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Vixel Announces New 20-Port InSpeed SOC

Vixel Corporation, a leading provider of storage networking products and technologies, announced recently that its new 20-port InSpeed switch-on-a chip (SOC) will be generally available at the end of March 2003. Prototypes of the new InSpeed SOC 320 are shipping and being tested by key storage OEMs.

The new InSpeed SOC 320 builds upon the success of the first generation of InSpeed technology, integrating new features such as trunking, inter-switch frame communication and built-in fairness to ensure equal access to all drives. These new features, as well as the 20-port count, make the InSpeed SOC 320 ideal for cost-effectively transforming traditional 16-drive JBODs (Just A Bunch of Disks) to ultra-reliable SBOD (Switched Bunch of Disks) based storage arrays.

At present, nine leading storage solutions providers are actively evaluating InSpeed SBOD configurations. To date, Vixel has signed Alpha agreements with four of these providers to formalize and guide the evaluation or implementation process.

"InSpeed is a field-proven technology and its benefits -- as well as the clear advantages of moving to a switched back-end architecture -- are well known. This is why industry powerhouses such as HP and Network Appliance have already implemented InSpeed," said Jim McCluney, Vixel's president and CEO. "The need we're addressing with the new InSpeed SOC 320 is making it easy and cost-effective for OEMs to move to switched back-end architectures by designing InSpeed into their next generation storage arrays. From the 20 port count, to the trunking and cascading features, to the inherent efficiencies in the way the SOC 320 enables storage enclosure services management, we've now delivered the pre-eminent SOC for creating next generation 16-drive SBODs."

InSpeed technology dramatically improves storage system Reliability, Availability and Serviceability (RAS) characteristics and increases I/O performance across all application types. As drive densities increase and users scale their systems to meet exponentially growing storage requirements, new points of system latency develop and the inherent risks associated with using shared bus connectivity in the back-end reach an unacceptable level. The InSpeed SOC 320 brings point-to-point switched connectivity to the individual drives in the storage array, enabling new drive-level diagnostics and preventative maintenance, and eliminating the single-point-of-failure risks that each individual drive poses to the entire drive shelf and sometimes the entire storage array.

"We have been proponents of the SBOD concept for some time now," said Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst at The Enterprise Storage Group. "The good news is that the power of the SBOD concept is well understood by most storage system designers by now. It has proven itself in terms of additional performance and reliability over the past year. The 20-port InSpeed SOC 320 should be well received by this community, given the need for a larger number of drives in the tray."

InSpeed technology can be implemented in root switch position (providing switched connectivity and isolation of drive shelves), by creating an SBOD (providing switched connectivity and isolation to individual disk drives) or, ideally, both drives and shelves are converted to create a "fully switched" back-end architecture. Fully switched architectures provide unprecedented levels of system RAS and I/O performance while scaling, and enable the full range of continuous RAS improvement programs. The new InSpeed SOC 320 was designed with new features and functionality to help streamline the design process for implementation of fully switched back-end architectures.

Storage OEM and Partner Quotes

"We have been testing Vixel's InSpeed technology in an SBOD, or 'Switched Bunch Of Disks' configuration, and we have found the resulting benefits to be quite impressive," said Tetsuro Kudo, director of 3rd Development Dept, Storage System Development Division of Fujitsu. "We believe switched back-end architectures offer users a number of performance and reliability benefits and we are strongly considering Vixel's InSpeed SOC technology."

"The HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array is a critical component of HP's ENSAextended strategy for delivering controllable, resilient and extensible network storage," said Pete Korce, business manager for enterprise arrays, online storage division, HP Network Storage Solutions. "Together with our partner Vixel, we have continued to deliver industry-leading price-performance with EVA Version 2. This, combined with EVA's exceptional capacity utilization and ease of management has established it as the ideal choice in the mid-range modular market."

