The latest innovation from Brocade is an entry-level 16 Gbps fibre channel switch and new host bus adapters (HBAs) that also operate at the latest 16-Gbps storage area networking (SAN) standard.
The new Brocade 6505 Switch is available now through Brocade channel and OEM partners, including EMC, Fujitsu, HP, HDS, IBM and NetApp, the company said.
The new Brocade 6505 FC switch is available in a 1U-high enclosure and can be configured in 12 or 24 ports, supporting 2, 4, 8 or 16 Gbps speeds. Brocade has added new, industry-first virtualisation functionality between Brocade adapters and switches to simplify server deployment and management, representatives said.
IBM takes the lead among Brocade’s OEM partners in offering customers the 16-Gbps fibre channel embedded switch and mezzanine card as part of its high-performance blade server IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node, a key component of the new IBM PureSystems, it was reported. The embedded switches offer up to 48 ports. This will be available from May of this year. Brocade stand-alone 16 Gbps HBAs are now available for integration with IBM System x enterprise servers. The adapters include dynamic fabric provisioning, which virtualises connections between the Brocade adapters and switches to simplify server deployment and reconfiguration. It also features Brocade Diagnostic Ports capability, previously offered only on switches, so administrators can quickly identify and isolate problems for optics and cables, the company added.
Recent reports by the Dell’Oro Group show that the fibre channel market is booming. This could possibly be attributed to its suitability in supporting highly virtualised data centres and private cloud environments which is a fast growing trend on account of the huge storage need of enterprises.
