Mellanox Builds Bridge to Data Center Consolidation

Mellanox Technologies Ltd. today rolled out another alternative for data center consolidation, a gateway that lets organizations run Fibre Channel (FC), Ethernet and InfiniBand on one network.

The BridgeX gateway connects Ethernet or InfiniBand switches to Ethernet or FC networks. Mellanox sells InfiniBand switches, silicon and host bus connectors (HBCs), and last year began diversifying its product platform to try and provide one fabric to connect the entire data center.

BridgeX supports the Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) technology that Mellanox launched last year for its ConnectX host adapters that support InfiniBand, Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). VPI supports port auto-sensing of the fabric, and configures the adapter to the correct mode.

The BridgeX gateway comes as Brocade, Cisco Systems Inc. and other network connectivity vendors are putting together an ecosystem for FCoE to consolidate storage-area networks (SANs) and local-area networks (LANs). Cisco supports FCoE in its Nexus switches, while Brocade plans to enable FCoE through its DCX Backbone platform. Fibre Channel host bus adapter (HBA) vendors Emulex Corp. and QLogic Corp. have launched converged network adapters (CNAs) for FCoE, and storage array vendors EMC Corp. and NetApp have pledged FCoE support in future systems.

BridgeX can serve as an alternative to FCoE or enable it – Mellanox will sell BridgeX silicon to Ethernet switch vendors to develop FCoE switches. BridgeX devices do not require InfiniBand or ConnectX cards.

BridgeX supports 40 Gbps InfiniBand, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 8 Gbps Fibre Channel. It can be used as an InfiniBand-to-Ethernet and FC gateway, or Ethernet-to-Ethernet and FC gateway. The initial product in the platform, the BX4000, has four InfiniBand or 12 Ethernet uplink ports, and up to 16 FC or 12 Ethernet downlink ports. When the uplink ports are Ethernet, BridgeX can serve as an FCoE link to Fibre Channel storage.

BridgeX promises many of the same advantages that storage networking vendors claim for FCoE – it can reduce cabling, power and cooling in the data center, and also gives administrators one fabric to manage. Gilad Shainer, Mellanox’s director of technical marketing, said BridgeX can enable consolidation without requiring a major data center upgrade.

“Other vendors are forcing people to use a specific solution,” Shainer said. “We’re saying, ‘How can we enable you to use all the applications and transports you’re using now?’”

While most industry experts say FCoE or other methods of data center consolidation probably won’t happen on a widespread basis until 2010 or later, analysts say enterprises are beginning to form their strategies now.

“I think converged networks are inevitable,” said Nik Simpson, senior analyst at Midvale, Utah-based Burton Group. “There are just too many advantages to it from an overall view of the enterprise to see it not happening. We’re going to see more and more storage arrays with native FCoE targets, and we’re seeing server platforms with 10 gigE on the motherboard.”

Simpson said BridgeX is a good way to consolidate cabling without doing a forklift upgrade.

Zeus Kerravala, senior vice president of global enterprise research at Boston-based Yankee Group, says it will probably take a while for a dominant consolidation technology or protocol to emerge, but BridgeX can serve as an early step in the process.

“This provides a roadmap to FC over Ethernet,” Kerravala said. “It offers companies a way to try it out or at least phase it in. This is a way for companies to start thinking of consolidation without having to commit a lot of capital to it because it doesn’t have to be a hard rip and replace.”

Other vendors have offered InfiniBand gateways for FC and Ethernet, but Mellanox’s Shainer said they had to first terminate InfiniBand and then initiate a new protocol. He said that added cost and power requirements, and prevented them from working at wire speed.

Pricing for the BridgeX gateways starts at $9,995, and the silicon costs less than $500 per box. Shainer said he expects server vendor OEM partners to begin shipping in volume next month.

Planning the tastiest Food Tour in the Southwest

What to Expect in a Food Tour in Southwest US?

If the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the same could also be said for places. For many people, the best way to know a place is to enjoy its food. If you’re planning to join a food tour in Southwest US, here’s what you can expect.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, California, and Arizona vacations – perfect states for a culinary tour and are located west of the Mississippi River, make up the Southwest region of the United States. Something hot is what all of them have in common and we’re not just talking about the weather, but their specialty dishes, too!

