The VirtuaLUN and GargantuLUN devices from SANBlaze Technology enable storage developers and OEMs to test their products in a simulated environment; i.e., the devices provide simulated and configurable virtual storage targets and/or initiators that can be run against the OEM's gear/wares to test product functionality in a variety of simulated environments. In other words, an HBA manufacturer could, for example, test their product's ability to write to/read from thousands of simulated LUNs without requiring actual racks of physical disk or tape drives; while a manufacturer of RAID arrays could blast their enclosures from simulated initiators without requiring racks of physical computers. And director-class switch manufacturers could insert their gear between simulated initiators and simulated targets without requiring actual physical components (beyond the VirtuaLUN/GargantuLUN appliances themselves, of course) on either side of the communications.

The devices can be configured via a Web-based GUI that allows both for the definition and saving (for instant recall) of virtual test environments. A CLI is also available--with all the capabilities of the GUI--for script-based or other types of direct access. Both Target Emulation and Initiator Emulation (known as SANBlazter) features are available from the vendor (customers purchase the technology they need), both of which run on the VirtuaLUN / GargantuLUN devices. Testing features include the ability to define each port on the system individually as either an initiator or a target (assuming licenses for both technologies were purchased), with its own specific characteristics including communication speeds, latencies, the ability to emulate a specific vendor's device, or the ability to predictably introduce errors into the traffic stream from either side of the communications. Some of the supported error conditions that can be introduced include bad CRCs, read/write overruns, filled queues, and more.

Multiple systems can be combined and configured and/or tests run from a central console.

Four primary versions of the testing appliances are currently offered by the vendor:

- VirtuaLUN4G: A 1U appliance with support for 2 or 4 FC ports running at 1, 2, or 4 Gb/sec. Ports can be configured in one of three ways: A single target per port (where each target can support the definition of up to 512 virtual LUNs); 16 targets per port (each target can support the definition of up to 30 virtual LUNs); or 125 targets per port, with each target supporting the definition of up to 4 virtual LUNs.

- SAS VirtuaLUN: A 1U offering with 8 or 12 SAS ports (1.5 or 3 Gb/sec) supporting two port configuration modes: Where each Phy is a single target with up to 60 LUNs per target; or where each Initiator is a single target with up to 60 LUNs per.

- VirtuaLUN8: The newest entry in the line, a 1U or 2U appliance supporting 2, 4, 8, or 10 ports operating at 2, 4, or 8 Gb/sec speeds. Ports can be configured in 3 ways: 1 target per port and up to 512 LUNs per target; 2-16 targets per port and up to 30 LUNs per target; or 65 targets per port and up to 4 LUNs per target.

- GargantuLUN: A 3U box similar in features to the VirtuaLUN 4G but offering 12 or 24 ports and 16 or 32 GB of memory.

The VirtuaLUN/GargantuLUN products are available now; pricing begins at $25,000 for a base configuration and can be up to $85,000 depending on port count and system memory options.

Visit the SANBlaze Technology Web site for further information.