Emulex Optimizes and Scales Data Center Workloads with High Performance I/O for New HP ProLiant Gen9 Platforms

Emulex Corporation (NYSE:ELX), a leader in network connectivity, monitoring and management, announced a broad range of I/O connectivity solutions for the new HP ProLiant Gen9 rack and blade servers designed to support next generation workloads such as virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), big data analytics, and emerging compute architectures such as network functions virtualization (NFV) for telco and OpenStack or OpenCompute-based cloud computing. Leveraging high performance I/O connectivity from Emulex, customers can experience virtualization agility by scaling workloads and optimizing application performance of critical applications reducing the time it takes to migrate virtual workloads.

“The next generation of IT requires aligning I/O resources to specific workloads, and solutions that accelerate performance to fit the virtualization, application, and cloud deployments in today’s data centers,” said Shaun Walsh, senior vice president of marketing, Emulex. “The new HP ProLiant Gen9 adapters based on Emulex technology, provide high performance, converged 10Gb and 20Gb Ethernet (10/20GbE) connectivity that increases data center efficiency across a broad range of I/O intensive workloads, while matching the memory, bandwidth and performance of new HP ProLiant platforms, based on the latest Intel Xeon processor family.”

New HP FlexFabric 556FLR-SFP+ and 650FLB/M Adapters, based on Emulex OneConnect® Converged Network Adapter (CNA) technology deliver the following key benefits for HP ProLiant Gen9 environments:

• Improve Server Utilization and Scalability: HP FlexFabric 650FLB/M Adapters double Ethernet performance on blades delivering up to 20GbE, providing 2x the bandwidth for 30 percent lower capital expenditure (CAPEX). Emulex vEngine™ storage and overlay network protocol offload support improves CPU utilization up to 46 percent1, enabling heavier compute workloads and higher scalability with the ability to support more virtual machines (VMs) per server and build faster and more scalable hybrid cloud environments. Emulex vEngine, combined with the doubled core count and faster memory in the new Intel Xeon processors, allows customers to maintain CPU utilization thresholds and reduce CPU usage fluctuations while adding more workloads to each server. Emulex vEngine can also reduce server electrical power consumption by up to 50 watts1, which lowers the server power costs by up to 20 percent (based on average power consumption of 250 watts per server).
• Optimized Application Performance with Low-Latency Connectivity for Virtualization: All Emulex adapters are based on a common driver stack and management tools, eliminating complexity and network reconfiguration in virtualized environments, while enabling unified networking through protocol convergence, accelerating time to market and seamless deployment for customers’ next generation data centers. Additionally, Emulex has implemented RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), which can accelerate applications such as Microsoft SQL Server when using Windows Server SMB Direct, delivering application and storage acceleration through faster I/O operations.
• Amplify Performance and Improve Workload Scalability: HP FlexFabric 556FLR-SFP+ and 650FLB/M Adapters deliver up to a 4x boost in small packet network performance1, vs. previous generation adapters, which is critical for addressing today’s modern mobility, including transaction-heavy workloads such as telco, Web-scale and messaging applications. HP Virtual Connect modules including HP VC FlexFabric-20/40 F8, HP VC FlexFabric 10/24 and HP VC Flex-10/10D and HP 6125 Series Ethernet Blade Switches support HP FlexFabric 650FLB/M Adapters. Additionally, HP FlexFabric 650 Adapters allow multiple PCI functions in the form of FlexNICs. The solution is founded upon Flex-20 technology, based upon HP’s popular Flex-10 foundation enabling network convergence seamlessly.

“Today’s businesses demand IT agility with compute resources that easily scale workloads and optimize application performance of critical applications,” said Ray Nix, Manager, HP BladeSystem Product Management, HP Servers. “With the new HP ProLiant Gen9 platform, HP and Emulex introduce next generation 10/20GbE networking technology that not only offers next-generation converged storage and overlay networking offload technology but also delivers greater application performance and business outcomes in a mobile-first world.”

The HP StoreFabric SN1100E and HP LPe1605 16GFC HBAs, based on Emulex LightPulse® Gen 5 (16Gb) FC technology, offer more than 1.2 million I/O operations per second (IOPS) on a single port2, the highest level of Fibre Channel adapter performance available today, and up to 6x greater IOPS per port than the previous generation, enabling better storage performance for cloud and storage intensive applications. Power efficiency is also improved by delivering up to 4x better IOPS per watt of power as compared to previous generation 8GFC HBAs. Additionally, customers can now optimize application performance and accelerate deployment problem resolution with integrated support for Brocade ClearLink diagnostics technology within Emulex Gen 5 FC HBAs.

