CONCORD, MASS. - Giganet last week announced new server adapters that promise to boost network performance when transporting storage data to network-attached storage (NAS) appliances.
The network adapters will use a technology called Virtual Interface over IP (VI/IP). The technology routes blocks of storage data using the message-passing Virtual Interface architecture and IP over Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet, effectively doubling application throughput and reducing server and network utilization by five times, the company claims.
Breaking storage news
The latest storage news from Network World.
In a typical VI/IP implementation, each server and NAS device would contain a VI/IP network adapter instead of an Ethernet adapter. Workstations would contain standard Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet adapters. The VI/IP technology would route storage data using Virtual Interface over standard Ethernet. VI/IP is interoperable with existing Ethernet networks.
Giganet has submitted a proposal to the Internet Engineering Task Force for publication and subsequent standardization of the VI/IP technology. VI/IP supports open storage network standards, such as the upcoming Direct Access File System (DAFS).
DAFS is a high-level protocol for file-by-file transfer of data across the network directly between client and storage memory. Like VI/IP, DAFS will increase network speed and relieve the system CPU of processing overhead. Based on VI/IP, DAFS is supported by Network Appliance, Seagate and Intel. Users should see the first implementations of DAFS-compliant NAS devices by the middle of next year.
The company's initial VI/IP product will be a 1G-bit Ethernet adapter for servers and NAS devices. It will be available early next year; pricing is not yet available.
Giganet:www.giganet.com
RELATED LINKS
Contact Senior Editor Deni Connor
Other recent articles by Connor
Details about Giganet's VI/IP technologyIncluding whitepapers and standard info.
IP storage cometh
Competing vendor camps move to define storage-over-IP net standards. Network World, 5/1/00.
SAN vendors joust over future of Fibre Channel
"Fibre Channel is dead." That was the controversial conclusion of one participant in a heated debate about storage-area networks over Gigabit Ethernet. Network World, 6/5/00.
Breaking storage news
The latest storage news from Network World.
