Microchip introduces Adaptec Smart storage Adapter

     To enable remote management and remote troubleshooting of platforms and devices securely, data center administrators and IT managers need to add new software, hardware, and firmware to interact with storage adapters and other server components. Microchip Technology has announced the availability of Adaptec smart storage adapters with these capabilities. The new adapter now seamlessly interoperates with the MegaRAC® SP-X remote monitoring and diagnostics firmware from American Megatrends (AMI) and will be supported by the MegaRAC solution development framework.

     Pete Hazen, vice president of Microchip's Data center Solutions business group, said: "Our Adaptec smart storage adapters can now be easily combined with AMI's widely used MegaRAC SP-X Remote storage management firmware solution to enable server component monitoring, automatic system problem detection and diagnosis anywhere in the world. The MegaRAC development framework's support for our adapters accelerates time to market for solutions that provide baseline remote management capabilities while enabling easy customization of additional functions."

     Interoperability between Adaptec smart storage adapters and MegaRAC SP-X management firmware that supports embedded base Management Controllers (BMCS) reduces data center operating costs by enabling remote management functions including platform status monitoring and problem notification, diagnosis, and recovery. Out-of-band management allows direct access to adapters over a network connection when the server is down or unresponsive, and improves security by eliminating the server or storage system's dependence on proprietary software or hosting tools. Leveraging a combination of the widely used Management Component Transfer Protocol (MCTP protocol) and Microchip's storage core application Programming Interface (API), AMI has added support for Adaptec smart storage adapters to its storage adapter management tool for the MegaRAC development framework.

     Stephen Bignault, Director of Business Development at AMI, said: "Combining Microchip's Adaptec smart storage adapter with MegaRAC SP-X BMC management firmware greatly simplifies the development of a remote secure storage management solution. We are honored to work closely with Microchip to add support for their adapters to our MegaRAC development framework and to provide our jointly valued customers with the code packages, tools, and development-related expertise they need to accelerate time-to-market and enhance their platform management capabilities."