Protocol Accelerator Gives A Boost To Network Performance

Seamless access to iSCSI storage at gigabit speeds is the moniker of the DPA-1400 accelerator. The DirectPath evaluation kit combines the DPA-1400 accelerator, drivers, and software tools to run the PCI-X card through its paces. Based on the company's proprietary TCP/IP offload engine, the DPE-1000, the card supplies both initiator and target modes for iSCSI and can terminate the TCP/IP protocol and the iSCSI protocol, depending on the software profile assigned to the DPA. The evaluation kit sells for about $1500, while the DPA-1400 board, in OEM quantities, goes for about $750. Also available from the company is the DirectPath DPA-1304 LAN-to-SAN bridge accelerator, which links Gigabit Ethernet LANs to Fibre Channel storage systems. Contact the company for DPA-1304 pricing.