Integrated IP storage services in a high -density form factor: The module supports eight 1- and  10-Gigabit Ethernet ports. Individual ports can be configured with hot-swappable shortwave and longwave Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) connections. 

Integrated hardware-based VSANs and IVR: The module enables deployment of large-scale multisite  and heterogeneous SAN topologies. Integration into port-level hardware allows any port in a system or fabric to be partitioned into any VSAN. Integrated hardware-based IVR provides line-rate routing between any ports in a system or fabric without the need for external routing appliances. 

Intelligent network services : The module uses VSAN technology for hardware-enforced, isolated  environments in a single physical fabric, access control lists (ACLs) for hardware-based intelligent frame processing, and advanced traffic management features such as fabric-wide QoS to facilitate migration from SAN islands to enterprise wide storage networks. 

Sophisticated diagnostics: The module provides intelligent diagnostics, protocol decoding, and  network analysis tools as well as integrated IBM Call Home capability for greater reliability, faster problem resolution, and reduced service costs. 

Comprehensive network security framework : The module supports RADIUS and TACACS+, FC-SP,  Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol, Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3) implementing the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), VSANs, hardware-enforced zoning, ACLs, and per-VSAN role-based access control (RBAC). RBAC provides separate control over management functions and access on a per-VSAN basis, enabling separation of duties among administrators on the same physical switch. Gigabit Ethernet ports support IPsec authentication, data integrity, and hardware-assisted data encryption. 

IP Version 6 (IPv6) support: The module supports IPv6 as mandated by the US Department of  Defense (DoD), Japan, and China. IPv6 support is provided for FCIP and for management traffic routed in band and out of band. 

## Integrated FCIP for remote SAN and mainframe channel extension 

Data-distribution, data-protection, and business-continuance services are significant components of today’s information-centered businesses. The capability to efficiently replicate critical data on a global scale helps ensure a higher level of data protection for valuable corporate information, and also increases utilization of backup resources and lowers total cost of storage ownership. The 24/10-Port SAN Extension Module uses the open-standards FCIP protocol to extend the distance of current Fibre Channel and FICON solutions, enabling interconnection of SAN islands over extended distances. 

## Advanced SAN extension features 

The 24/10-Port SAN Extension Module supports hardware-based FCIP compression to increase the effective WAN bandwidth of SAN extension solutions. The module can deliver compression ratios in the range of 4:1 to 5:1 over a wide variety of data sources. 

The SAN extension module supports AES 256 IPsec encryption for secure transmission of sensitive data over extended distances. Hardware enablement of IPsec helps ensure line-rate throughput. Together, hardware-based compression and hardware-based encryption provide a high-performance, highly secure SAN extension capability. 

Additionally, the SAN extension module supports FCIP write acceleration, a feature that can significantly improve application performance when storage traffic is extended across long distances. When FCIP write acceleration is enabled, WAN throughput is optimized by reducing the latency of command acknowledgments. 

