The Cisco MDS 9000 Family Multiprotocol Services Module delivers the intelligence and advanced features required to make multilayer storage area networks a reality. Supported in the Cisco MDS 9200 Series and Cisco MDS 9500 Series and offering fourteen Fiber Channel ports and two Gigabit Ethernet ports, the Cisco Multiprotocol Services Module enables FCIP for long distance SAN extension and iSCSI for Ethernet attached servers without sacrificing Fiber Channel port density. With its multiprotocol capability, the module also integrates FICON protocol, FICON Control Unit Port (CUP) management, and switch cascading to enable mainframe connectivity.The Cisco Multiprotocol Services Module includes hardware-enabled innovations designed to dramatically improve scalability, availability, network security, and manageability of storage networks, resulting in increased utility and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). Hardware-assisted compression and encryption on the Gigabit Ethernet ports ensure optimal utilization of available IT infrastructure and highly reliable and secure data exchange.