Emulex Corporation (NYSE:ELX), the most trusted name in storage networking connectivity, today announced that the Emulex LightPulse(r) family of HBAs , including the latest 4Gb/s PCI-X and PCI Express models, are fully supported as part of the new VMware Infrastructure 3. VMware Infrastructure 3 is the next generation of industry-leading infrastructure virtualization software that virtualizes servers, storage and networking, allowing multiple unmodified operating systems and their applications to run independently in virtual machines while sharing physical resources.
Emulex HBA drivers are available and supported by VMware, beginning with VMware ESX Server 2. Customers deploying the next-generation VMware Infrastructure 3, that includes VMware ESX Server 3, may leverage both 2Gb/s and 4Gb/s HBA support, enabling top performance to support I/O-intensive, mission-critical applications. Additionally, boot from SAN capabilities, support for high-availability multi-pathing, as well as VMware VMotion-based workload optimization ensure reliable and efficient deployment ideal for demanding corporate data centers.
"The Emulex HBA architecture is uniquely flexible and features industry-standard APIs to ensure seamless compatibility with VMware Infrastructure 3," said Mike Smith, executive vice president of worldwide marketing at Emulex. "Virtualized systems make sense for many enterprises as a way to maximize server efficiency. With the overwhelming desire for SAN attach capability within server virtualization environments, it is important for Emulex to closely align with VMware to enable end users to continue standardizing on Emulex HBAs throughout their data centers."
Server virtualization enables end users to consolidate multiple applications onto fewer servers, reducing support costs, improving server utilization, and providing enhanced disaster recovery and application deployment capabilities. The need for networked storage increases as virtualized systems are deployed in scale-out configurations for multiple operating system instances running production applications. Networked storage is an ideal match for virtualized server environments because it enables application portability and highly reliable, consolidated storage access and resource management.
Emulex LightPulse HBAs leverage seven generations of advanced, field-proven technology, providing enterprises deploying virtual system technologies with the highest quality SAN connectivity solutions. With a unique firmware upgradeable architecture, common driver model, and centralized management tools for simplified installation and deployment, VMware Infrastructure 3 customers can benefit from the superior performance, reliability, and manageability that have made Emulex HBAs the most widely deployed in the world's largest enterprises.
Emulex, working with partners like VMware, continues to provide leadership in SAN connectivity and management for virtualized server environments. In October 2005, Emulex and VMware, along with leading fabric switch vendors Brocade, Cisco and McDATA, showcased its LightPulse virtual HBA technology, based on the N-Port ID virtualization (NPIV) industry standard. This technology allows virtual systems to use dedicated SAN resources to provide the foundation for enhanced SAN management capabilities. In March 2006, Emulex contributed its virtual HBA API to the VMware Community Source program to help drive standardization of SAN connectivity solutions for server virtualization environments.