GOLD: Brocade SilkWorm 3200 |
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By SearchStorage.com & Storage magazine editors
06 Jan 2003 | SearchStorage.com and Storage magazine |
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Gold Medal: NETWORKING EQUIPMENT
The Brocade Silkworm 3200 got the gold because it's an excellent switch for companies starting to move from direct-attached storage (DAS) to entry-level SANs. The eight-port SilkWorm 3200 is priced right (around $1,000 a port) and offers the performance (2Gb/s) that meets the requirements of a small SAN.
The 3200 supports Windows NT/2000, Linux, and Unix server clustering applications. It replaces legacy hub or loop switch devices, provides a highly scalable backend for NAS devices and serves as a stepping stone to enterprise-wide SAN deployment. It's the right-sized switch for implementing departmental and workgroup SANs. As one industry analyst put it, "Products such as the SilkWorm 3200 move the [SAN] entry price point toward the equivalent points of Ethernet networks."
The SilkWorm 3200's low port count doesn't mean cut-rate features, either. Quite the contrary, it includes:
Automatic sensing and speed matching between 1Gb/s and 2Gb/s on a port-by-port basis;
Brocade management utilities like WebTools and Fabric Manager simplify switch management;
The ability to upgrade to a full fabric through a non-disruptive software license key;
Features such as Inter-Switch Link (ISL) trunking, frame filtering and hardware-enforced zoning offer a high degree of SAN security;
Fully compatible with older Brocade products;
Command line or Web-based GUI management;
Call home, e-mail or pager notification
There are other eight-port, 2Gb/s SAN switches on the market. But none, in our opinion, offer all the management functionality that comes with the 3200. Brocade has raised the bar for entry-level SAN switches.
Networking equipment runners-up
Silver: McData Intrepid 6140 Director
Bronze: Emulex LightPulse LP9802 HBA
Back to complete listing of winners
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