Virtensys has delivered pre-production units of its server I/O virtualising VMX5000 switch to potential server and storage OEM partners. Its use enables the sharing of I/O adapters and storage among connected servers using PCIe connections.

The idea is to use PCIe cabling and extend a server's PCIe bus outside the server to a switch used by many servers. Server storage (direct-attach storage or DAS) is attached to the switch for shared use instead of to each server for its individual use. I/O adapters such as Ethernet NICS and Fibre Channel HBAs are also attached to the switch for shared use.

Sharing of devices in this way is, VirtenSys claims, a way to increase device utilisation, lower device counts, reduce electricity needs and lower both capital and operating expense (Capex and Opex).

Virtensys argues that use of its switch can reduce rack and blade server management costs by more than 60 per cent, power and cooling costs by up to 30 per cent and equipment costs by as much as 50 per cent. It also claims that its technology enables networking resources to be dynamically allocated on demand as connected servers talk to virtual I/O adapters and DAS rather than physical adapters and storage. The switch product supports both physical and virtualised servers and comes either with (VMX-500 LSR) or without (VMX-5000 LS) RAIDed SAS and SATA hard disk drives, known as virtual DAS.