Features - Enterprise Data Insights:

THE SNIA SUPPORTS IETF'S APPROVAL OF IP STORAGE STANDARDS

The Storage Networking Industry Association's IP Storage Forum (SNIA IPS Forum) and its member companies announced their support for three pivotal IP-based storage networking standards recently approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). After several months of testing and solidifying the standards, the IETF IP Storage Working Group announced the approval of Fibre Channel over TCP/IP (FCIP), and the Internet Fibre Channel Protocol (iFCP) in late January, and most recently announced the Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) in early February 2003.

"The approval of these IP-based standards marks a significant milestone in the quest for interoperable, easily managed storage networking solutions," said Bill Lynn, SNIA IPS Forum co-chair. "The goal of the IPS Forum is to ensure customers have trusted IP-based storage networking solutions that allow them to maximize their existing network architecture. With the IETF's diligent work resulting in the recent approval of these standards, end-users and vendors can confidently step forward in developing and deploying IP storage solutions."

Pre-standard products for all three approved solutions have been available since the summer of 2002, and the SNIA IPS Forum member companies will begin to introduce an advanced array of products that support the new standards between now and fall 2003. The IETF-approved IP-based standards include:

• iSCSI: a means of transporting SCSI packets over TCP/IP, providing for an interoperable solution which can take advantage of existing IP-based infrastructures.
• iFCP and FCIP: the encapsulation of frames among Fibre Channel (FC) storage area networks (SANs) through gateways that are interconnected with TCP/IP networks. The distance capabilities of both standards address the need for disaster recovery, business continuance and SAN internetworking applications.

"With the arrival of these technically complete and accurate drafts of the iFCP, FCIP and iSCSI standards, we can finally remove the 'emerging' tag off of these protocols," stated Bryce Mackin, marketing chair, SNIA IPS Forum. "We applaud the IETF for their hard work and dedication in seeing these standards to their final form, and are excited to move forward together to further develop and refine the storage networking marketplace."

To usher in these IETF-ratified standards, the SNIA IPS Forum Governing Board will discuss the rapid development of IP-based storage networking during the upcoming panel presentation "The Future of Storage Networking" at the Spring Storage Networking World, April 14 - 17, 2003, in Phoenix, AZ.

For more information, please visit www.snia.org/tech_activities/ip_storage/.

About the SNIA IP Storage Forum

The SNIA IP Storage Forum (IPS Forum) was formed in 2001 to market and promote standards-based block storage networking solutions using IP networks. The Forum is currently comprised of three subgroups, including the Internet Fibre Channel Protocol (iFCP), Fibre Channel over TCP/IP (FCIP), and Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI). The SNIA IPS Forum continually provides white papers, educational materials, and interoperability and showcase demonstrations to help foster progress and collaboration among SNIA IPS Forum members, and also to drive awareness and support of the growing IP-based storage networking solutions. For more information, please visit the SNIA IPS Forum Web page at www.snia.org/tech_activities/ip_storage/.

About the SNIA

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is a not-for-profit organization, made up of over 350 companies and individuals spanning virtually the entire storage industry. SNIA members share a common goal: to set the pace of the industry by ensuring that storage networks become efficient, complete and trusted solutions for the IT community. To this end the SNIA is committed to delivering standards, education, and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. For information visit the SNIA web site at www.snia.org.