Oldest of All

Southwest cuisine is said to be the oldest living indigenous cuisine in the United States. You can trace its roots beyond Plymouth Rock. People in the Southwest are vastly proud of the past so if you’re joining a food tour in the Southwest US, don’t be surprised if you get a brief history lesson along the way!

An Amalgamation of Everything

If you want to be really specific, you should know that the term Southwestern cuisine is just too broad to define the rich variety of food compromising it. Food from the Southwest can be distinguished among various classes such as American Indian, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and nueva Latina, which is one of the newest additions to this growing regional cuisine. Knowing the difference is something natives always appreciate, maybe enough for a free beer! An excellent Texas tourism excursion.

Major Characteristics of Southwestern Food

If you’re familiar with Mexican cuisine, you’ll probably notice immediately how similar Southwestern food is to it. The differences between both cuisines are subtle, from lesser use of brain, tripe, and other select ingredients to use of larger cuts of meat.

The Difference between Chili and Chile

It’s crucial that you know the difference between the two or you might be in for an incredibly hot surprise and one that will get you running for the nearest gallon of water. Now, chile pertains to pepper native to the Southwest; these have long been considered a staple by the locals. Chili, on the other hand, pertains to a soup or stew containing meat and beans. Either way, be sure to let your server know if you’re not ready to have smoke come off your ears. Better safe than sorry!

Noteworthy Dishes from the Southwest US

Your Southwest food tour could introduce you to a number of spectacular dishes, including but not limited to salsa, chimichanga, chili con carne, taco salad, rattlesnake fillet, pozole, burrito, sopapillas, rice and beans, menudo, chile relleno, nachos, stuffed peppers, taquitos, and King Ranch chicken.

Traditional versus Contemporary versus Upscale

Now, food tours in the Southwest US can be generally classified into three kinds: traditional, contemporary, and upscale. We can find fabulous upscale menus in our California vacations.

Those on a budget could choose between traditional and contemporary Southwestern cuisine. Food tours focusing on traditional dishes often come with history-related side trips.

For those willing to shell out more for a better and greater variety of food, there are high-end tours for contemporary and traditional Southwestern cuisine and of course, there are always the upscale and innovative restaurants to visit. New Mexico, which is the largest producer and consumer of chile in the country, also prides itself as the best state to go for upscale Southwestern cuisine.

Ultimately, however, however you choose to explore the Southwest, a food tour is sure to give you more than a delicious taste of what this part of the United States has to offer.

Contemporary Dental Assisting

Contemporary Dental Assisting job openings are expected to grow much faster than average, and job prospects for dental assistants are excellent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For someone who wants to have a good chance of always being able to find a job this could be a great career option.

Besides the possibility that some dental offices will hire people for Contemporary Dental Assisting who don’t have any special training and train them on the job, most of the dentists prefer to hire those who have completed an accredited training program. The Commission on Dental Accreditation has accredited approximately 260 programs. These programs usually last less than one year and result in a certificate or diploma or last approximately two years and result in an associates degree.

Once a person has accomplished their Contemporary Dental Assisting training, they may need to get licensed, depending on state rules and regulations. You should look into the rules for your state, as this may require certain training programs to be completed and/or an exam to be passed. You will need to confirm that the training program you are planning on attending meets any state requirements as well as being accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation to make sure you don’t end up having problems. Continuing education might also be a requirement in order to maintain licensure. It is also always recommended that you get certified, which requires you to pass an exam and then complete the necessary continuing education required to get recertified every few years. Becoming certified through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) proves that a dental assistant has a certain level of knowledge, which is very attractive to employers.

The vast majority of the Contemporary Dental Assisting job opportunities are available in the offices of dentists, although there are a few other places that employ these professionals. The states with the most dental assisting job opportunities are Utah, Washington, California, Idaho, and Oregon. The metropolitan areas of Yuba City, CA; Provo-Orem, UT; Chico, CA; Idaho Falls, ID; and Vallejo-Fairfield, CA are the metropolitan areas with the largest number of dental assisting positions. Even without living in one of these areas there are usually still a large number of openings available in this field.