Emulex I/O connectivity solutions for new HP ProLiant Gen9 platforms include:

• Modular 10Gb and 20Gb Ethernet (20GbE) LAN on Motherboards (LOMs) (referred to as HP FlexibleLOMs) - HP FlexFabric 20Gb 2-port 650FLB and HP FlexFabric 10Gb 2-port 556 FLR-SFP+ Adapters
• Standup and Mezzanine 10Gb and 20Gb Ethernet Adapters - HP StoreFabric CN1200E 10Gb Converged Network Adapter and HP FlexFabric 20Gb 2-port 650M Mezzanine Adapter
• Standup and Mezzanine 16Gb Fibre Channel (16GFC) Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) - HP StoreFabric SN1100E 16Gb Dual Port FC HBA and HP LPe1605 16GFC Mezzanine HBAs

1. Based on IT Brand Pulse OCe14000 Performance Test Report, July 2014
2. Demartek Emulex LPe16000B 16Gb Fibre Channel HBA Evaluation, October 2012

Tweet This: .@Emulex Advances New #HP @ProLiant #Gen9 Platforms with High Performance I/O to Optimize Data Center Workloads http://ow.ly/CyZIJ

Follow Emulex on Twitter.

About Emulex

Emulex, a leader in network connectivity, monitoring and management, provides hardware and software solutions for global networks that support enterprise, cloud, government and telecommunications. Emulex’s products enable unrivaled end-to-end application visibility, optimization and acceleration. The Company's I/O connectivity offerings, including its line of ultra high-performance Ethernet and Fibre Channel-based connectivity products, have been designed into server and storage solutions from leading OEMs, including Cisco, Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, Huawei, IBM, NetApp and Oracle, and can be found in the data centers of nearly all of the Fortune 1000. Emulex’s monitoring and management solutions, including its portfolio of network visibility and recording products, provide organizations with complete network performance management at speeds up to 100Gb Ethernet. Emulex is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. For more information about Emulex (NYSE:ELX) please visit http://www.Emulex.com.

“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, contain forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or changes to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect any future events or circumstances. We wish to caution readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the possibility that our previously announced cost savings initiatives will not be realized on a timely basis. The assumptions on which the cost savings and related and capital return goals and expectations are based involve judgments with respect to, among other things, economic, competitive and financial market conditions and the impact of the cost savings initiative on our customers, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These factors also include the possibility that we may not realize the anticipated benefits from the acquisition of Endace Limited on a timely basis or at all, and may be unable to integrate the technology, operations and personnel of Endace into our existing operations in a timely and efficient manner. In addition, intellectual property claims, with or without merit, could result in costly litigation, cause product shipment delays, require us to indemnify customers, or require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements, which may or may not be available. Furthermore, we have in the past obtained, and may be required in the future to obtain, licenses of technology owned by other parties. We cannot be certain that the necessary licenses will be available or that they will be obtainable on commercially reasonable terms. If we were to fail to obtain such royalty or licensing agreements in a timely manner and on reasonable terms, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Lawsuits present inherent risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Such potential risks include continuing expenses of litigation, loss of patent rights, monetary damages, injunctions against the sale of products incorporating the technology in question, counterclaims, attorneys’ fees, incremental costs associated with product or component redesigns, liabilities to customers under reimbursement agreements or contractual indemnification provisions, and diversion of management’s attention from other business matters. In addition, the fact that the economy generally, and the network connectivity and visibility market segments specifically, have been in a state of uncertainty makes it difficult to determine if past experience is a good guide to the future and makes it impossible to determine if markets will grow or shrink in the short term. Continued weakness in domestic and worldwide macro-economic conditions, currency exchange rate fluctuations, potential disruptions in world credit and equity markets, and the resulting economic uncertainty for our customers, as well as the overall network connectivity and visibility markets, has and could continue to adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. As a result of these uncertainties, we are unable to predict our future results with any accuracy. Other factors affecting these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: faster than anticipated declines in the storage networking market, slower than expected growth of the converged networking market or the failure of our Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers to successfully incorporate our products into their systems; our dependence on a limited number of customers and the effects of the loss of, decrease in or delays of orders by any such customers, or the failure of such customers to make timely payments; the emergence of new or stronger competitors as a result of consolidation movements in the market; the timing and market acceptance of our products or our OEM customers’ new or enhanced products; costs associated with entry into new areas of the network connectivity and visibility markets; the variability in the level of our backlog and the variable and seasonal procurement patterns of our customers; any inadequacy of our intellectual property protection and the costs of actual or potential third-party claims of infringement and any related indemnity obligations or adverse judgments; the effect of any actual or potential unsolicited offers to acquire us; proxy contests or the activities of activist investors; impairment charges, including but not limited to goodwill and intangible assets; changes in tax rates or legislation; the effects of acquisitions; the effects of terrorist activities, natural disasters, and any resulting disruption in our supply chain or customer purchasing patterns or any other resulting economic or political instability; the highly competitive nature of the markets for our products as well as pricing pressures that may result from such competitive conditions; the effect of rapid migration of customers towards newer, lower cost product platforms; transitions from board or box level to application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) solutions for selected applications; a shift in unit product mix from higher-end to lower-end or mezzanine card products; a faster than anticipated decrease in the average unit selling prices or an increase in the manufactured cost of our products; delays in product development; our reliance on third-party suppliers and subcontractors for components and assembly; our ability to attract and retain key technical personnel; our ability to benefit from our research and development activities as well as government grants related thereto; our dependence on international sales and internationally produced products; changes in accounting standards; and any resulting regulatory changes on our business. These and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and are discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, under the caption “Risk Factors.”

All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.