Back to: Brocade FC (Fibre Channel) Switches
The 7th Generation Brocade Fibre Channel switches (64 Gbps) are powered by the advanced Condor 5 ASIC, which delivers significant enhancements in performance, security, and autonomous SAN capabilities. Here’s an overview of these switches and their key features:
🚀 Brocade 7th Generation (64 Gbps) Switches
- Brocade G720 (2020)
- Speed: 64 Gbps Fibre Channel
- Ports: 64 ports in a 1U rack-mountable design
- ASIC: Condor 5
- Key Features:
- Ultra-Low Latency: Delivers 50% lower latency compared to previous generations, optimizing performance for flash and NVMe storage environments. broadcom.com
- High Port Density: Compact form factor with high port count, ideal for dense data center deployments.
- Integrated Analytics: Provides comprehensive telemetry data for powerful analytics and visualization, enabling proactive management.
- Brocade G730 (2022)
- Speed: 64 Gbps Fibre Channel
- Ports: 128 ports in a 2U design
- ASIC: Condor 5
- Key Features:
- Scalability: High-density switch suitable for large-scale enterprise deployments.
- Performance: Offers 50% lower switching latency compared to previous generations. broadcom.com
- Advanced Security: Incorporates autonomous security measures to maintain high levels of protection and resilience.
- Brocade X7 Directors (2020)
- Speed: 64 Gbps Fibre Channel
- Models:
- X7-4: Up to 256 ports
- X7-8: Up to 512 ports
- ASIC: Condor 5
- Key Features:
- Modular Scalability: Designed for large-scale enterprise deployments with a modular chassis supporting extensive port configurations.
- High Availability: Features redundant components and non-disruptive software upgrades for mission-critical environments.
- Integrated Analytics: Provides comprehensive telemetry data for powerful analytics and visualization, enabling proactive management.
- Brocade G710 (2025)
- Speed: 64 Gbps Fibre Channel
- Ports: 8 to 24 ports (scalable)
- ASIC: Condor 5
- Key Features:
- Cost-Effective Entry Point: Provides low-cost access to Gen 7 Fibre Channel technology, ideal for small to mid-sized businesses.
- Ultra-Low Latency: Offers 460 ns port-to-port latency at 64G speed, the lowest in the industry.
- Energy Efficiency: Consumes approximately 65 watts, making it the most energy-efficient Fibre Channel switch available.
🌟 Key Innovations of 7th Generation Brocade Switches:
- Condor 5 ASIC:
- Enhanced Performance: Supports 64 Gbps line-rate speeds with ultra-low latency, essential for high-demand applications and all-flash storage arrays.
- Advanced Security: Incorporates autonomous security measures to maintain high levels of protection and resilience.
- Autonomous SAN Capabilities: Enables self-learning, self-optimizing, and self-healing features, simplifying management and enhancing reliability.
- 64 Gbps Fibre Channel: Doubles the throughput of previous generations, accommodating the increasing demands of high-performance applications and all-flash storage arrays.
- Integrated Analytics and Automation: Provides comprehensive telemetry and visualization tools, enabling proactive monitoring and automated management to reduce operational complexities.