"NEC has already used Vixel's InSpeed-based Model 315 to bring cost-efficient, high performance switching to our latest clustering solution offering," says Koji Iguchi, department manager of NEC CAS Division. "We are now evaluating the InSpeed SOC for possible inclusion into the back-end of our storage arrays. We believe InSpeed technology and switched back-end architectures offer useful benefits to both end users and solutions providers and we will be giving this technology serious consideration."

"LSI Logic is pleased to be the ASIC development and manufacturing partner for this second generation of Vixel's InSpeed technology," said Dave Jones, vice president and general manager of LSI Logic's Storage and Computing ASIC Division. "InSpeed and switched back-end architectures represent an exciting next step in the continuing evolution of the storage array. Vixel's choice to integrate 20 of our proven 1 and 2-gigabit fibre channel-compliant GigaBlaze SerDes should bring Vixel and their customers a significant advantage in the SAN marketplace."

"ADIC is excited by the gains that this kind of technology represents, and we are looking at it as a possible way of expanding even further the performance and reliability advantages that ADIC provides today in our storage networking libraries and connectivity appliances," said Jonathan Otis, senior vice president, Technology, ADIC.

"NEC's File Division has been testing Vixel's InSpeed technology and we see value in both the technology and the benefits of switched back-end architectures and SBOD configurations," said Yasuhisa Watanabe, deputy general manager of System File Products Division. "NEC and Vixel have enjoyed a long standing business relationship and we look forward to continued partnership efforts with Vixel."

"Vitesse is pleased to continue its relationship with Vixel in order to provide customers the highest level of performance and functionality for embedded Fibre Channel switch applications. Vitesse will market the 20-port IC as the VSC7197," said Bob Rumer, director of strategic marketing for Vitesse. "The reliability benefits that are derived from a switched architecture are becoming a 'must-have' feature in storage arrays. Our design wins for the 20-port IC are in standalone switches, RAID systems and SBODs where Vitesse's Enclosure Management Controller (VSC120) marries with the Fibre Channel Switch to provide unprecedented diagnostic capabilities."

"Nine leading storage vendors are now testing InSpeed powered SBOD configurations, underscoring the value proposition associated with this technology, the industry's acceptance of switched back-end architectures and the need for improved fault tolerance and serviceability in storage arrays," said Beth White, vice president of marketing at Vixel. "At present, Vixel is the only vendor offering embedded back-end storage switching technology."

InSpeed technology increases storage system availability and reliability by up to 20% and reduces the overall cost per MB of storage offerings and the occurrence of in-field servicing. For more information about Vixel's new InSpeed SOC 320 and improving storage system RAS and performance, please go to www.vixel.com.

About Vixel Corporation

Vixel Corporation is creating disruptive storage networking technologies that deliver easily managed, easily integrated, high performance interconnectivity at highly competitive prices. Vixel's award winning InSpeed technology is a unique switching architecture designed from the ground-up as an effortlessly managed storage interconnect solution. Optimized for the needs and price requirements of storage and server suppliers, InSpeed has been designed to overcome cost/performance barriers inhibiting broad storage networking adoption. Vixel is an industry leader in providing a new breed of embedded storage switch products that improve data access and availability to business applications -- regardless of scale. Vixel also offers a new generation of high-performance storage switches designed for businesses of all sizes that need affordable and simple Storage Area Networks (SANs). As a leading provider of SAN solutions, Vixel's comprehensive portfolio of technology offerings also includes multivendor certified solutions and Fibre Channel switches and hubs that deliver reliable, interoperable solutions to its customers and partners. Vixel products and technologies are used by major system suppliers including Avid Technology, BlueArc, HP, Lucent, Network Appliance, NEC and Sun Microsystems and are available worldwide through its network of value-added resellers, alliances and OEMs. Vixel is an ISO 9001 certified company.

For more information, visit Vixel's Web site at www.vixel.com. Vixel Corporation is headquartered at 11911 North Creek Parkway South, Bothell, Washington 98011 and can be contacted by phone at 425/806-5509 or e-mail at marketing@vixel.com.

Contact: Ed Luboja of Vixel Corporation, 425-806-4530, eluboja@Vixel.com.