Fibre Channel- caliber error recovery comes to SANs

The PyX solution consists of a client, PyX iSCSI Initiator, and a server-side application, PyX iSCSI Target. Together, the two technologies can be used to develop Storage Area Network (SAN) architecture over LANs, WANs, and the Internet.

iSCSI combines the high-speed SCSI protocol with the ubiquity of IP-based networks to deliver Fibre Channel-caliber performance for a much lower cost, PyX claimed. The company's iSCSI products employ multi-channel technology; should one transmission path fail, the system switches to an adjacent path to allow communication to continue.

The PyX iSCSI Initiator can be loaded on a PC, server, PDA, or other network-connected client. It initiates a storage session with any PyX iSCSI Target-equipped storage device, regardless of location. To protect existing systems and ensure storage-traffic integrity, the iSCSI Target separates traffic from the native storage protocol (such as Serial ATA, SCSI, or Fibre Channel).

PyX's iSCSI solutions are compatible with all 32- and 64-bit IP-compliant platforms and are available in Linux OS-compliant formats. Any off-the-shelf Linux server will work as a Target, a PyX representative said.

iSCSI Initiator and Target pricing is based on volume. With high-volume distribution, Target sells for as low as $100 per copy, a price that includes three Initiators.