JNI Corporation Announces Agreement With IBM to Incorporate Infiniband Technology in Future Products.Business Editors & High-Tech WritersSAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2002 JNI (Java Native Interface) A programming interface (API) in Sun's Java Virtual Machine used for calling native platform elements such as GUI routines. RNI (Raw Native Interface) is the JNI counterpart in Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine. JNI - Java Native Interface OEMs IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) InfiniBlue(TM) Technology for HCA HCA, n.pr See acid, hydroxycitric. Modules, Bridging Products JNI(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:JNIC JNIC Joint National Integration Center ), the first company to introduce 10 Gb InfiniBand(SM) HCA Modules, today announced an agreement with IBM Microelectronics Division (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :IBM) covering the use of IBM InfiniBand chip technology in HCA and TCA TCA 1. trichloroacetic acid. 2. tricarboxylic acid cycle (Krebs cycle). TCA Tricyclic antidepressant, see there products. Under the agreement, JNI will integrate IBM's InfiniBlue(TM) 4X host channel adapters (HCAs) into JNI's HCA modules and software. The intent is to develop a standards-based HCA module (add-in card) for PCI-X-based servers. JNI and IBM are investigating future opportunities to cooperate on the use of InfiniBlue hardware and software technology in InfiniBand-to-Fibre Channel connectivity products and server cluster software. JNI and IBM are also evaluating joint efforts for future InfiniBand-related developments as the market matures. "JNI opens up its opportunities with OEMs using the IBM technology," said Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst, Enterprise Storage Group. "In turn, IBM aligns itself with one of the leading companies driving InfiniBand deployment into today's server technology. It's great for both companies: JNI offers IBM time-to-market products while IBM offers JNI the kind of backing only Big Blue can provide." "The ability to provide the power and benefits offered by the InfiniBand architecture at all implementation levels is essential to the successful deployment of the technology," said Ms. Scottie Ginn, vice president of IBM Microelectronics' Standard Products. "By integrating IBM's 4X and 12X InfiniBlue silicon into the card-level product solutions offered by companies such as JNI, end-users are able to solve bandwidth constraints, management and infrastructure complexities, and reliability issues in their data center easily and cost-effectively." "JNI and IBM want to drive the deployment of InfiniBand into the open data center," said Neal Waddington, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of JNI Corporation. "We believe early adopters will embrace a solution that uses core technology from IBM. In addition, the two companies working together will help advance the overall market development for InfiniBand, paving the way for widespread InfiniBand deployment." JNI IBM-Based HCA Modules JNI's InfiniStar Host Channel Adapter (HCA) Modules are add-in cards that extend the I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output functions of a server outside its enclosure. The planned HCA Module featuring IBM's InfiniBlue technology will support both 1X (2.5 Gb) and 4X (10 Gb) data link speeds through a PCI-X (PCI eXtended) An enhanced PCI bus technology originally developed by IBM, HP and Compaq that is backward compatible with existing PCI cards. PCI and 32-bit PCI-X slots are physically the same, and PCI cards can plug into PCI-X slots. slot. JNI HCA Modules will support multiple host operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. , including Linux and Windows. The products will be available by the end of this year. One early application for InfiniBand HCA Modules is providing server clustering solutions. InfiniBand HCA Modules replace products that use proprietary software and protocols, and multiple adapters. The HCA Module enables simultaneous storage area network, communication and cluster server-to-server traffic. JNI's InfiniBand Strategy JNI first disclosed its InfiniBand strategic initiative on November 2001 when the company articulated its vision for InfiniBand and announced a new family of InfiniStar(TM) HCA Modules targeted for clustered server environments and extended I/O support. "InfiniBand represents a very complementary expansion of JNI's core Fibre Channel business and will allow us to leverage our leadership position in Fibre Channel storage networks for the data center," Waddington said. "Every major server and storage manufacturer we work with has an InfiniBand initiative." Most major server and storage OEMs that have announced public support for InfiniBand, including Brocade Communications, Compaq, Dell, EMC (1) (EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, MA, www.emc.com) The leading supplier of storage products for midrange computers and mainframes. Founded in 1979 by Richard J. Egan and Roger Marino, EMC has developed advanced storage and retrieval technologies for the world's largest companies. , Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems See HDS. , IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Network Appliance and Sun Microsystems. In March 2002, Salomon Smith Barney developed a detailed study of the InfiniBand market, estimating that this new market will grow to $3 billion by 2005. This would suggest a tremendous market for InfiniBand HCA modules and switches. In addition, this study, along with similar studies from IDC, indicate a phased roll-out of InfiniBand that shows it existing as a server-to-server interconnect technology connecting to today's Fibre Channel storage networks, as well as showing a ramp-up of InfiniBand deployment, indicating servers with native InfiniBand connections would reside next to an installed base of servers that can be upgraded to InfiniBand connectivity using HCA Modules. These trends highlight three areas of opportunity for JNI: Deploying HCA Modules as a way of connecting today's