Breaking News -
Networking:
Silverback Ethernet Port Delivers
Breakthrough Performance
Validating its commitment to accelerating the adoption of IP storage,
Silverback Systems has announced a breakthrough benchmark of 92,000 IOPS (I/Os
per second) per single port, using its dual-port iSNAP 2100 (Storage Network
Access Processor). This verifiable benchmark, the first by any storage silicon
vendor, demonstrates iSCSI performance for database and OLTP traffic.
"With numbers like these, the iSCSI naysayers best look for a new
technology
to pick on. If Silverback can continue to deliver this kind of performance,
iSCSI adoption won't be a question of why, but when," said Steve Duplessie,
founder and senior analyst, Enterprise Storage Group, Milford, MA.
This performance metric was reached by using the Iometer benchmark
developed
by Intel Corp. Iometer is an analysis tool for servers that measures I/O
performance while stressing the system with a controlled workload. The
benchmark is even more impressive when compared to recent FibreChannel HBA
(host bus adapter) announcements of 60-90K IOPS per port. Silverback has
demonstrated that iSCSI can deliver industry-leading IOPS.
"This performance result will help validate iSCSI's role in networking
storage
traffic," said Jag Bolaria, senior analyst, Linley Group. "This is the first
time that an iSCSI silicon vendor has shown performance that can handle OLTP
traffic profiles."
Two other recent developments also support the acceleration of iSCSI
adoption.
First is the ratification by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) of the
iSCSI specification in February. Second is Microsoft's March 12 announcement
of iSCSI support in their operating systems in cooperation with independent
hardware vendors (IHVs), including Silverback Systems.
While the market opportunity and value proposition of IP Storage is clearly
robust, the right kind of technology needed to unlock the potential of IP-
based SANs has been missing, until now. That potential has been unlocked with
the appearance of a new kind of a processor specifically dedicated to storage
networking applications.
iSNAP is a turnkey solution in hardware and software, enabling combinations
of
TOE, iSCSI initiator and target functionality, and allowing customers to focus
on applications and proprietary value added.
It processes packets, full TCP/IP connections as well as ULPs (upper layer
protocols) such as iSCSI, providing protocol processing, bookkeeping and
management for all layers of the OSI networking model. iSNAP's ability to
recognize ULP's enables it to accelerate NAS and other protocols significantly
beyond any currently available, TOE-only implementation.
The iSNAP 2100 provides optimized implementation of TCP/IP and ULP through
selectively mapping the protocol into hardware, programmable state machines
and firmware. Data center robustness is provided by fail-over support, data
and storage network separation and patented memory protection algorithms.
About the company
Silverback Systems, Inc., designs and markets i SNAP (storage network
access
processors) accelerating the adoption of IP storage networking. The company is
based in Campbell, CA, with a design center in Rochester, MN. Financial
backing has been received from Gemini Israel Fund, JP Morgan Partners, Newbury
Ventures, Pitango Venture Capital and U.S. Trust Private Equity Capital.
Web site: www.silverbacksystems.com
|
