NetApp™ Product Bulletin 735-R

End of Availability (EOA) for
NetApp iSCSI for Microsoft Windows Host Attach Kit (X1054A)
and
NetApp Add-on iSCSI HBA for Windows (X1058A)

Last updated: November 15, 2004

NetApp Partner Communiqué

NetApp Confidential Information
Redistribution outside of an authorized NetApp distributor or reseller
to third parties prohibited without prior written NetApp approval.

This product bulletin informs Field Sales about NetApp products that have come to the end of their life cycle. NetApp will continue to provide hardware and software support for these products as described in this bulletin.

Summary

This notification serves to provide the announcement of the end of availability for the NetApp iSCSI for Microsoft Windows Host Attach Kit (part number X1054A) and the NetApp Add-on iSCSI HBA (part number X1058A). Last date to order is February 1, 2005 and last shipment is February 28, 2005.

Contents

  1. Field Sales' Responsibility
  2. NetApp Global Services' (NGS) Responsibility
  3. Customer Communications
  4. Planned Customer Notification
  5. NetApp Support Policies After End Of Availability
  6. Continuation of Hardware Support
  7. Detailed Information for Field Sales

1. Field Sales' Responsibility

Field Sales informs and prepares all customers that are affected by the unavailability of the products listed in this bulletin. In particular, the field needs to understand and communicate NetApp’s policy for supporting discontinued products. Please see section 3 below for additional ways you can assist to communicate EOA notification information to your customers.

2. NetApp Global Services' (NGS) Responsibility

NGS is responsible for providing hardware and software support as various products go through their life cycle. This bulletin includes important dates for support that will be communicated to all identifiable customers.

3. Customer Communications

Domestic
The EOA information will be communicated to all customers who are subscribers to the field alert database as part of the regular, quarterly, End of Availability announcement. The customer notice in section 4 below is scheduled for sending on November 22, 2004. The notice will be sent via the field alert email alias on NOW. Please ensure your customers have an up-to-date email address there.

Sales and Channel Managers
You can greatly assist corporate in communicating EOA information to your customers by forwarding the forthcoming notice to them via your own email aliases. PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS PRODUCT BULLETIN TO CUSTOMERS, SINCE IT IS AN INTERNAL-ONLY DOCUMENT.

International
International field offices are responsible for translating and distributing the customer notice to all customers in their respective territories.

NOW web site
All of your customers (end-users and resellers) can access at any time the EOA cumulative list posted on the external NOW: now.netapp.com/NOW/products/eoa.

4. Planned Customer Notification



**********************************************************************

             NetApp
          Field Alert Notice #xxx
               Nov 22, 2004
 

********************************************************************** 

Dear NetApp Customer: 

For your information and planning, this notice is meant to inform you 
about some NetApp products that have come to the end of 
their availability, and/or some products that are no longer available 
from our suppliers.

Please note that while we are announcing the end of availability of 
these products, NetApp will continue to support them for a 
limited time. On the hardware, we will continue to repair or replace 
Field Replaceable Units (FRU's) for 5 years from the end of availability 
date. (NetApp reserves the right to substitute equivalent 
peripherals that may possibly require a software upgrade.) If you are 
currently under a Software Subscription Plan, the software will be 
supported for a period of 2 years from the end of availability date. 

The effective End of Availability, End of Support and Last Ship dates 
for all NetApp products is on the End of Availability page
at http://now.netapp.com/NOW/products/eoa. 

Go to the "Index" section and click on "ATTACH AND SUPPORT KITS" for the following item(s):

Attach Kit Part Number      Description
----------------------      -----------
 
X1054A                      Single WIN iSCSI Attach Kit 
 
X1058A                      Add-on iSCSI HBA for Win2K 
 

Migration Path: 

NetApp has qualified multiple third party iSCSI HBAs from several vendors.
If you require an iSCSI HBA for your Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 server, 
please visit the NetApp iSCSI Solutions Support Matrices 
located at 
http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/san/fcp_iscsi_config/iscsi_support_matrix.shtml
to identify various HBAs which have been qualified for use with NetApp
Filer, NearStore and gFiler appliances.

Service and Support
-------------------

If you would like to receive technical assistance for this release
or any other NetApp product, download software, manage 
your service contracts, view your open cases, open an RMA, and more, 
please go to NetApp's NetApp On the Web (NOW) web site 
at http://now.netapp.com. 

NOW Self-Service Options
------------------------

     - Register online for NOW access at: 

        http://now.netapp.com/Self-Service/Start/Register.asp 

     - Subscribe or unsubscribe from the Field Alert distribution list by going
	   to the Subscriptions area on NOW at

        http://now.netapp.com/Self-Service/Custom/editConference.asp 

        and then de-select the 'Field Alerts' option. 

     - Review, order and renew software subscriptions by clicking on
       "Manage Service Contracts" from the Service and Support home 
       page on NOW at 
        https://now.netapp.com/eservice/SupportHome.jsp

********************************************************************
The purpose of this communication is for NetApp Global Services 
to notify its installed base end-users about urgent and important 
product information that may affect product performance or 
reliability. The information contained herein and the distribution 
list are NetApp confidential materials that are subject 
to restrictions on redistribution and that cannot be shared outside 
of this email distribution list.
********************************************************************

5. NetApp Support Policies After End Of Availability

NetApp announces end of availability dates for hardware and software products as these products progress through their life cycles. End of Availability (EOA) is defined as the last date by which a customer may place an order for that product. End of Support (EOS) is defined as the last date on which NetApp will provide support for that product. To protect customers’ investments in these products, NetApp is committed to continue supporting contract customers for a period of time after announcing end of availability.

6. Continuation of Hardware Support

For all equipment under a hardware contract, NetApp will continue to repair or replace Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) for a period of 5 years from the End of Availability date, for each hardware product. NetApp will continue to offer for sale new current or functionally equivalent Network Interface Cards and Host Bus Adapters for EOA systems for a period of at least one year after the End of Availability date for the system, based on availability. NetApp reserves the right to substitute functionally equivalent systems and peripherals that may possibly require a software upgrade.

7. Detailed Information for Field Sales

This section displays the information that will be posted on the NOW EOA site, concurrently with the planned Field Alert

ATTACH AND SUPPORT KITS

Product Description End of Availability
(Last day to order)		 Last Shipment End of Support:
Software		 End of Support:
Hardware
X1054A Single WIN iSCSI Attach Kit 02/01/2005 02/28/2005 02/28/2007 03/31/2010
X1058A Add-on iSCSI HBA for Win2K 02/01/2005 02/28/2005 02/28/2007 03/31/2010

Migration Path:
NetApp has qualified multiple 3rd party iSCSI HBAs for use with Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 server platforms. Customers should be guided to review the NetApp iSCSI Solutions Support Matrices the NOW site to see which iSCSI HBAs have been qualified and the features that these iSCSI HBAs support.

Contact Information:
Please contact your local Netapp Channel Representative with questions.