JNI Announces X8 Fibre Channel Architecture for Next Generation 1-2-4Gb and 10Gb Controllers and HBAs.

Business Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 2003

JNI's X8 architecture will give SAN customers scalability to 10Gb

and the freedom to choose 1-2-4Gb fabric speed based on business

requirements

JNI(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:JNIC), a leading supplier of storage networking host bus adapters (HBAs), today announced the JNI X8(TM) architecture that will be the foundation of its next generation Fibre Channel controllers and HBAs.

10 gigabits per second (10Gb) Fibre Channel controllers and HBAs powered by the X8 architecture will deliver a host transfer rate up to 4 gigabytes per second and up to 300K I/Os per second. 1-2-4Gb Fibre Channel controllers and HBAs powered by the X8 architecture will offer customers with 2Gb SANs twice the performance of previous generation HBAs and the ability to automatically negotiate between 1, 2 and 4Gb fabric speeds. The first Fibre Channel controllers based on the X8 architecture are designed for next generation servers and embedded applications built on the new PCI-X 2.0 bus (266/533MHz). Samples of JNI X8 powered Fibre Channel controllers will be available in Q4 2003. JNI 1-2-4Gb and 10Gb FibreStar(TM) Fibre Channel HBAs based on the X8 architecture will be generally available in the first half of 2004.

"JNI's next generation X8 architecture is designed for the realities of the current IT environment," said JNI CEO, Russell Stern. "It is a customer-driven design rather than a vendor-driven design. Our customers need performance improvements and cost reductions for their installed 2Gb SANs. They need the flexibility to seamlessly move to a 4Gb fabric, should that market emerge, and they need 10Gb SAN fabrics for their performance sensitive applications. JNI's next generation Fibre Channel Controllers and HBAs powered by the X8 architecture deliver on all of these requirements."

Features of the JNI X8 Architecture

JNI's X8 architecture is initially designed to deliver 10Gb Fibre Channel performance for servers and embedded applications built on the PCI-X 2.0 (266/533MHz) bus. Future versions will be available for the PCI Express (8X) bus. The JNI X8 architecture achieves high performance and low cost in these applications by integrating two fully independent FC protocol engines, four embedded 200+MHz Tensilica(R) RISC processors per channel, 1-2-4Gb SERDES, a 10Gb attachment unit interface (XAUI), internal and external memory controllers. This highly parallel architecture provides independent control of each Fibre Channel port with four CPUs/port operating in concert to maximize data throughput at 1-2-4Gb and 10Gb speeds while minimizing host CPU workload.

"By integrating eight Tensilica Xtensa microprocessor cores, JNI's X8 advanced 10Gb Fibre Channel controller architecture can meet the demands for enhanced I/O performance at 10Gb wire speeds," said Bernie Rosenthal, Senior VP of Marketing and Sales, Tensilica, Inc.

Features of JNI products powered by the X8 architecture will include:

-- 10Gb Fibre Channel Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI)

-- Eight embedded 200+MHz Tensilica RISC processors

-- Dual 1-2-4Gb Fibre Channel with integrated SERDES

-- Full duplex 1-2-4Gb FC auto-link speed, auto-topology

-- Up to 300,000 aggregate I/Os per second

-- Memory up to 128MB external DDR SDRAM and 2MB NVRAM 

-- External QDR RAM support for 10Gb data rates up to 100 km

-- PCI-X 2.0 (266/533 MHz) host interface (compatible with PCI 

and PCI-X 1.0)

-- FC Industry compliance: FC-PI, FC-FS, 10GFC, FC-PLDA, FC-AL,

FC-FLA, FC-FG, FC-SW, FC-GS, FCP-2, FC-Tape, FC-HBA

JNI Fibre Channel controllers based on the X8 architecture will have eight times the number of processors, five times the speed and over four times the peak I/O performance of the 2Gb Emerald IV controller used on the FCX2-6562 HBA named by Storage magazine as "overall speed champion" in its December 2002 article, "Road Testing Fast HBAs."

"As the industry transitions from 1Gb to 2Gb Fibre Channel, infrastructure suppliers such as JNI have been selling and supporting an increased number of products," said Eric Sheppard, Sr. Research Analyst with IDC. "JNI's approach with the X8 architecture gives the company a single platform that can be leveraged to efficiently build 1, 2, 4 or 10Gb Fibre Channel HBAs."

The first product based on the JNI's X8 architecture, the JNIC-2010 Fibre Channel to SPI-3 Controller, is available now to qualified OEMs. For more information, contact JNI at 1-877-282-5516 or by email at [e-mail].

About JNI Corporation

JNI Corporation is one of the leading manufacturers of connectivity products for the enterprise data center and the leading provider of Fibre Channel-based host bus adapters (HBAs) for Solaris servers. JNI offers a broad line of Fibre Channel HBAs, InfiniBand Host Channel Adapters, storage ASICs and software. The products operate on Solaris, Windows 2000, Windows NT, HP-UX, AIX and Linux systems. JNI customers, distributors and strategic partners include Acal Electronics, Ltd., Arrow Electronics, Bell Microproducts, Brocade, Chaparral, Crossroads, EMC, Eurologic, GE Access, HP, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, Info-X, LSI Logic, McDATA, Mellanox, Nishan Systems, StorageTek, Sun Microsystems, TidalWire and Veritas. Company headquarters are in San Diego, with offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. www.jni.com .

JNI - enterprising solutions(tm)

Forward Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, express or implied statements concerning anticipated new product releases by JNI and increased sales resulting from growth in the market for networked storage) that involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include: our dependence on a small number of OEM and distribution channel customers; potential delays in product development; our dependence on sole source and limited source suppliers for key components; technological change in our industry; changes in the networked storage market; our reliance on manufacturers in other countries; potential litigation involving intellectual property and other issues; and other risk factors discussed in the company's reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

JNI, the JNI logo, FibreStar, X8 and 'enterprising solutions' are trademarks or registered trademarks of JNI Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.