Emulex Provides SAN Connectivity for New IBM Blade Servers

Emulex 8Gb/s Fibre Channel Expansion Card Provides Increased Scalability and Higher Performance for Next-Generation IBM Data Centers


COSTA MESA, Calif., May 26, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emulex Corporation (NYSE:ELX) today announced that its LightPulse(r) 8Gb/s Fibre Channel CIOv Expansion Card is optimized for use with IBM's new BladeCenter HS22 Blades. Using the Emulex LPe1205-CIOv (IBM part number 46M6140), IBM can offer blade server users dramatically increased dual-channel I/O throughput and CPU efficiency, translating into increased performance and reduced power consumption.

"Blade server popularity is a -- if not the -- key factor driving data center evolution, and Emulex is at the forefront, providing connectivity solutions that support these next-generation IT environments," said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of business development, Emulex. "By leveraging our 8Gb/s Fibre Channel adapter technology for its new HS22 Blade, IBM can provide customers with higher bandwidth, throughput and scalability needed to effectively and efficiently manage their blade server environments."

Emulex 8Gb/s Fibre Channel HBAs feature enterprise scalability and flexibility through support for Message-Signaled Interrupts eXtended (MSI-X), offering end users greater CPU efficiency, reduced system latency and improved I/O throughput -- all of which contribute to increased blade server performance and reduced power consumption in the HS22 Blade. Additional key features and benefits of leveraging Emulex technology for IBM's new BladeCenter solutions include:


 * The Emulex LPe1205-CIOv utilizes the CIOv slot on HS22 -- the
   preferred slot for optimal scalability and performance in storage
   area network (SAN) infrastructures -- and does not require the
   added cost and complexity of a Multi-Switch Interconnect Module
   (MSIM) for IBM BladeCenter.
 * The expansion card is also optimized for use with the Intel(r)
   Xeon(r) processor 5500 series, which is installed on all IBM HS22
   Blades. To maximize I/O bandwidth, data center servers based on the
   Intel Xeon processor 5500 series can leverage the Emulex LPe12000
   family of 8Gb/s Fibre Channel HBAs to achieve the highest
   dual-channel I/O throughput and CPU efficiency, translating into
   increased performance and reduced power consumption.
 * Emulex HBAs extend across the wide range of operating systems that
   IBM offers -- including Windows, Linux, and VMware -- thereby
   lowering administrative costs and speeding server deployment.

"Our IBM BladeCenter HS22 offer customers yet another innovation and a true alternative to today's sprawling racks and overheated server rooms," said Alex Yost, vice president, IBM Systems & Technology Group. "Emulex's 8Gb/s Fibre Channel CIOv Expansion Card provides the critical SAN connectivity and support needed in our new blade solution, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with Emulex on delivering best-in-class technology that enables customers to easily migrate to our blade server environments."

Emulex HBAs provide bandwidth that supports more virtual machines (VMs) per server than other solutions, as well as comprehensive virtualization capabilities with support for N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) and Virtual Fabric that enable users to leverage SAN management tools and best practices at the VM level. They are managed using HBAnyware(r), a secure, automated and centralized enterprise management platform that can be used to seamlessly deploy and manage Emulex HBAs in virtualized or non-virtualized server environments.

Emulex LightPulse HBAs and expansion cards are supported across a range of IBM solutions, including System x Servers and Power Servers.

Tags/keywords: Emulex, IBM, BladeCenter, HS22, blades, Fibre Channel, HBA, MSI-X, expansion card, virtualization, CPU efficiency, HBAnyware, CIOv

For more information on Emulex connectivity solutions for IBM, please visit: http://www.emulex-ibm.com/

To learn more about Emulex, please visit: http://www.emulex.com

About Emulex

Emulex is the leader in converged networking solutions for the data center. Our Connectivity Continuum architecture provides intelligent networking services that transition today's infrastructure into tomorrow's unified network ecosystem. Emulex provides a single framework that intelligently connects every server, network and storage device within the data center. Through strategic collaboration and integrated partner solutions, Emulex provides its customers with industry leading business value, operational flexibility and strategic advantage. Emulex is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:ELX) and has corporate headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. News releases and other information about Emulex Corporation are available at http://www.emulex.com.

The Emulex Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1744

Emulex Safe Harbor Statement

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. The company wishes to caution readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those factors include the rapidly changing nature of technology, evolving industry standards and frequent introductions of new products and enhancements by competitors; fluctuation in the growth of Fibre Channel and IP markets; changes in economic conditions or changes in end user demand for technology solutions; fluctuations or delays in customer orders; the highly competitive nature of the markets for Emulex's products; Emulex's ability to gain market acceptance for its products; the company's ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the company's reliance on third-party suppliers. These and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are also discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its recent filings on Forms 8-K, 10-K and 10-Q. All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.


            

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