brand name associated with a family of products manufactured and sold by StoneFly Networks, Inc, a storage networking company whose products (a combination of hardware and software) multiply network functionality by adding block-level data storage intelligence to the network core using standard network infrastructure Using proprietary technology based on the iSCSI (Internet small computer system interface) protocol, StoneFly transforms IP (Internet protocol) networks into storage area networks The company's products enable businesses to reduce the complexity of managing storage assets by providing the capability to manage many physical devices as one logical device StoneFly's SiliconSAN products transform IP networks into dedicated, secure, and highly reliable storage area networks (SANs) SANs enable users to enjoy efficient storage utilization through storage consolidation, the ability to manage more storage capacity, rapid deployment of new storage, higher availability, and faster backup and restore operations