EMC Outlines Converged Networking Strategy

As part of EMC Corporation‘s comprehensive private cloud strategy, standardizing and simplifying data center infrastructure is a critical component for customers. To accomplish that, EMC is extending its strength in storage networking by delivering world-class products and expanded services for Ethernet-based storage, data centers and private clouds. With this new converged networks portfolio, EMC can help customers address key data center challenges, such as network sprawl, complexity and spiraling power and cooling costs.  

Virtual Data Centers Require Flexible,
Converged Networking Technologies
To maximize the agility, costs savings and improved quality of service associated with virtualization, organizations are looking to replace multiple separate networks with converged networks, single network infrastructures designed specifically for the needs of virtualized storage and server environments. As the leading provider of enterprise storage networking for more than a decade, EMC, with its world wide partner ecosystem, is uniquely positioned to help customers simplify this transition and gain the maximum benefits from their new converged network strategy.

Over the next several months, EMC plans to introduce:

• An expanded portfolio of converged networking services for Ethernet environments, including network assessment, planning, design and implementation services, supporting a range of protocols – including Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE), iSCSI and Network Attached Storage..
• An enhanced suite of tools to assist with the sizing, analysis, design and migration to converged networks.
• New Ethernet competencies for EMC Technology Solutions and Services personnel worldwide to better educate customers and deliver Ethernet-based networking and storage solutions.
• A full range of Brocade 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switch products.
• A data center system solution offering consisting of select Cisco Nexus 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switch products.

Charles King, principal analyst, of Pund-IT, Inc. said: "With enterprises leveraging virtualization more and more in their data centers, a new breed of robust network connectivity is becoming necessary. As a result, customers will look to those vendors who can put together packages that advance new IT strategies while also leveraging existing data center investments. EMC’s proven expertise and capabilities in delivering strategy, planning, implementation and management of end-to-end solutions for virtualized environments will help new and existing customers successfully move to the cloud."

New EMC Services for Converged Networks
Expanding on its current offerings around FCoE solutions and services, EMC is delivering new services and tools to help customers advance their IT networking strategies and transition to private cloud environments. These new services will enable customers to accelerate the planning, design and implementation of converged network solutions and provide higher levels of performance, availability and mobility for virtualized data centers.

These solutions allow customers to architect a dynamic data center, respond to constantly changing business priorities, support advanced network-based technologies, like VMware VMotion and Microsoft LiveMigration, and guarantee application performance and availability. In addition, EMC has developed advanced tools to help customers migrate their existing storage network infrastructure to a converged network, as well as size their environments to support replication and backup activities.

Howard Elias, President and Chief Operating Officer of EMC’s Information Infrastructure and Cloud Services, said: "Customers today are on their journey to the private cloud by virtualizing servers, networks and storage.  The advent of converged networks will simplify network challenges and create the data center infrastructure required to realize the full potential of private clouds. EMC’s leadership in virtual storage products, security and management solutions for virtualized environments combined with the upcoming portfolio of Ethernet solutions will enable EMC and our channel partners to give customers the needed ingredients to take their virtual data centers to the next level."

Later in 2010, EMC will offer additional services and solutions that leverage these next-generation technologies – including consulting and IT services, solutions reference architectures and technical training and certification.

Expanded Reseller Agreements with Brocade and Cisco
Beginning in the third quarter of 2010, EMC will offer a portfolio of 10 GbE switch products and solutions from networking industry leaders Brocade and Cisco, which are rigorously tested by EMC E-Lab.

EMC will offer a portfolio of 10 GbE switch products from Brocade that support FCoE/CEE. The new offering expands the full range of Brocade switches and directors as part of its long term relationship with Brocade.

Building on a longstanding relationship between Cisco and EMC, EMC will offer a system solution comprising EMC storage and a portfolio of Cisco’s Nexus Family of 10 GbE switch products that support FCoE/CEE. This integrated offering will provide customers with a proven solution for their data center infrastructures.

Ken Cheng, Vice President of IP products division at Brocade, said: "Virtualization and cloud computing are driving high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch adoption. This expanded agreement not only signifies the evolution of our long-term, productive partnership with EMC to meet this demand, but it allows our joint customers to reap the benefits of decades of combined experience in Ethernet, storage, and converged networking technologies. This joint expertise will help enable our customers to streamline their migration toward high-performance virtualization, data center convergence and private cloud infrastructures, while simplifying their operations, reducing costs and increasing business agility."

Edison Peres, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Partner Organization, Cisco, said: "Cisco and EMC share a common vision to accelerate data center virtualization and the transition to private cloud infrastructures. Creating an integrated EMC and Cisco Nexus Switch offering will deliver a unique solution and enhanced value to customers in their journey toward private clouds."