Brocade Fibre Channel (FC) switches, now under Broadcom, are widely used in storage area networks (SANs) to provide high-performance, low-latency, and reliable connectivity between storage devices and servers. They support speeds up to 128 Gbps (Gen 7) and offer advanced features like zoning, trunking, and encryption for secure data transfers.
Key Features of Brocade FC Switches:
- High-Speed Connectivity – Supports speeds from 8 Gbps to 128 Gbps.
- Zoning – Helps in isolating traffic for security and performance.
- Trunking – Aggregates multiple ISLs (Inter-Switch Links) for increased bandwidth.
- Fabric Vision Technology – Advanced monitoring and diagnostics.
- NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization) – Enables multiple virtual machines to share a single physical HBA port.
- FOS (Fabric OS) – The operating system that runs Brocade switches, offering CLI and GUI (Web Tools) management.
- Monitoring & Analytics – Real-time performance tracking using MAPS (Monitoring and Alerting Policy Suite).
Common Models:
Brocade 6520/6510/6505 – Legacy switches supporting 16/32 Gbps.
Brocade G720 – 64-port, 32/64/128 Gbps FC switch.
Brocade G620 – 48-port, 32 Gbps FC switch.
Brocade G630 – 128-port, high-density SAN switch.
Management & Configuration Tools:
- SANnav Management Portal – Modern web-based SAN management tool that replaces Brocade Network Advisor (BNA) for Gen 6 and Gen 7 switches.
- Brocade Network Advisor (BNA) – Legacy GUI-based management tool for older Brocade switches.
- CLI (Command Line Interface) – Used for detailed configuration and troubleshooting.
- Web Tools – Browser-based management for individual switch configuration and monitoring.
Typical Use Cases:
- Enterprise data centers with mission-critical SAN environments.
- Hybrid cloud storage requiring fast FC connectivity.
- Multi-vendor storage setups integrating NetApp, Dell EMC, Pure Storage, IBM, etc.