Network-storage processor targets SAN
By Nicholas Cravotta -- EDN, January 9, 2003
Astute Networks' Pericles network-storage processor for SAN (storage-area-network) applications combines a parallel-processor architecture with hardware-acceleration engines for handling protocols that maintain state information. The device can process at speeds as high as 10 Gbps. The hardware engines can accelerate storage protocols, virtualization, synchronous and asynchronous mirroring, snapshots, failover, and real-time traffic monitoring, and they can also handle proprietary protocols.
Current protocol support includes FCP, iSCSI, TCP, and SCSI. The device has two SPI4.2 interfaces and 10 RISC processors operating at 267 MHz. The user-programmable device supports CRC and more than 1 million simultaneous sessions. Pericles is available for sampling and comes in a 25×25-mm, 720-pin BGA package. Prices start at $600. A hardware-development kit is also available.
Astute Networks, 1-853-673-7700, www.astutenetworks.com.
