DCB/FCoE Solutions

Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is an encapsulation protocol that enables the transport of Fibre Channel storage traffic over a version of Ethernet called Data Center Bridging (DCB). FCoE encapsulates the entire Fibre Channel frame, keeping it intact and unchanged, into DCB frames. This allows FCoE to preserve existing Fibre Channel services and use existing management tools. Enhanced with Fibre Channel-like features, DCB can carry storage traffic while preserving data integrity. The new DCB features are Priority Flow Control (PFC), Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS) or bandwidth management, and Data Center Bridging Exchange (DCBX).

With DCB/FCoE, organizations can configure their servers with Converged Network Adapters (CNAs) from Brocade or third-party vendors, to allow the flow of Fibre Channel SAN traffic and networking LAN traffic over common links. In other words, SAN and LAN traffic can share one physical link.

FIBRE CHANNEL OVER ETHERNET: POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY FOR SERVER I/O CONSOLIDATION

DCB/FCoE solutions enable organizations to consolidate their server I/O using CNAs and DCB/FCoE switches such as the Brocade 8000 Switch and Brocade VDX Data Center Switches. As a result, they can reduce the number of storage and networking adapters needed. That in turn reduces the number of cables and switch ports in every DCB /FCoE configuration.

Simplified configuration and server I/O consolidation reduce hardware and software acquisition costs, also known as Capital Expenses (CapEx). They also reduce Operating Expenses (OpEx) due to lower power consumption and cooling costs. Organizations realize additional OpEx savings through reduced diagnostics and training costs, since they can continue using their existing Fibre Channel management applications.

DCB/FCoE is best suited for new server deployments of Windows and Linux servers running Tier 3 and some Tier 2 applications, especially in virtualized environments.

Non-Disruptive Additions to Fibre Channel SANs

Brocade develops robust DCB/FCoE solutions to future-proof data center SANs. The Brocade VDX Data Center Switches, Brocade 8000 Switch, Brocade 1010/1020 CNAs, Brocade FCOE10-24 Blade for the Brocade DCX Backbone family, Brocade Network Advisor, and Brocade DCFM provide many options for building a unified DCB/FCoE solution that enables organizations to introduce new technologies into existing Fibre Channel SAN environments without disruption. Organizations can continue to use the advanced services and management tools they are accustomed to, such as Brocade DCFM and Brocade Network Advisor.

An Evolutionary Approach

The Brocade data center networking strategy seamlessly integrates existing and future technologies, enabling organizations to leverage FCoE when and where it is cost-effective to do so. As a result, they can deploy DCB/FCoE on their own schedule without disrupting operations or having to rip and replace their existing solutions.

In this way, organizations will be able to share a single physical transport for multiple protocols, including Fibre Channel, TCP/IP, InfiniBand, and FCoE. This level of consolidation helps:

• Eliminate extraneous hardware and cabling
• Reduce capital and operating expenses
• Mitigate complexity to simplify IT management
• Reduce power consumption and the carbon footprint of the data center

Brocade anticipates that organizations will deploy DCB/FCoE switches and CNAs to enable the flow of SAN and LAN traffic from the server to the switch. Once the unified traffic arrives at the DCB/FCoE switch, it will be inspected, separated, and forwarded to the proper destination. Fibre Channel traffic gets forwarded to SANs over Fibre Channel ports, while LAN traffic is sent over DCB ports to its next destination.

Brocade Server I/O Consolidation with DCB/FCoE

Brocade is helping to drive the FCoE standard and taking a non-disruptive and evolutionary approach to deliver the right solutions for tomorrow’s data centers. The first step in that direction is the deployment of a top-of-rack DCB/FCoE switches, such as the Brocade VDX Data Center Switches or the Brocade 8000 Switch. As the standards become more defined and the technology more robust, DCB/FCoE solutions will ultimately move from the server edge into other areas of the data center.

Brocade is developing a wide range of switches, CNAs, blades, and management applications that together make up a best-in-class server I/O consolidation solution, providing the greatest flexibility for deploying DCB/FCoE in new or existing infrastructures. These solutions will enable organizations to converge server I/O for a wide range of access layer server types:

• Rack server I/O convergence with top-of-rack DCB/FCoE switches
• Blade server I/O convergence with mezzanine adapters
• Rack server with standup adapters
• Pedestal server with standup adapters
• Blade server I/O convergence with blade server DCB/FCoE switch modules
• First-hop access layer server I/O consolidation with DCB/FCoE blades for end-of-row deployment using Brocade DCX Backbones

• Data Sheets

  • Brocade 7800 Extension Switch (1.1 MB)

  • Brocade Advanced Accelerator for FICON (843 KB)

  • Brocade FX8-24 Extension Blade (1.1 MB)

  • Brocade VDX 6710 Data Center Switches - Revolutionizing the Way Data Center Networks Are Built (1.3 MB)

  • Brocade VDX 6720 Data Center Switches - Revolutionizing the Way Data Center Networks Are Built (1.3 MB)

  • Brocade VDX 6730 Data Center Switches - Revolutionizing the Way Data Center Networks Are Built (1.5 MB)

• FAQs

  • Brocade Advanced Accelerator for FICON FAQ (46.8 KB)

  • Brocade FX8-24 and Brocade 7800 Extension Solutions FAQs (101.6 KB)

• Technical Briefs

  • Brocade Adaptive Rate Limiting Adaptive (630.1 KB)

  • Brocade Open Systems Tape Pipelining, FastWrite, and Storage-Optimized TCP (945.2 KB)

  • FCIP Trunking (2.4 MB)

• White Papers

  • Brocade Solutions for iSCSI Storage Area Networks (2.3 MB)

  • Why Switched FICON? (Switched FICON vs. Direct-Attached FICON) (1.7 MB)