Evolving business requirements underscore the need for high-density, high-speed, and low-latency consolidated networks that enable data center scalability and improve manageability while controlling IT costs. Data centers typically run multiple separate networks, including an Ethernet network for client-to-server and server-to-server communications and a Fibre Channel Storage Area Network (SAN). To support various types of networks, data centers use separate redundant interface modules for each network: Ethernet Network Interface Cards (NICs) and Fibre Channel interfaces in their servers, and redundant pairs of switches at each layer in the network architecture. Use of parallel infrastructures increases capital costs, makes data center management more difficult, and diminishes business flexibility.
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