The emerging software-defined storage space hit a new milestone on Tuesday after QLogic announced that it has added support for DataCore’s SANsymphony-V virtualization offering. Pegged as the “first, and only, true storage hypervisor,” the platform aims to streamline operations through improved manageability.

QLogic’s FlexSuite 2600 16Gb Gen 5 Fibre Channel adapters and FabricCache 10000 Series server-based caching devices have achieved DataCore Ready status, which means both product lines are fully interoperable with SANsymphony-V. For customers, the certification removes networking constraints to consolidating their traditional storage architectures, which continue to pose a bottleneck to IT as information growth accelerates. DataCore’s platform tears down this barrier with an abstraction layer that enables companies to unify incompatible storage devices in a virtual SAN that seamlessly supports traditional hard drives, flash memory and cloud storage. This functionality makes it easier for CIOs to avoid vendor lock-in while reducing maintenance costs and enhancing utilization.

Joe Kimpler, the director of technical alliances at QLogic, said in a statement that “QLogic channel partners and end-users can now confidently deploy award-winning QLogic adapters with SANsymphony-V to optimize network performance and make the most of their IT investments.” Additionally, “customers can choose the best QLogic solution—FabricCache adapters for high-performance clustered caching or FlexSuite Gen 5 adapters for ultra-high performance—to best handle their data requirements.”

Last week, QLogic’s s 2600 series adapters officially started shipping with Huawei’s Tecal RH rack servers and X Series high-density data center systems. The OEM deal is a major victory for the network equipment maker, which is hoping to make a comeback with its Gen 5 architecture. The technology provides an array of enterprise features, including expanded VM support and port isolation that reduces downtime in the event of networking issues.