QLogic and Network Appliance Work to Enhance StorageNetwork Applications.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2000

With VI and Multi-Protocol Support, QLA2300 Series Fibre Channel

Adapter is Well-Suited for DAFS Storage Model

QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC), the company who sells more Fibre Channel

host bus adapters than anyone in the world, today announced support for Network Appliance's (Nasdaq:NTAP) Direct Access File System (DAFS), a new memory-to-memory protocol for direct file access that is designed to enhance Internet, collaborative, e-commerce and database applications within storage network environments.

The DAFS protocol which is being offered as an open standard uses Virtual Interface (VI) as its underlying transport mechanism. VI enables bulk data transfers directly to or from applications and allows software programs to access VI-capable hardware without operating system (OS) intervention. DAFS is appealing in multi-protocol, multi-OS environments where customers are integrating a variety of different solutions.

"With support from QLogic and other leaders in the storage networking industry, DAFS will be used as the basis for integrating applications software, computing systems, and storage systems into cohesive, scalable, storage networks for local sharing applications," said Mark Santora, vice president of marketing, Network Appliance. "DAFS is designed to enhance the industry's efforts to easily deploy high-performance, interoperable, robust storage networks for the next generation of Internet applications."

QLogic's 2300 Series Fibre Channel host bus adapter, which is sampling this quarter, is designed specifically for optimal performance in a DAFS environment. The QLA2300 Series balances the enhanced throughput of 2-Gigabit Fibre Channel with the ability to support the improved system bus performance and efficiency of 133MHz PCI-X as well as concurrent support for FCP-SCSI, IP and VI architecture protocols. VI, a low latency communication protocol, is used to communicate within a cluster of servers or workstations. Through VI support, Fibre Channel, the backbone of SANs, enhances scalability and availability of server clusters by removing connectivity bottlenecks and improving overall storage and system area network performance.

"QLogic is enthusiastic about DAFS because it sets the stage for the commercialization of VI -- initially on Fibre Channel, with future deployment on InfiniBand," said Frank Berry, vice president of product marketing for QLogic's Computer Systems Group. "As the leading provider of Fibre Channel network interface cards (NICs) for storage applications, QLogic is excited about this opportunity to extend our SCSI and IP protocol based products into the VI space."

About Network Appliance

Network Appliance, a veteran in network file serving and caching, has been providing data access solutions since 1992 and is a member of both the S+P 500 and Nasdaq 100 index. Major corporations and ISPs, including Lycos, Yahoo!, Citicorp Securities, Siemens, Lockheed, Cisco, Motorola, and Texas Instruments have deployed NetApp(R) solutions. NetApp Internet caching solutions

(NetCache(TM) appliances) and file servers ("filers") deliver fast, simple, reliable, and cost-effective access to network-stored data and enable simultaneous shared file services for UNIX, Windows NT, and the World Wide Web.

The company pioneered the concept of the "network appliance," an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function. Network Appliance(TM) filers and NetCache appliances are based on the Company's innovative data access software known as the Data ONTAP(TM) operating system and standards-compliant hardware. More information is available at www.netapp.com.

About QLogic

A member of the Nasdaq-100(R) Index, QLogic Corp. sold more Fibre Channel host bus adapters in 1999 than any other manufacturer in the world according to Dataquest and IDC. The company is also a leading designer and supplier of semiconductor and board-level I/O and enclosure management products targeted at the computer system, storage device and storage subsystem marketplaces.

QLogic high-performance controllers are implemented in products from technology leaders such as AMI, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, IBM, Iwill, Quantum, Raidtec, Siemens, Sun Microsystems and Unisys. The company's high-performance Fibre Channel and SCSI solutions play a key role in enabling enterprise-level storage area networks (SANs) and the company's enclosure management products monitor and communicate component information that is critical to computer system and storage subsystem reliability and availability.

For more information about QLogic and its products, contact QLogic Corporation, 26600 Laguna Hills Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; telephone: 800/662-4471 (sales); 949/389-6000 (corporate); fax: 949/389-6126; home page http://www.qlogic.com.

Disclaimer- Forward Looking Statements

With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company wishes to advise readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those factors include new and changing technologies and customer acceptance of those technologies; a change in semiconductor foundry capacity or conditions; fluctuations in the growth of I/O markets; fluctuations or cancellations in orders from OEM customers; the Company's ability to compete effectively with other companies; cancellation of OEM products associated with design wins; and reductions in the need for space and increased costs of operations due to facility relocation. Carrying additional expansion space may increase costs and adversely impact future earnings.

These and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are also discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its recent filings on Form S-3, Form 10-K, and Form 10-Q.

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