Brocade invites hardware and software vendors to engage in the Brocade Data Center Ready program, which helps partners certify new or existing products for compatibility within the Brocade Storage Area Network infrastructure. Two certification tracks are offered: essential compatibility through self-testing and Brocade Data Center Ready certification through advanced testing.

The Brocade Data Center Ready program provides customers with the assurance of proven compatibility with Brocade SANs in multi-vendor, heterogeneous environments. Apart from the usual developer partner benefits, Brocade Data Center Ready certified partners are eligible for the following additional benefits:

• Use of the Brocade Data Center Ready logo
• Visibility in the Brocade Data Center Ready Brochure (PDF)
• Visibility in the Brocade Data Center Ready Compatibility Matrix
• Joint marketing opportunities for compatible products to maximize exposure

Brocade can work with you to promote any newly tested and certified product to end-user, OEM, and system integrator communities. A variety of co-marketing activities designed to ensure maximum exposure, visibility, and sales may be pursued. See our Data Center Ready Brochure (PDF) for a list of the current leading Partner companies who have achieved Data Center Ready Status.

This baseline program provides Brocade Developers the tools and resources to ensure their products compatibility with their currently installed Brocade switches, Brocade switch Operating Systems, and Brocade Advanced Fabric Services. In addition, ongoing collaboration provides developers with the tools they need to maintain compatibility as new products are introduced.

To achieve self-certification, participants must complete a Brocade-supplied, self-testing criteria, which guides developers through the testing of their products at their location. Upon completion of the testing, the test results are sent to the Brocade Data Center Ready team for analysis to determine the solution's eligibility for inclusion in the Brocade Compatibility Matrix as "Compatible".

Benefits of this Program

• Receive Self-Testing tools for ongoing compatibility testing
• Requires a minimum set of tests to execute
• Execute the tests conveniently in your own environment at your own pace

How Do I Participate?

	Begin your participation in this program by sending a request to the Brocade Data Center Ready Team requesting information on self-testing and include information on your intentions, your product description, your contact details, and any other relevant information.
	A Data Center Ready team member contacts you to outline the Self-Certification process and guide you through joining the Brocade Developer Program, if you are not already a member, and signing the necessary agreements.
	The Self-Certification test plan is provided to you along with any guidance needed.
	Follow the instructions in the test plan and execute the test cases at your location, at your own pace.
	When you complete the testing, submit the test results, configuration data, and any required logs to the Brocade Data Center Ready Team.
	The Data Center Ready team will review your testing results and notify you of the assessment. If your product passes the testing criteria, it will be added to the Brocade Data Center Ready Compatibility Matrix as "Compatible" next to the Brocade switches it was tested against.

If you have any questions on Self-Certification please forward them to the Brocade Data Center Ready Team. You can also browse the Frequently Asked Questions page.

The Brocade Data Center Ready Certification program offers companies a more complete certification of their products in Brocade fabric environments. This program facilitates comprehensive and rigorous testing of the partner's product for compatibility with a range of Brocade networked storage components within a heterogeneous enterprise SAN.

Brocade engineers conduct the testing at a dedicated Brocade Data Center Ready lab. The test beds contain enterprise SANs assembled with pre-tested configurations and a heterogeneous mix of servers and storage subsystems, interconnected by a mix of Brocade Fibre Channel switches.

Partner products that demonstrate this level of compatibility achieve the "Data Center Ready" status. This states that the tested hardware or software meets compatibility guidelines in specified, Brocade-based SAN configurations. Data Center Ready provides the highest level of confidence that their product will integrate easily and interoperate within the Brocade SAN infrastructure.

Benefits of this Program

• Comprehensive testing conducted by experienced engineers on your behalf
• Utilize Brocade's Data Center Ready lab for testing
• Planned and timely execution of certification with test reports
• Achieve Data Center Ready status for your product

How Do I Participate?

	Begin your participation in this program by sending a request to the Brocade Data Center Ready Team requesting information on Data Center Ready Certification and include information on your intentions, your product description, your contact details, and any other relevant information.
	A Brocade Data Center Ready team member will contact you to outline the Data Center Ready certification process and guide you through joining the Brocade Developer Program, if you are not already a member, and signing the necessary agreements. Applicants are encouraged to complete the Self-Certification track before attempting the Data Center Ready track.
	The Brocade Data Center Ready Team will schedule a time with you to test your product at the Brocade Data Center Ready Lab in San Jose, CA.
	Once the testing is completed, you will receive a test report.
	Brocade will acknowledge any successful testing with an official certification letter, provide you access to the Data Center Ready logo, and discuss details on kicking off a press release to announce this significant achievement (Brocade will need to approve your announcement before it is released for publishing by you). Additionally, your product will be added to the Brocade Data Center Ready Compatibility Matrix with "Data Center Ready" status indicated, and your company logo will be included in the Brocade Data Center Ready Brochure. Should the testing fail due to an issue isolated to the product under test, Brocade will allow a chance to resolve the issue and retest within 90 days.

If you have any questions or comments on Data Center Ready certification please forward them to the Brocade Data Center Ready Team. You can also browse the Frequently Asked Questions page.