Spirent Communications introduces SmartFabric for fiber channel storage area networks
Spirent Communications, a wholly owned business group of Spirent plc. (NYSE:SPM), introduced a new test suite that provides an easy-to-use interface for configuring, generating, and analyzing traffic used to measure the performance of storage networking infrastructure equipment, including Fibre Channel switches, fabrics, emerging Fibre Channel-over-IP (FCIP) gateways, and DWDM systems. The new SmartFabric software tool works with the company's award-winning SmartBits Fibre Channel modules and SmartBits chassis to emulate hundreds of attached devices per test port, thereby reducing the need for complex test environments.
As Fibre Channel-based Storage Area Networks (SANs) continue to grow in popularity and size, the storage networking industry is increasingly becoming more concerned with having efficient ways to easily measure the functionality, performance, and scalability of SAN equipment and fabrics. Such needs require a Fibre Channel performance analysis tool, such as SmartFabric, that provides sophisticated, repeatable traffic generation and analysis capabilities. Also, as disaster recovery and remote backup applications drive the merger of storage networking technologies with optical and IP networking, manufacturers and implementers are demanding methods of measuring how well these disparate technologies operate together.
SmartFabric increases testing productivity by allowing users to set up multiple flows of Fibre Channel frames to simulate storage traffic and measure device forwarding rates, latency, latency distribution, delivery and frame loss. Test results are then generated in a tabular form for quick report preparation. SmartFabric provides detailed analysis of the impacts of credit-based flow control mechanisms across individual SAN switches or large-scale storage networks.
Specifically, SmartFabric supports full line-rate traffic generation and analysis at 1 and 2 Gbps, up to 192 ports simultaneously, generates up to 512 independent data streams and analyzes up to 64K streams, supports point-to-point and loop topologies, performs loop initialization, fabric login, and name server registration for one or many devices, and emulates up to 126 devices on a loop.
Spirent Communications' SmartBits SmartFabric will be available in August for a U.S. list price of $3,995.
About Spirent Communications:
Spirent Communications provides solutions that enable customers to accelerate the development, deployment and assurance of next-generation network equipment and services worldwide. For more information, visit www.spirent.com.