As their name implies, the IPBridge appliances from ATTO Technology provide the ability to bridge existing SCSI or Fibre Channel resources to iSCSI SANs. Several devices are available in the product line, differing primarily in the number of iSCSI (Gig Ethernet) ports available, number of SCSI/FC ports available, and form factor. Target uses include iSCSI access to external SCSI drives or FC drives, or the interconnection of FC and iSCSI SANs.

Four primary models of the device are available: The 1500, 1550, 2600, and 2700. All include the vendor's ExpressNAV management software, a browser based GUI that provides remote configuration, management and diagnostic capabilities; as well as serial-based connectivity and management. Additionally, each device features the vendor's SpeedWrite technology, which queues outstanding write commands for enhanced throughput.

The 1500 device is a one-to-one SCSI desktop format bridging device with a single GigE port and a single LVD Ultra160 SCSI interface. Data transfers take place at a clip of 37 MB/sec.

The 1550 is available in both desktop and emdedded (internal board) formats, and also boasts a single GigE port and single Ultra160 SCSI port. Beyond the 1500's feature set, the 1550 additionally boasts RoHS compliance (as do all of the following higher model numbers) and near wire speed sustained throughput.

The 2600 model is available in a 1U desktop/rackmountable or embedded format (4U cPCI) and includes 4 GigE ports and 2 Ultra320 SCSI ports for connections. In addition to their expanded port configurations, the 2600s add VLAN and ACL support, as well as supporting intermix transfers and support for direct fabric connections. Throughput is also listed at near wire speed (120MB/sec per GigE port).

Finally, the top of the line 2700 model is also available in a 1U desktop/rackmount or 4U cPCI embedded format, and includes 4 GigE ports and a pair of 4 Gb/sec FC (SFP) ports for connections. Full duplex data transmissions are supported at a clip of up to 120MB/sec per GigE port.

New to the IPBridge product line is a firmware update that the vendor states will provide a wizard-based configuration utility, and, in the 2700 model only, "ExpressFairness" technology that seeks to ensure that each host receives a "fair" amount of bandwidth in multi-host environments.

IPBridge is available now. Visit the vendor's Web site for further information.