A converged network adapter (CNA), also called a converged network interface controller (C-NIC), is a computer input/output device that combines the functionality of a Host Bus Adaptor

Host adapter

In computer hardware, a host controller, host adapter, or host bus adapter connects a host system to other network and storage devices...

 to a storage area network

Storage area network

A storage area network is a dedicated network that provides access to consolidated, block level data storage. SANs are primarily used to make storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical jukeboxes, accessible to servers so that the devices appear like locally attached devices...

 with a network interface controller for a general-purpose computer network

Computer network

A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....

.

Support

Some products were marketed around 2005 with the term C-NIC which combined iSCSI

ISCSI

In computing, iSCSI , is an abbreviation of Internet Small Computer System Interface, an Internet Protocol -based storage networking standard for linking data storage facilities. By carrying SCSI commands over IP networks, iSCSI is used to facilitate data transfers over intranets and to manage...

 storage functionality with Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...

.
Later products used the marketing term converged network adapter (CNA), combining Fibre Channel over Ethernet

Fibre Channel over Ethernet

Fibre Channel over Ethernet is an encapsulation of Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet networks. This allows Fibre Channel to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol...

 with 10 Gigabit Ethernet

10 Gigabit Ethernet

The 10 gigabit Ethernet computer networking standard was first published in 2002. It defines a version of Ethernet with a nominal data rate of 10 Gbit/s , ten times faster than gigabit Ethernet.10 gigabit Ethernet defines only full duplex point to point links which are generally connected by...

, for example.

Brocade

Brocade Communications Systems

Brocade Communications Systems

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. , based in Silicon Valley , is a vendor of storage area network hardware and software. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells networking products and management applications for local, metro, and wide area networks...

 offers two types of CNA's, both as PCI Express

PCI Express

PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...

 interface of the 2nd generation. The only difference between the two models are the number of interfaces on the cards: one or two. The two port model will allow connection to two different switches to create a redundant configuration without having to use two PCI slots.

Broadcom

In 2009 Broadcom

Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...

 entered the CNA market. Broadcom offers their CNAs under their own brandname but also sell the ASIC

ASIC

ASIC may refer to:* Application-specific integrated circuit, an integrated circuit developed for a particular use, as opposed to a customised general-purpose device.* ASIC programming language, a dialect of BASIC...

s and required other chips to others. Their intended customers are the larger builders of server-systems such as Dell

Dell

Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...

 and HP

Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...

. These vendors can then include the 10Gb CNA with their servers: as embedded interface on the motherboard (LOM or LAN on Montherboard), via a mezzanine card in blade server

Blade server

A blade server is a stripped down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Whereas a standard rack-mount server can function with a power cord and network cable, blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power...

s or as PCI extension-card.

QLogic

Qlogic offers CNAs via their QLogic 8100 series adapters. They offer single and dual port PCI cards with copper or optical fibre interfaces. QLogic CNA's are available under the QLogic brandname and as OEM cards. The QME CNA and drivers were supported by Citrix, NetApp, EMC

EMC

EMC may refer to:In organizations:* EMC Corporation, an information management company* IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society, a worldwide professional engineering society* Eastern Media Centre, a television channel in the UK...

 and IBM

IBM

International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...

.

Hewlett-Packard

HP claims that their BL460c G7 was the first blade-server that offers FCoE via a LOM (Lan on Motherboard) instead of using a PCI-slot or mezzanine-card.

Dell

Dell

Dell

Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...

 uses the QLogic 8100 series in theire PowerEdge servers. For the M-series, blade-servers for the M1000e

Dell M1000e

The Dell blade server solutions are built around their new M1000e enclosure that can hold their complete range of server blades and an extensive range of I/O modules like ethernet switches, fibre-channel switches etc....

 enclosure a specially made dual-port mezzanine card QME8142 is designed. For the normal tower- and rackservers Dell offers an OEM version of the standard QME 8152 is marketed.

Cisco

Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...

 offered FibreChannel over Ethernet marketed as their Unified Computing System via their UCS 81KR Virtual Interface Card CNA.