Bull StoreWay Catalogue

Brocade 8000 Switch

• A Versatile FCoE Switch for Server I/O Consolidation

The Brocade 8000 Switch provides a reliable platform that helps reduce cable clutter, equipment acquisition costs, and operational costs associated with power consumption and cooling.

Delivers high performance with a cut-through, non-blocking switch architecture

Features a top-of-rack, 1U, multiprotocol design that supports Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), Fibre Channel, Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE),and traditional Ethernet protocols

Provides up to 8 Gb/s performance with eight Fibre Channel ports and line-rate performance for 24 CEE ports with 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Improves energy efficiency, operating at 350 watts with redundant power supplies and cooling fan FRUs

Utilizes Brocade ISL Trunking for Fibre Channel and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) for CEE

Streamlines management by utilizing Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM), Fibre Channel services, and extensions for FCoE and CEE



	As IT organizations continue to face the increased complexity of system configuration and ever-rising operational costs, they are looking for new ways to simplify their IT environments. To address this challenge, Brocade offers a versatile switch that supports both Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) to help organizations simplify their growing infrastructures.
	This unique top-of-rack switch features a low-profile 1U form factor and low power consumption (a maximum 350 watts), leading the way toward a “greener” data center. The Brocade 8000 features eight 8 Gb/s Fibre Channel ports along with 24 Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) ports with 10 Gigabit Ethernet capabilities. The CEE ports are capable of transporting both storage and LAN traffic eliminating the need for separate SAN and LAN adapters and cables. The top-of-rack Brocade 8000 connects to servers through Converged Network Adapters (CNAs). The consolidated SAN and LAN server ports and corresponding cables simplify configuration and cabling in server cabinets to reduce acquisition costs. With fewer components using power or requiring cooling, organizations can save significant operating costs as well. Moreover, consolidation is not limited to hardware components. Because FCoE preserves Fibre Channel constructs and services, it integrates seamlessly into existing Fibre Channel environments, enabling organizations to maximize the value of their current investments. In addition, FCoE extends the reach of Fibre Channel management applications and tools, enabling organizations to manage FCoE-attached devices under a single, unified management umbrella.
INDUSTRY-LEADING PERFORMANCE
	To support the most data-intensive applications, the Brocade 8000 provides best-in-class performance for Fibre Channel delivery in a top-of-rack FCoE switch. It features a non-blocking architecture with eight Fibre Channel ports concurrently active at 8 Gb/s and 24 CEE ports with 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The switch utilizes ASIC technology that supports port trunking for Fibre Channel and link aggregation for Ethernet. For Fibre Channel, an Inter-Switch Link (ISL) trunk can supply up to 64 Gb/s of balanced data throughput. In addition to reducing congestion and increasing bandwidth, Brocade ISL Trunking utilizes ISLs more efficiently to preserve the number of usable switch ports. For Ethernet, the Brocade 8000 supports standards-based Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). Additional performance capabilities include 32 virtual channels on each ISL, enabling antistarvation capabilities at the port level to avoid performance degradation. In addition, exchange-based Dynamic Path Selection (DPS) optimizes fabric-wide performance and load balancing by automatically routing data to the most efficient available path in the fabric. DPS further augments ISL Trunking to provide more effective load balancing in certain configurations.
ENTERPRISE-CLASS AVAILABILITY FOR BUSINESS CONTINUANCE
	The Brocade 8000 provides a reliable foundation for disaster recovery and business continuance by employing enterprise-class availability features such as hot-swappable, redundant, and integrated fan and power supply assemblies. Combined with a wide range of diagnostic and monitoring functions, these capabilities help ensure highly available SAN environments. In conjunction with Brocade SAN extension products, the Brocade 8000 enables servers and storage devices to reside remotely, giving organizations a reliable way to create highly available environments that support the most sophisticated business continuance and disaster recovery initiatives
SUPERIOR ROI AND INVESTMENT PROTECTION
	The Brocade 8000 utilizes the same Fabric OS that supports the entire Fibre Channel product family from fixed port switches to the Brocade DCX Backbone. This helps ensure backward compatibility that enables the Brocade 8000 to seamlessly integrate with existing Fibre Channel investments. This design also enables forward compatibility among Brocade solutions, simplifying maintenance and field upgrades while providing peace of mind for future data center expansion. Moreover, organizations can monitor and manage the Brocade 8000 with fabric robust management applications such as Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM).