Fibre channel over Ethernet.
StarWind announces a release of the first-ever FCoE software initiator for Windows that will be offered for free. It allows servers to connect to Fibre Channel storage over standard Ethernet network.
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is an encapsulation of Fibre Channel packets over Ethernet networks. Especially useful on 10Gigabit Ethernet network where Fibre Channel can leverage the 10 Gigabit Ethernet network while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol.
FCoE maps Fibre Channel natively over Ethernet while being independent of the Ethernet routing scheme.
FCoE Initiator fully implements Fibre Channel-over-Ethernet client side protocol enabling you to connect to remote storage appliances such as those developed by Qlogic and Cisco. FCoE Initiator's FCoE (Fibre Channel-over-Ethernet) support enables connectivity to remote storage devices over a standard Ethernet network, regardless of where the device resides.
“In the Fibre Channel world today, there are various proprietary stacks from traditional hardware vendors that may create inflexibility and interoperability issues,” said Zorian Rotenberg, President and CEO of StarWind Software. “Our goal with this new software FCoE initiator is to make it easier for IT administrators at small and midsize companies to connect Fibre Channel to Windows servers through the existing Ethernet network rather than through the expensive Fibre Channel network and we are offering this choice and flexibility while offering the product for free.”
There is also PDF document available at Stawind Software Website:
“Using as FCoE Initiator” in PDF
Source: Starwindsoftware