(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- As part of an ongoing collaboration, Cisco (www.cisco.com), NetApp (www.netapp.com), and VMware (www.vmware.com) have collaborated on the industry's first certified end-to-end Fibre Channel over Ethernet solution for VMware-virtual environments.

According to Cisco’s Wednesday announcement, this solution combines Cisco data center switches and NetApp storage FCoE solutions for end-to-end FCoE support, reducing the number of devices and cables needed and to drive data center consolidation, virtualization, and automation. Further, the combined solution has been validated by VMware to support VMware-based virtualized environments. This marks a significant milestone for the progression of the FCoE protocol, which promises to help more customers achieve greater data center efficiency.

Bob Olwig, corporate business development vice president of systems integrator World Wide Technology (www.wwt.com), the VMware certified solution helps its customers limit the complexity that comes with the typical jumble of cables, interface cards, and switches, which tend to cause frustration and headaches. “World Wide Technology is laser-focused in helping customers integrate disparate technologies in complex physical and virtualized environments,” Olwig said in a statement. “We are very pleased to be working with Cisco, NetApp, and VMware, which have delivered the industry's first FCoE solution that squarely addresses data center customer requirements.”

Cisco, NetApp, and VMware are currently the only networking, storage, and virtualization vendors to combine data center consolidation, virtualization, and automation in a jointly certified end-to-end FCoE solution that includes both FCoE initiators (such as Converged Network Adaptors) and FCoE storage targets. VMware validated Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches and NetApp FAS series unified storage support FCoE protocol in virtual environments running VMware vSphere. The solution has completed the VMware Hardware Certification Program testing criteria for use with VMware software and is now listed on the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide, with support offered by all three companies.

Representing the next progression of Fibre Channel networking and storage, FCoE for virtual environments is a key protocol in delivering a unified data center fabric and can provide significant savings by reducing the number of adapters, cables, and network infrastructure devices needed in a dynamic data center.

FCoE also helps customers achieve greater efficiencies by reducing space, cooling, and power, as well as offers greater, higher performing utilization of the data center networks.

According to Cisco, the validation of FCoE in virtual environments is the latest example of how lossless 10 Gigabit Ethernet is becoming the de facto building block for a unified data center infrastructure. With its support of FCoE, NAS and iSCSI on a single unified network with lossless 10 Gb Ethernet, this solution for virtualized environments helps customers consolidate their data center infrastructure for greater capital and operational expense savings, achieve more efficient management, and increase infrastructure agility and performance. 

Last month, competitor Brocade (www.brocade.com) introduced a range of converged fabric-based solutions designed to simplify network architectures by allowing users to transition to highly virtualized infrastructures. Developed on standards-based networking technologies, these solutions were designed to be open and highly interoperable with a wide ecosystem of computing, storage and software products, including the Brocade 8000 Fibre Channel over Ethernet Switch and blade, the Brocade NetIron MLX Series and Brocade Converged Network Adapters.

Comment anonymously or log into your WHIR account

• News: Q&A: Karl Pichler, Finance Director of EMEA, Rackspace
• News: Microsoft Hosting Exec John Zanni Joins Parallels as Vice President of Alliances
• News: Lincoln Property Acquires Data Center Brokerage Firm Rackhouse
• News: Open-Xchange Improves Usability, Social Networking Features
• Blogs: See you at the Tier 1 Research Hosting & Cloud Transformation Summit 2010