Back to: Brocade FC (Fibre Channel) Switches
The 1st Generation Brocade Fibre Channel switches (1 Gbps) were introduced in the late 1990s and laid the foundation for SAN environments. Here’s a list of the key models from that era:
- Brocade SilkWorm 1000 (1997)
- Brocade’s first Fibre Channel switch.
- Supported 1 Gbps FC.
- 8 ports — primarily used for small SANs.
- Brocade SilkWorm 2000 (1998)
- Improved port density with up to 16 ports.
- 1 Gbps FC.
- Introduced zoning capabilities for better SAN segmentation.
- Brocade SilkWorm 2400 (1999)
- 1 Gbps with 16–24 ports.
- Added support for fabric services and scalability.
- A step towards more reliable and flexible SAN architectures.
These early switches focused on basic SAN connectivity, helping organizations move from direct-attached storage (DAS) to more flexible, centralized storage networks.