server designs into an InfiniBand environment; connecting InfiniBand servers to Fibre Channel storage networks with InfiniBand-to-Fibre Channel bridging products; and upgrading existing or legacy systems to InfiniBand as InfiniBand I/O servers, switches and networks are deployed. Enabling the "Server Net" JNI InfiniStar HCA Modules enable standard servers to reap the performance and scalability benefits of InfiniBand-enabled clustered servers. For example, in environments where high server density is required, a single InfiniBand HCA Module can replace multiple interface cards or adapter cards required to link the servers to storage, local area network, output and other I/O functions. JNI refers to this network as the "Server Net," because the functional benefits are similar to the "Client Net" (LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. ) and the "Storage Net" (SAN). Each of these networks has important elements in common: each offers scalability and flexibility independent of the other networks; each uses an open standard -- InfiniBand, Ethernet and Fibre Channel; and each is supported by multiple vendors. "As Fibre Channel technology enabled the removal of storage from the server to create the Storage Net, InfiniBand has the ability to separate the server CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. from the I/O bus to create what is really a Server Net," Waddington said. "The InfiniBand-based Server Net is really the third network in the enterprise, following the Ethernet-based Client Net in the early 1990s and Fibre Channel-based Storage Net in the last few years," Waddington said. "Server Nets offer levels of density, scalability, low power usage and lower TCO (1) (Total Cost of Ownership) The cost of using a computer. It includes the cost of the hardware, software and upgrades as well as the cost of the inhouse staff and/or consultants that provide training and technical support. See ROI. (total cost of ownership) advantages desired in many data centers today, but can only be achieved with highly proprietary and expensive equipment. Our HCA Modules can significantly reduce the TCO in a high availability 24/7 data center using open standards embraced by the entire industry," Waddington said. About IBM Microelectronics IBM Microelectronics is a key contributor to IBM's role as the world's premier information technology supplier. IBM Microelectronics develops, manufactures and markets state-of-the-art semiconductor technologies, products, packaging and services. Its superior integrated solutions can be found in many of the world's best-known electronic brands. IBM is a steering committee member and co-founder of the InfiniBand Trade Association The InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) is the standards organization that defines and maintains the InfiniBand specification. It is an industry consortium. The IBTA was established in 1999, and its most prominent members include Cisco, IBM, Intel, Mellanox, QLogic, Sun and and has trademarked the name InfiniBlue(TM) for its 4X and 12X InfiniBand-related standard products. More information about IBM's InfiniBlue products can be found at: http://www.chips.ibm.com/products/infiniband. About JNI Corporation JNI Corporation is one of the leading manufacturers of connectivity products for the enterprise data center. JNI offers a broad line of Fibre Channel HBAs, ASICs and software for storage area networks, as well as HCA Modules for InfiniBand. JNI's PCI (1) (Payment Card Industry) See PCI DSS. (2) (Peripheral Component Interconnect) The most widely used I/O bus (peripheral bus). , SBus and CompactPCI HBAs operate on Solaris, Windows 2000, Windows NT, HP-UX HP's version of Unix that runs on its 9000 family. It is based on SVID and incorporates features from BSD Unix along with several HP innovations. (operating system) HP-UX - The version of Unix running on Hewlett-Packard workstations. , AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive) IBM's Unix-based operating system which runs on its Intellistation workstations and pSeries, p5, iSeries and i5 server families. , Novell, Linux and Mac OS systems. JNI's high availability HBAs and software are certified in single, multi-host and cluster environments for Windows NT and 2000, and Solaris. JNI customers, distributors and strategic partners include Acal FCS FCS - Frame Check Sequence , Bell Microproducts, Brocade, Chaparral, Compaq StorageWorks, Consan, Crossroads, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, InfiniSwitch, Info X, LSI LSI: see integrated circuit. (Large Scale Integration) Between 3,000 and 100,000 transistors on a chip. See SSI, MSI, VLSI and ULSI. Logic, McDATA, Mellanox Technologies, Nishan Systems, StorageTek, Sun Microsystems, TidalWire, Troika Networks and Veritas. Company headquarters is in San Diego, with offices throughout the U.S. and Europe. www.jni.com. JNI -- enterprising solutions(TM) Forward-Looking Statements With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, express or implied statements about the availability and features of planned InfiniBand products and technologies, growth in the market for InfiniBand and JNI's ability to timely develop InfiniBand products that achieve market acceptance) that involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks include: the rapidly changing technology in JNI's markets; the evolving industry standards; frequent introductions of new products and enhancements; the very early stage of development of the InfiniBand market; competition in JNI's markets; JNI's reliance on certain contract manufacturers, OEMs, distributors and key customers and the other risks discussed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. JNI, JNIC, InfiniStar, and "enterprising solutions" are trademarks or registered trademarks of JNI Corp. IBM and InfiniBlue are registered trademarks or trademarks of International Business Machines. InfiniBand is a servicemark of the InfiniBand Trade Association. All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective holders. |
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