Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

	Issue TOC Print this page Print full article Download as PDF E-Mail this URL     In This Article Product of the Year Winners & Finalists By Category Heads Up Web Links

Product of the Year: Qlogic QLA2300

Why did we choose a host bus adapter as this year's Data Management and Storage Technology Product of the Year? Simply put, it's a standout. The QLogic QLA2300 exists in a market where the challenges to manufacturing a quality product are considerable in terms of both people-hours and standards interpretation. The QLA2300 boasts a well-thought-out, spare design that clearly attests to QLogic's commitment to interoperability and ease of use. QLogic's HBA exemplifies what a modern Fibre Channel HBA should be: a fire-and-forget device that loads properly, performs impressively, and doesn't cause any of the incompatibility headaches common in Fibre Channel equipment. We found this card's CPU-utilization rates the lowest of all the cards we tested, indicating superior driver implementation. BIOS-level information is set up so anyone, from the Fibre Channel newbie to the bits-and-bytes expert, can fine-tune the card. All these pluses coupled with an attractive price make QLogic's QLA2300 Fibre Channel HBA this year's undisputed winner in this category.

QLogic Corp., (877) 975-6442, (949) 389-6000. www.qlogic.com

Read the Article


Categories: Network-Attached Storage System | Tape Library | Physical SAN Management Software | Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter

Network-Attached Storage System

WINNER: MaxAttach 4100, now shipping MaxAttach 4300

Coming out at the head of the herd for low-end NAS devices, Maxtor's MaxAttach 4100 is powered by Microsoft Windows for Appliances and offers an impressive array of features usually found only on mid-range products. It sports an external SCSI connector for local backups, snapshot capability and dual 10/100 Ethernet NICs. A Gigabit Ethernet NIC is also available as an option. If your shop uses ADS, then this box is perfect; it will integrate directly with your directory structure. This little 1u NAS device is doing a lot to set the standard for low-end NAS devices.

Maxtor Corp., (800) 4-MAXTOR, (408) 894-5000. www.maxtor.com

Read the Article

Finalists:

• F810, Network Appliance, (800) 443-4537, (408) 822-6000. www.netapp.com

• ProStor 180, Network Storage Solutions (NSS), (800) 532-2224, (703) 834-2222. www.nssolutions.com

Tape Library

WINNER: Neo Series LXN4000

An excellent tape autoloader, Overland Data's Neo LNX4000 is also a good example of the progress made in tape libraries' size and ease of use. This rack-mount unit has a comprehensive, touch-panel menu system on the front that is laid out in a pleasing and logical manner. Its simple inside mechanism is clearly designed for optimum reliability. Plus, the logic for removal of the tape carriers minimizes recycle time. The unit has dual redundant power supplies, and the tape drives themselves are hot-swappable. Overland offers a variety of interfaces for both SCSI and Fibre Channel.

Overland Data, (800) 729-8725, (858) 571-5555. www.overlanddata.com

Read the Article

Finalists:

Packeteer, (408) 873-4400. www.packeteer.com

Physical SAN Management Software

WINNER: SANavigator 2.5

In the emerging market for solutions that provide physical SAN management, SANavigator offers some very useful tools to help administrators. It gives you SAN network visualization while providing useful data on congestion points. Even if SANavigator can't directly control your components, its interface can launch the appropriate vendor tool. The optional planning tool rounds off the product and gives you a handy way to plan and validate your next SAN upgrade or installation.

SANavigator, (408) 232-1000. www.sanavigator.com

Read the Article

Finalist:

• Vixel SAN InSite, now known as Softek SANView, Fujitsu Softek, (888) AT-VIXEL, (425) 806-5509. www.saninsite.com

Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter

WINNER: QLA2300

QLogic's QLA2300 is an excellent performing 2-Gb Fibre Channel HBA with all the features SAN managers are looking for. Easy installation and very good compatibility are the hallmarks of this card. QLogic's driver is very well written, which minimizes the amount of CPU utilization necessary to transfer block data. The card itself has a clean sparse design, as does the built-in BIOS, which contains an impressive number of settings for both beginners and advanced administrators. On top of all that, it's very reasonably priced.

See Product of the Year, Above

Finalists:

• ATTO ExpressPCI FC 3300, Atto Technology, (716) 691-1999. www.attotech.com

• Emulex 2Gb/s LP9002L Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter, Emulex Corp., (800) Emulex-1, (714) 662-5600. www.emulex.com