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Technology and Architecture
Brocade continues to revolutionize the data center by developing innovative architectures and platforms, striving for the highest level of interoperability, and furthering standards development. Through industry-leading Brocade technologies, organizations can build next-generation data centers that are designed to provide maximum value today and well into the future.
Data Center Fabric (DCF) Architecture
The Brocade DCF architecture is an intelligent, policy-based framework designed to help build the most efficient, cost-effective data center fabrics based on an organization’s particular business needs.
Ethernet
Brocade has made significant investments in developing and enhancing the technologies that address the needs and requirements of today and tomorrow's Ethernet network infrastructures.
Technology Platforms
Brocade incorporates intelligence directly into its storage networking solutions to create highly available, scalable, and secure environments for storage applications.
Standards Leadership
Through investments in new technologies and interoperability labs, Brocade continues to further standards development and facilitate end-to-end interoperability in heterogeneous environments.
Compatibility
Brocade offers the highest level of fabric switching and device compatibility, helping organizations maximize the value of their data center infrastructure investments.
DCB and FCoE
Since its inception, Brocade has been a driving force behind open industry standards for data center networking technologies.
Technology and Architecture Resources
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Glossaries
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Matrices
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Brocade Compatibility Matrix (1.6 MB)
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Brocade Fabric OS Features Summary (954.8 KB)
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Brocade Fabric OS Product Line Guide (2.9 MB)
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Brocade M-Series Products Fabric Guidelines (250.9 KB)
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Brocade Scalability Guidelines (110.1 KB)
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Data Center Ready Compatibility Matrix that includes 2 Gbit/sec platforms (917.5 KB)
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OPENready Product Compatibility Matrice (654.1 KB)
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SAN Health Support Matrix (31.5 KB)
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Transceiver Platform Support Matrix (342.8 KB)
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Technical Briefs
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Adaptive Networking - Advanced Data Center Fabric Technology (399.8 KB)
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Brocade Data Center Fabric Manager: End-to-End Fabric Management in the Evolving Data Center (2.9 MB)
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Brocade DCX Integration for M-Series Customers (1031.1 KB)
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Brocade Emulation and Tape Pipelining for FICON (354.7 KB)
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Connecting Servers in a DMZ to a Fibre Channel SAN (362.7 KB)
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Extending Fabric Services to the Server with Brocade HBAs (216 KB)
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Introducing the Brocade Data Center Fabric (738.7 KB)
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Leveraging 8Gb Fibre Channel End to End in the Data Center (253 KB)
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Leveraging Brocade DCX for Server Virtualization (187.4 KB)
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Migrating from Brocade EFCM to Brocade DCFM (606.6 KB)
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Optimizing Data Center Consolidation with Server Virtualization (269.6 KB)
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Quick Configuration Guide: Access Gateway NPIV with EFCM Management (680.9 KB)
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The Brocade Data Center Fabric Reference Architecture of VMware vSphere 4 (208.4 KB)
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The Brocade DCF Architecture and the Brocade DCX Backbone (38.8 KB)
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The Brocade DCX Backbone and the Evolving Data Center (172.1 KB)
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Using the Brocade DCX Backbone to Transform a Brocade SAN into a Data Center Fabric (541.4 KB)
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Virtualizing SAN Connectivity with VMware Infrastructure 3 and Brocade Data Center Fabric Services (254 KB)
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Why Fibre Channel over Ethernet? (240.9 KB)
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White Papers
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Achieving Enterprise SAN Performance with the Brocade DCX Backbone (3.8 MB)
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A Real-World Look at Data Center Relocation (269.8 KB)
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Benchmarking Microsoft SQL Server Using VMware ESX Server 3.5 (993.9 KB)
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Best Practices Guide: Cabling the Data Center (11.6 MB)
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Brocade DCFM: Unified Fabric Management in the Evolving Data Center (2.3 MB)
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Brocade FCoE Solutions for Server I/O Convergence (449.1 KB)
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Building a Reliable Foundation for Expanded Data Center Virtualization (820.7 KB)
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Data Management Challenges in the Internet Computing Era (99.7 KB)
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DCX for Mainframe (366.9 KB)
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Facilitating a Holistic Virtualization Solution for the Data Center (209.2 KB)
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FICON Over Extended Distances (231.6 KB)
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Maximizing Efficiency in Block-Level Data Migration (291 KB)
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Native Fabric Connectivity for Today's SANs (337.3 KB)
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Optimizing Storage Data Transfers Over FC ISLs and Long-Distance FCIP WAN Links with FastWrite (153.8 KB)
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Simplifying Data Migration in Heterogeneous Storage Environments (186.4 KB)
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The Benefits of Upgrading a SAN Infrastructure Using Brocade Technology (102.7 KB)
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The Growing Need for Security in Storage Area Networks (776.4 KB)
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Utilizing Brocade Storage Application Services with EMC RecoverPoint (1047.8 KB)
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Virtual Fabrics Provide Administrative Flexibility in a Shared Environment (854.5 KB)
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Virtualizing Embedded Switches: The Next Generation of SAN Connectivity (291.9 KB)
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Browse a complete listing of all Brocade resources. View All Resources
Abstract:
This matrics includes Brocade M-Class directors, switches, and routers as well as legacy McDATA SAN products.
