Qlogic SANbox2 SANbox2-64 Manual

CASE STUDY
University of
British Columbia
QLogic SANbox2-64 and
SANsurfer®Management
Software provide hope for
critically ill patients
Problem
A built-out SAN to open and read massive image files,
which can prevent life-threatening diseases, slows the
progress of an elite group of doctors.
Solution
Move beyond port limitations of existing Brocade
switches and install complete QLogic solution to
facilitate performance and growth.
Result
With QLogic SANbox2-64, SANsurfer Management
Software and SANblade HBAs,the research facility has a
state-of-the art SAN solution and satisfied physicians.
An innovative hardware-software solution is more than just a good idea at the
iCAPTURE Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia — high
technology plays a key role in saving patients’ lives.
So when Information Systems Manager Joe Comeau began closely examining
alternatives to his existing SAN, all paths led to the QLogic SANbox2 64-port
switch, SANsurfer Management Software and SANblade HBAs.
“After looking at all the vendors, QLogic just made the best sense,” said
Comeau, who has been IS manager at the hospital for nearly 20 years. “All
of the components are stellar. Plus, the people at QLogic have been totally
responsive at solving problems — even if an allnighter was involved.”
The Road To Physical and High-Tech Health
Life is, indeed, mission-critical at iCAPTURE — where a group of doctors
performs research in heart, lung and blood vessel disease. In the process, they
utilize state-of-the-art testing to investigate disease features and genes, with
the hope of finding cures for devastating disorders, such as cystic fibrosis.
Essential to iCAPTURE are disk space and how quickly that stored information
can be put in front of the physician. Prior to installing the new SAN, the
hospital lacked both with its existing 1Gb Brocade switch and eight Intel X330
servers.
“We just didn’t have the storage capacity to expand files on the fly,” said
Comeau, adding that he serves about 200 clients. “With our new SAN, that’s
not a problem.”
Total QLogic Solution Solves High-Tech Dilemma
The journey toward this new SAN began by contacting IBM — the hospital’s
preferred vendor.However,Comeau’s team found IBM-recommended switches
difficult to manage, as well as being limited in terms of scalability.
“After looking at all the vendors, QLogic just made the best sense. All of the com-
ponents are stellar. Plus, the people at QLogic have been totally responsive at
solving problems — even if an all-nighter was involved.”
Joe Comeau, — iCAPTURE Information Systems Manager

Corporate Headquarters QLogic Corporation 26650 Aliso Viejo Parkway Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 949.389.6000 www.qlogic.com
Europe Headquarters QLogic (UK) LTD. Surrey Technology Centre 40 Occam Road Guildford Surrey GU2 7YG UK [phone]
CASE STUDY
“IBM was pushing for us to buy a 40-port McDATA switch,” said
Comeau, adding that the QLogic cost-per-port rivaled McDATA. “But
with that solution, there was no room for expansion without buying
another McDATA switch.”
The decision was made to purchase a SANbox2-64, a switch that
combines the best features of edge and director hardware — high
port count, modularity, scalability and ease of use — and puts them
into one, low-cost switch.
Although the SANbox2-64 modularity is innovative, the essence of
the technology is proven, using the same tried-and-true ASIC as in
QLogic’s SANbox2-8 and SANbox2-16. “The SANbox2-64 is easy to
manage, disaster recovery is simple, and I’m comfortable upgrading
on the fly,” said Comeau, adding that he is currently using only 36
ports so future expansion is not a problem.
In addition to relying on 24 QLogic SANblade HBAs, the SAN is
managed by QLogic’s SANsurfer Management Software, which
controls the entire fabric through a common, graphical user interface
(GUI). “The software is easy to use and I installed it in 10 minutes,”
Comeau said. “It’s quite intuitive and makes it easy to work on things
such as zoning and back-up configuration.”
Other iCAPTURE SAN components include:
•Xiotech Magnitude — 5 TB of disk space
•IBM Fast T 900 — 4 TB of disk space
•2 IBM p Series 650 servers
•24 IBM Intel X 35 servers
•OS: AIX/Novell/ Windows 2000/WINNeX
•IBM 3584 tape library
With the cost of disk space being at an all-time low, Comeau believes
his new SAN is a smart investment. “Disk drives are less expensive
than buying new servers,” he said. “We can add disks on the fly
without a cross-fire link.”
Of course, at the end of the day, it’s the patients who benefit most
from high-tech advancements. Who knows? Perhaps some day, the
technology will transform a major hypothesis into a bona fide cure for
a crippling disease.
University of British Columbia
©2004 QLogic Corporation. All rights reserved. QLogic, Powered by QLogic, SANsurfer, QLA and SANbox are registered trademarks of QLogic Corporation. The QLogic logo, the Powered by QLogic logo, SANblade and SANbox2 are trademarks of QLogic Corpora-
tion, which may be registered in some jurisdictions.All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information supplied by QLogic Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable. QLogic Corporation
assumes no responsibility for any errors in this brochure. QLogic Corporation reserves the right, without notice, to make changes in product design or specifications.
SN0030935-00 Rev A 6/04