networkZONE Products for the week of March 22, 2004
Galazar Networks Says…
Galazar's SAN-Over-SONET Mapper Supports GFP-T, Adds
Storage Area Networking Device To SONET/SDH Line Cards
Galazar Networks Inc. has introduced the MDX251, a multi-protocol
Storage Area Networking (SAN) mapper for next-generation SONET/SDH applications.
The MDX251 joins Galazar's existing, successful product family of Ethernet over SONET/SDH (EoS) framers. The MDX251 is ideal for multi-service line cards that offer services such as Fibre Channel, FICON, ESCON, or Gigabit Ethernet.
"With carriers focused on deploying new, revenue generating services over the existing SONET/SDH network, equipment vendors are working closely with Galazar to extend their success in Ethernet over SONET (EoS) into the SAN services market," said Richard Deboer, CEO, Galazar Networks. "The MDX251 enables our customers to leverage their investments across a common hardware and software platform for universal line cards capable of supporting any SAN or Ethernet service."
The MDX251's target applications include SAN services cards for SONET/SDH ADMs, MSTPs, CPE/CLE terminals or Metro Core switches. SAN traffic, such as Fibre Channel, FICON, ESCON, or Gigabit Ethernet, is encapsulated using Transparent Generic Framing Procedure (GFP-T) and mapped to an OIF compliant SPI-3 interface for connection to SONET/SDH framers supporting GFP-F, Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) such as Galazar's industry leading MSF250 and DSF250 framers.
When combined with Galazar's existing framer devices, the MDX251 leverages
next generation SONET/SDH features such as LCAS, GFP, Low Order and High
Order Virtual Concatenation. Galazar's framers are the world's first devices
to simultaneously support mixed High Order (STS/VC paths) and Low Order
(VT/VC paths) Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) with LCAS. These features increase
a carrier's service offerings and revenues from the existing infrastructure.
analogZONE Says . . .
My visit to Galazar's home base in Kanata, ON this week uncovered a rather nice extension chip that adds support for most storage area network (SAN) protocols to the MSF250, the first commercial device to support the new virtual concatenation (VCAT) protocol (reviewed here in September of 2002). I had been eager to catch up with them since Galazar has been an active and productive participant in developing the "holy trinity" of LCAS, VCAT and GFP standards that promise to give SONET networks much more flexibility for efficiently encapsulating IP, Ethernet, and other non-TDM protocols. The MDX51 goes one step further and uses the "transparent mode" of GFP to simply encapsulate FibreChannel, or darned-near any other storage protocol within a GFP-formatted SONET frame. It's currently a "bolt-on" device at the moment but with the growth in distributed networks and an increasing reliance on remote storage, I suspect that we'll see sufficient volume of sales to justify the expense of developing a chip that integrates this with a framer.
Given the conscientious job that Galazar has done on its earlier devices, I expect that this mapper will come to market on time and work as advertised. This stands in stark contrast to a competing company whose VCA T products took six or more months beyond its introduction, and multiple design spins to get the thing to work properly. This same company is also responsible for a frivolous lawsuit that was launched against Galazar (it was finally dropped last week) in what appeared to be an attempt to delay their product roll-out and to gain access to some of their key IP. I am very embarrassed I gave them such a low vapor index (saltshaker) rating in my June 2002 and Feb 2003 reviews, but I based my opinion on their previous good track record. The company's delivery of products which don't match claims and this sort of mean-spirited legal tactic will probably add a saltshaker or two to their product reviews until I'm convinced that they have changed their ways.
The MDX251 will sample in Q2 2004. Datasheets and software drivers are available now, and pricing will be $200 in 5-k piece lots.
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