Abstract:
This document details the metrics required to establish whether or not Brocade supports a particular fabric and/or metaSAN configuration. It provides scalability guidelines that can be used to design and deploy extremely stable Fibre Channel SANs.
Abstract:
Archive: This document represents the last version of the Brocade Compatibility Matrix that included 2 Gbps devices and is provided here for your convenience.
Abstract:
This matric includes Brocade M-Class directors, switches, and routers as well as legacy McDATA SAN products.
Abstract:
A critical advanced technology integrated into the data center fabric is Brocade Adaptive Networking services. As application consolidation accelerates, service level management gains in importance, Adaptive Networking provides QoS to ensure fabric support for critical application service levels.
Abstract:
Providing server connectivity products is the next step in fulfilling Brocade’s mission to deliver enterprise-class, end-to-end storage networking solutions. With Brocade server connectivity solutions, Brocade is now extending fabric-based services to data center server platforms for dependable and high-performance storage access.
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The evolving data center fabric exploits developing virtualization technologies for a data- and application-driven solution that reduces complexity and enables end-to-end management on a common framework.
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Describes how to migrate from Brocade EFCM to Brocade DCFM including planning, installation and deployment, and post-deployment configuration.
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The guiding principles driving a new architecture for the data center include consolidation, virtualization, service-level resource allocation, and policy-based data management. These principles simplify how business exploits its data for competitive advantage in a cost-effective manner.
Abstract:
The evolving data center requires innovative technology in the fabric networks that connect servers to servers, servers to storage, and storage to storage.
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Describes and illustrates scenarios that demonstrate how the Brocade DCX Backbone platform can be added non-disruptively into the core of existing SANs and new data center fabrics.
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Describes the internal architecture of the Brocade DCX Backbone and explains how best to leverage its industry-leading performance and blade flexibility to meet business requirements.
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This paper delves into the experiences of 30 IT managers who relocated their data centers, analyzing the primary drivers, issues, strategies, and lessons learned.
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The results of a benchmarking study performed in Brocade test labs demonstrate that SQL Server can be deployed on VMware ESX Server 3.5 for Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) applications in very favorable server consolidation ratios to meet corporate IT business requirements.
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This guide describes best practices for incorporating cabling in a typical data center, plus tips for selecting cabling components and information on data transmission media.
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This paper explores how key capabilities within Brocade Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM) help simplify infrastructure management.
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This paper describes the basics of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and how Brocade FCoE solutions provide greater choice in modern data centers.
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This paper describes how System z users can leverage the Brocade DCX Backbone to address their most pressing business challenges while preparing for future technologies.
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This paper examines how FICON channel architecture greatly expands the distance, throughput, and scale of implementation for IBM mainframe environments.
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This paper explores the challenges of block-level data migrations and how Brocade Data Migration Manager increases data migration efficiency while reducing risk and operational costs.
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This paper explores the various approaches Brocade is taking toward heterogeneous fabric connectivity following its acquisition of McDATA.
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This paper describes how FastWrite, a Brocade capability available in Brocade SAN Routers, addresses the performance issues of SCSI write operations over long-distance, high-latency links.
Abstract:
Brocade Data Migration Manager (DMM) is designed to provide a fast, reliable, and cost-effective way to simplify data movement.
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This paper outlines key aspects of SAN security and ways that new features in Brocade Fabric OS 6.0 help increase SAN security in enterprise environments.
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This paper examines how Brocade Storage Application Services enable EMC RecoverPoint to support heterogeneous fabric-based data replication for all open-system server solutions across any distance.
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Describes a FOS 6.2 capability: Virtual Fabrics (VFs). Using VFs, customers can partition a physical switch into multiple Logical Switches, each of which belongs to a Logical Fabric, which has independent data paths, fabric configuration (zoning, Quality of Service, fabric mode) ,and management.
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This paper examines the fundamentals and benefits of the Brocade Access Gateway, the latest evolution in Fibre Channel SAN connectivity built on blade server technology.