EMC lights up San switch

Storage supplier EMC has launched the Connectrix DS-4900B, a Fibre Channel storage area network (San) switch.

With an architecture that supports up to 4 gigabits/second, the Connectrix DS-4900B aims to provide users with a cost-effective, scalable, single-domain system for addressing mission-critical storage and consolidation requirements in support of an infrastructure for information lifecycle management (ILM).

The switch is based on technology from Brocade Communications Systems and includes new capabilities for consolidating and simplifying management of San environments in large and mid-sized organisations.

Key features, such as 64 Fibre Channel ports at 4 gigabits/second in a 2U enclosure and Ports on Demand scalability, are said to result in a combination of high performance and port density with investment protection. Ports on Demand capability provides fast, easy and cost-effective scalability from 32 to 64 ports in 16-port increments.

The Connectrix DS-4900B is available with an optional feature set that includes Brocade Inter-Switch Link (ISL) Trunking that supports data path rates up to 32 gigabits/second in a single trunk and Brocade Extended Fabrics, Fabric Watch and Performance Monitor for increasing network performance. All four options are available in a single Enterprise Bundle. The Connectrix DS-4900B is available immediately from EMC and its Velocity partners.