Virtual Instruments and the Splice Group Give FC Sans users unmatched visibility for better performance, capacity, and cost optimisation

Virtual Instruments, a leader in virtual infrastructure optimisation, today announced a technology partnership with the Splice Group, a European provider of leading-edge Fibre Channel management solutions designed to improve network resilience and speed of communications in datacentres. By combining the Virtual Instruments' SANInsight TAP Patch Panel System with the Splice Group's bespoke cassette systems, the two companies aim to simplify SAN monitoring for both tactical troubleshooting and more proactive performance, capacity, and cost optimisation, combining the physical layer and best practices for enterprises using Optical Distribution Frame (ODF) networks.

Rapid increases in the operating speeds and general complexity of constantly evolving SAN technologies, demanded of enterprise IT organisations, significantly increase pressure on the fibre optic physical layer and require a greater level of monitoring. Physical layer monitoring is the real-time identification of error, performance, and utilisation data via Traffic Access Points, or TAPs. Monitoring ensures the accuracy of the changes and ensures that they lead to the desired results.

Formed in 1991 Splice Group has 20 years of experience in the design, manufacture, installation, and support of fibre management systems. The Splice Group's ODF solutions provide customers with flexible cabling access, expandable frames, integrated cable management and a future-proof modular design. Splice' own vertical spool management units route and protect ODF fibres, working with patchcord units that control fibres as they exit from the Splice 2000 cassette. The modular cassette system can accommodate an extensive range of fibre types. The integration of passive devices such as fibre optic splitters is also well suited and it is this aspect that allows Virtual Instruments' TAP to integrate so effectively.

"Our customers have large-scale, complex datacentres and we endeavour to help them simplify this with innovative and intelligent cable management solutions," commented Andrew Varley, VP Business Development, Splice Group. "By partnering with Virtual Instruments we can offer our customers a new dimension in visibility of their network not only giving them awareness of the transmission methods they use but also a holistic view of their environments."

"Enterprises are demanding streamlined, low-physical impact solutions that can provide instant cost and productivity benefits. Adding deep SAN visibility and analysis into the Splice fibre cassettes answers this call for large organisations where the cost and management burden of complex SAN architectures are becoming increasingly painful," said Skip Bacon, CTO, Virtual Instruments. "For Virtual Instruments this partnership was an obvious step to take and we're delighted that the Splice Group is working closely with us to integrate our respective technologies."

Availability

The combined solution is available now in Europe, Asia and South America from the Splice Group and its resellers.