The 2nd Generation Brocade Fibre Channel switches (2 Gbps) emerged in the early 2000s, offering faster speeds and improved fabric capabilities. Let’s break them down along with their ASIC models:
- Brocade Switch 2800 (2001)
- Speed: 2 Gbps FC
- Ports: 8, 16, or 28 ports
- ASIC: Brocade BLOOM ASIC — introduced fabric services like zoning and advanced frame routing.
- Brocade Switch 3800 (2002)
- Speed: 2 Gbps FC
- Ports: 16 ports (scalable, full fabric switch)
- ASIC: Brocade BLOOM ASIC — improved latency and added support for larger fabrics.
- Brocade Switch 3900 (2002)
- Speed: 2 Gbps FC
- Ports: 32 ports (first high-density switch)
- ASIC: Brocade BLOOM ASIC — designed for core-to-edge fabrics, with better congestion management.
- Brocade Switch 12000 (Director-class) (2002)
- Speed: 2 Gbps FC
- Ports: 64 to 128 ports (modular chassis design)
- ASIC: Brocade BLOOM ASIC — supported enterprise SANs, introduced trunking and advanced fabric services.
- Zoning Enhancements: More flexible zoning configurations compared to 1st-gen.
- Fabric Scalability: Support for larger fabrics, moving from small SANs to more complex core/edge designs.
- Port Trunking: Added to boost aggregate bandwidth between switches.
- Improved ASICs: The BLOOM ASIC brought smarter frame processing and routing, reducing latency.