business continuity, information confidentiality, and system and data integrity in their storage networks. McDATA's SANtegrity Security suite is easy to deploy and manage because it leverages the best practices companies are implementing today.

"By rallying behind a security standard, the SAN industry voted for the interests of the IT professionals," said Frank Berry, vice president of marketing, QLogic Corp. "QLogic's SANbox switches and SANblade HBAs will be shown at SNW with advanced security in storage networks, interoperable with McDATA's Directors, Switches, and SANavigator, providing the first demonstration of CHAP-based authentication for storage networks." McDATA and QLogic are working together, with numerous other companies in the FC-SP standards group, to create secure, interoperable storage networks. This is the foundation of the SNW demonstration, which leverages McDATA's and QLogic's commitment to quickly bring customer-focused solution to market.

"McDATA and its partners believe in interoperability in storage networks, especially with respect to advanced features such as security," stated John Kelley, CEO and president of McDATA.

This demonstration builds on McDATA's market leadership in Fibre Channel storage networking security, established with the launch of SANtegrity Binding in August 2002. SANtegrity Binding implements device access control lists at the port, switch, and Fabric levels to deliver high integrity fabrics. This enables companies to improve their return on investment, lower total cost of ownership, and simplify the management of their storage networks. Leading storage solution providers (SSPs) and the world's top enterprises have implemented SANtegrity features to ensure the highest level of security available today.

"SANtegrity Binding and SANtegrity Authentication, are two key components of the SANtegrity Security Suite, and have allowed McDATA to take the lead in storage network security today, ensuring business continuance goals are met by our customers," said Mike O'Donnell, Director of Software Strategy for McDATA. "SANtegrity provides a value to our customers that no one else has provided."

About McDATA

McDATA is a world leader in open, high-availability storage networking solutions and provides highly available, scalable and centrally managed storage area networks (SANs) that address enterprise-wide storage problems. McDATA's core-to-edge enterprise SAN solutions improve the reliability and availability of data to simplify SAN management and reduce the total cost of ownership. McDATA extensively pre-tests its solutions to provide IT organizations with the comprehensive tools, methodologies and support essential to robust SAN implementation. McDATA distributes its products through its OEMs, network of resellers and Elite Solution Partners. McDATA and the McDATA logo are registered trademarks of McDATA Corporation.