IP Storage over 10 Gigabit Ethernet
By Force10 Networks
The term “IP storage” refers to storage networks that access data resources over IP/Ethernet rather than direct attached storage (DAS) devices. IP Storage is also an alternative to special-purpose storage area networks (SANs) based on storage-specific networking protocols, such as the fibre channel protocol (FCP). This paper highlights the unique advantages of IP storage over 10 Gigabit Ethernet and the different types of storage architectures that can take advantage of cost and performance benefits of high performance Ethernet. As 10 GbE infrastructure products continue to mature and ride the traditional Ethernet cost-volume learning curve, enterprise adoption of IP storage is expected to accelerate significantly. Over the last few months, the street prices of copper-based 10 GbE switch ports and adapters have dropped to near or below $1000, which means 10 GbE performance at price points that could drive rapid adoption in the marketplace. As prices continue to decline, adoption will increase dramatically, driving the 10 GbE switch market to worldwide market size of $4.6B by 2011, according to the Dell’Oro Group. The number of 10 GbE ports shipped is expected to grow at an annual rate in excess of 100 percent, reaching 12 million ports shipped in 2011. As the switch/router market expands, the 10 GbE adapter market is expected to grow to approximately $3B by 2011.
Find out how to use IP storage over GbE by downloading this paper.
