QLogic has announced an HBA virtualization solution for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server environments from Novell to help ease the creation and management of virtual machines in the data center. Novell is the first vendor to support the QLogic N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) technology for Linux, allowing the creation and provisioning of virtual HBA ports across multiple physical servers in conjunction with Novell Z QLogic has announced an HBA virtualization solution for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server environments from Novell to help ease the creation and management of virtual machines in the data center.Novell is the first vendor to support the QLogic N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) technology for Linux, allowing the creation and provisioning of virtual HBA ports across multiple physical servers in conjunction with Novell ZENworks Orchestrator and Virtual Machine Management. Storage administrators who deploy ZENworks Orchestrator and Virtual Machine Management along with QLogic SANblade 2400 Series 4Gb Fibre Channel HBAs can now create virtual machines and ports that are easier to manage, maintain and support across the virtualized data center. According to QLogic, without virtual HBA ports, storage administrators must use the physical World Wide Port Name (WWPN) of the HBA to define fabric zones, mask storage LUNs, and configure VMs. In addition, the company claims the typical one-zone design creates security concerns for disks with sensitive information and requires the reconfiguration of the network if more than one zone is defined. Virtual HBA ports enable virtual machines to be bound to storage and multiple zones can be defined using the virtual port parameters. The company says it helps create an easier-to-manage and more secured virtualized environment. “Novell ZENworks Orchestrator and Virtual Machine Management provide comprehensive tools to configure, deploy, and manage virtual machines in a heterogeneous SAN environment,” said Richard Whitehead, director of product marketing for Novell. “Novell’s cross-platform solution combined with NPIV capabilities from QLogic further simplifies the overall management of virtual machines and related physical and virtual resources. As the first management tool to support NPIV on Linux, ZENworks Orchestrator and Virtual Machine Management allows customers to get the most out of their data center infrastructure.” Software Development