Multi-Protocol, 6 Gb/s SAS/SATA Analyzer and Tester is a first claims Finisar

Additionally, the tool offers enhanced triggering capabilities, data tapping with nominal impact on signal quality, and a trace buffer of up to 16 GBs. These combined capabilities simplify both problem identification and resolution, reducing design time and improving time-to-market.

SAS and SATA are emerging protocols which replace older disk drive standards and are expected to grow into a multi-billion dollar hard disk drive market. SAS replaces Parallel SCSI drives and SATA brings
cost-economies to desktop and server-class disk drives that are extremely attractive. As networks become increasingly complex it becomes even more critical to ensure that mixed SAN environments operate in a coordinated and efficient manner. Introducing new protocols into existing Fibre Channel
SANs creates multi-protocol environments that increase network complexity and make it exceedingly difficult for developers to identify and troubleshoot problems.

The 6 Gb/s Xgig analyzer and tester allows developers to directly and easily correlate interactions among the leading storage protocols, enabling tracing of commands as they cross devices and protocols. Xgig's enhanced triggering capabilities capture traces throughout the SAN, providing a
wider correlation to facilitate more comprehensive identification and faster location of problem sources. Xgig then fine tunes the diagnostic information collected, resulting in faster problem resolution. Xgig can acquire SAS/SATA traffic with nominal impact on signal quality based on its
innovative data tapping technology, thus minimizing its intrusiveness on SAN operations.

We are excited to bring forward a break-through product that addresses every major storage protocol at every line speed, including the latest 6 Gb/s SAS/SATA standard, in a robust, unified platform, said Paul Hansen, vice president of marketing for Finisar. Competitive test platforms can
typically support only a single storage protocol at a time, requiring a separate analyzer for each protocol in use. This increases production costs and lengthens overall design and development cycles. Our heritage and expertise in high-speed serial protocols and more importantly, the ability
to support multiple protocols in a single platform, provides our customers with investment protection and a critical edge in today's competitive environment.

The Xgig storage test tool platform with 6 Gb/s SAS/SATA analyzer and tester is currently sampling.

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), the evolutionary replacement for parallel SCSI, is an enterprise-class storage standard providing high performance and durability and is expected to capture 35% of all hard disk drive (HDD) shipments by 2008, according to IDC's Worldwide Hard Disk Drive 2006-2010
Forecast Update. Serial ATA (SATA), due to its cost-effectiveness and compatibility with SAS, is becoming a key contender for enterprise applications and will ultimately replace ATA devices on desktop and notebook computers. SATA drives are expected to contribute 23% of the total
enter-prise HDD market by year-end with growth to approximately 34% by 2008. Cumulative worldwide drive shipments will exceed 3 billion units from 2005-2010, according to IDC.