Promise Unveils SANLink Adapter for Thunderbolt Devices

PROMISE Technology, Inc. was showcasing the SANLink adapter for Thunderbolt-enabled devices, including Apple’s MacBook Pro, at NAB 2011 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Developed by Intel and brought to market with collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt technology supports the PCI Express and DisplayPort protocols, and delivers high-performance data services and high-resolution displays through a single, compact port.

The new SANLink adapter, available this summer, will offer expansion opportunities to a new generation of devices with Thunderbolt I/O technology. SANLink is a single cable solution to connect to a Fibre Channel SAN, empowering post-production facilities and creative professionals with faster access to resources stored on their SAN.

"SANLink is proof that PROMISE continues to innovate and deliver the best and most advanced storage technology to our customers," said Chi Chen Wu, president, PROMISE Technology. "SANLink brings speed and simplicity to the post production environment and offers the latest in technology with support for Thunderbolt I/O."

SANLink will provide a dual 4G Fibre Channel link that can be used to connect to external Fibre Channel storage or to an Xsan network. Each adapter features full duplex FC ports that detect connection speed and can operate independently at 1, 2 or 4Gb/s. SANLink is the companion to connect to the new VTrak x30 Series as well as maintain compatibility with the previous generation VTrak x10 Series.

SANLink Highlights
SANLink technology bridges two high speed technologies together, Fibre Channel and Thunderbolt interfaces, helping to bring the SAN to the masses. SANLink provides dual-ported 4Gbps Fibre Channel access allowing for redundant paths to the SAN.

• Outside the box thinking – With SANLink, connectivity is no longer tied to a single computer with a dedicated host bus adapter. Any computer with a Thunderbolt interface can attach to the SAN through SANLink. This makes SAN technology more accessible for groups with collaborative projects.
• Extend Thunderbolt port – SANLink provides two Thunderbolt ports enabling the capability to daisy-chain other Thunderbolt peripherals. The low latency, dual-channel 10Gbps bandwidth of Thunderbolt technology enables simultaneous usage of a daisy-chained display without sacrificing any performance of the Fibre Channel connection.