Advanced SAN extension features VSANs Integrated SAN routing Advanced traffic management 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 - 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. Well suited for efficient, secure SAN consolidation, ANSI T11-standard VSANs enable more efficient  storage network utilization by creating hardware-based isolated environments with a single physical SAN  fabric or switch. Each VSAN can be zoned as a typical SAN and maintained with its own fabric services  for greater scalability and resilience. VSANs allow the cost of SAN infrastructure to be shared among  more users, while helping ensure segregation of traffic and retaining independent control of configuration  on a VSAN-by-VSAN basis. In another step toward deployment of efficient, cost-effective, consolidated storage networks, the 24/10-  Port SAN Extension Module supports IVR, the industry’s first and most efficient routing function for Fibre  Channel. IVR allows selective transfer of data between specific initiators and targets on different VSANs  while maintaining isolation of control traffic within each VSAN. With IVR, data can transit VSAN  boundaries while maintaining control-plane isolation, thereby maintaining fabric stability and availability.  IVR eliminates the need for external routing appliances, greatly increasing routing scalability while  delivering line-rate routing performance, simplifying management, and eliminating the challenges  associated with maintaining separate systems. IVR reduces the total cost of SAN ownership. The advanced traffic management capabilities integrated into the 24/10-Port SAN Extension Module  simplify deployment and optimization of large-scale fabrics: Virtual output queuing: Helps ensure line-rate performance on each port, independent of traffic   pattern, by eliminating head-of-line blocking. Port channels: Allow users to aggregate up to 16 FCIP ISLs into a single logical bundle, providing   optimized bandwidth utilization across all links. The bundle can consist of any speed-matched ports  from any module in the chassis, helping ensure that the bundle can remain active even in the event of  a module failure. Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF)-based multipathing: Provides the intelligence to load-balance   traffic across up to 16 equal-cost paths and, in the event of a switch failure, dynamically reroute traffic. QoS: Can be used to manage bandwidth and control latency to prioritize critical traffic.  Shaper: Rate limits the WAN bandwidth according to the maximum bandwidth configured for the FCIP   tunnel. 5 IBM Storage Networking SAN384C-6 Product Guide