Convergence of networking technologies is a long held requirement for IT managers. The benefits gained by having a single infrastructure for data networking, storage networking, and inter-processor communications provide improved Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This is due to the use of common hardware for multiple network traffic types as well as direct cost savings from eliminating redundant management tools and systems for separate networks.

Past attempts at delivering a networking convergence technology did not materialize because the available solutions could not meet either the performance or investment protection requirements demanded by users. These failing technologies met one or the other of these requirements, but not both.

The adoption of 10-Gigabit Ethernet into mainstream data centers now makes it possible for Ethernet to match the raw performance characteristics of Fibre Channel (FC) Storage Area Networks (SANs). This development has given the industry the opportunity to develop a convergence technology based on the ubiquitous and familiar Ethernet networking standard that can also meet the needs of the storage networking market. This new technology is commonly referred to as Enhanced Ethernet (EE) or Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE). The standard that enables SANs to operate on Ethernet is known as Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). These emerging networking technologies will enable the next generation, lower cost, flexible, virtualized data centers of future.