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| Level 5 Networks Unveils The First High Performance Networking Solution, Fully Compatible With Existing Data Centers: Ethernet, Applications, OS And Servers
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Level 5 Networks, a leading developer of high-performance server interconnect solutions, today unveiled EtherFabric, the industry's first low cost Ethernet-based solution designed to eliminate the server bottleneck problem prevalent in today's transaction-oriented businesses. EtherFabric(TM), generally available, offers the low latency and high CPU efficiency required to support the trends toward modularized data centers, also known as data center consolidation -- grid, utility, and on-demand computing -- as well as offering an excellent solution for high-performance computing markets such as bio-IT and oil and gas. To view the related funding announcement please visit http://www.level5networks.com/news_press.htm.
"EtherFabric provides CIOs what they need most," said Dan Karr, President and CEO of Level 5 Networks. "They want a low cost, easy-to-deploy performance boost to their existing environment that won't require them to rip out or replace wiring, applications or systems. With EtherFabric, we provide all that while doubling the server performance, effectively providing a free server with every network adapter."
Bob Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet and founder of 3Com, fully supports Level 5 Networks' innovations, stating, "Ethernet has obtained ubiquity by evolving to higher levels of performance while maintaining full backward compatibility. Level 5 Networks has adopted this time-tested approach of maintaining full system compatibility, and has created a solution that delivers great customer benefit. EtherFabric will stall the adoption of non-compatible solutions such as iWarp and InfiniBand."
This reduction in capital and operating expense is a direct result of EtherFabric requiring fewer computing resources from the host server CPU to transfer network data, while also enabling the communication between servers to occur more quickly and at higher speeds. This lets servers respond more quickly to client requests and get more processing done in less time, in sharp contrast to the high cost and complicated deployment of other technologies.
Data center managers have declined to adopt other technologies, such as InfiniBand or iWarp, to solve the performance and latency issues associated with data-intensive businesses because the cost and time involved in making wholesale changes to their infrastructures, along with the risk of betting on a technology that may never see widespread adoption, far outweigh the benefits.
EtherFabric upgrades every inefficient conventional Ethernet connection -- server-to-server, server-to-storage, and server-to-network -- with a next-generation low-latency, high-efficiency interconnect, providing dramatic benefits to every area of the data center. Additional features include:
- More than 2x CPU processing power -- Increases performance for all applications
- Up to 5x reduction in latency -- Improves application-to-application inter-server communication with sub-10 micro-second latencies between application instances on different servers
- 2x increase in bandwidth over conventional 1Gb Ethernet
- Provides improved bandwidth-bound application performance with unique port striping capability on a single TCP/IP flow
- 100 percent software (binary) compatibility -- Requires no new applications, middleware, protocol software or cables and switches, minimizing capital expenditures and disruption to the infrastructure
- Less than half the cost of other competing high performance interconnects -- Additional savings realized through reduction in operating and management costs
To obtain more information about EtherFabric, please visit http://www.level5networks.com/prod_etherfabric.htm.
Availability and Pricing
General availability of EtherFabric begins June 2005. High volume pricing is set at $295 for a 2-port, 1Gb-per-port EtherFabric NIC and EtherFabric software. Low volume quantities start at $495. For more information, visit www.level5networks.com.
About Level 5 Networks
Level 5 Networks helps Fortune 2000 companies maximize the return on their investment in data center hardware and software by enabling servers to respond more quickly to client requests and to get more processing done in less time. The company's EtherFabric is the only interconnect solution that provides high performance and complete compatibility with existing data center hardware and software infrastructure at less than half the cost of other high performance solutions. Level 5 Networks founding team members are world-class researchers in high-performance networking who built the world's fastest LAN in 2000. Level 5 has received a total of $39 million in funding from Accel Partners, Amadeus Capital Partners, Oak Investment Partners, and IDG Ventures.
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