Deploying Storage Area Network With Fiber Channel Transceiver

Customer Name: Amidata 

Industry: Internet Solution Provider

Company Size: 51-200 staff

Customer Voice: 

We need to update our storage network equipment and build storage solutions that are easy to configure and manage. As a data storage provider, our network requirements are high throughput, low latency, and a high-performance SAN network.

Challenge

Customers need this solution to seamlessly migrate directly into their existing storage network equipment and meet specific requirements for future expansion. As a small company, this solution needs to be considered both in terms of cost control and ease of configuration and management.

QSFPTEK Solution

QSFPTEK recommended 16G Fibre Channel SFP+ modules for the customer, and our engineers designed the network topology diagram for the customer as follows:

Customer Benefits

Fibre Channel (FC), which uses high-speed networking technology for data storage, has become a popular connection type for high-performance SAN enterprise storage, ensuring excellent throughput and low latency. This customer is a storage service provider, so the solution is particularly well-suited to handle large volumes of data for them.

The Fiber Channel protocol supports point-to-point (2 ports) and switched fabric (224 ports) topologies. For subsequent network upgrades, start with a single switch and expand by adding more switches as needed. The solution supports up to 16Gbps transmission rates and can be upgraded to 32Gbps or 64Gbps.

Also, the solution is low-cost, easy to configure and manage, and one of the more mature storage protocols available today. The fiber channel is transparent and autonomous regarding the protocols mapped to it, including SCSI, TCP/IP, ESCON, and NVMe. This set of solutions uses dedicated hardware for fiber channel switches, such as HBAs (host bus adapters). Customers can continue using their current storage network accessories and fiber cabling system without configuring additional hardware.