Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)

Back to: Brocade FC (Fibre Channel) Switches

Brocade designs its Fibre Channel ASICs for performing switching functions in its SAN switches. These ASICs are purpose-built to handle storage traffic with minimal latency and maximum throughput. Let’s break down the types of ASICs, their generations, and their key details.

Types of Brocade ASICs

1. Stitch ASIC (Generation 1, 1997)
   • Supports up to 8 ports.
   • Frame processing time: ~200 nanoseconds.
   • Negotiable speed: 1G to 2G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
2. Loom ASIC (Generation 2, 1999)
   • Supports up to 16 ports.
   • Frame processing time: ~150 nanoseconds.
   • Negotiable speed: 1G to 4G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
3. Bloom and Bloom-2 ASIC (Generation 3, 2001)
   • Supports up to 32 ports.
   • Frame processing time: ~100 nanoseconds.
   • Negotiable speed: 2G to 8G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
4. Golden Eye ASIC (Generation 4, 2004)
   • Supports up to 48 ports.
   • Frame processing time: ~50 nanoseconds.
   • Negotiable speed: 4G to 8G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
5. Condor ASIC (Generation 4, 2004)
   • Used in SilkWorm 48000 Directors and FR4-18i Extension Blade.
   • Supports up to 48 ports.
   • Frame processing time: ~50 nanoseconds.
   • Negotiable speed: 4G to 8G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
6. Condor2 ASIC (Generation 5, 2008)
   • Powers DCX Backbone Family, FX8-24 Extension Blade, and 5300 switches.
   • Supports up to 40 ports.
   • Negotiable speed: Up to 8G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
7. GoldenEye2 ASIC (Generation 5, 2008)
   • Supports up to 32 ports.
   • Negotiable speed: Up to 8G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
8. Condor3 ASIC (Generation 6, 2011)
   • Used in DCX 8510, 6505/6510/6520 switches.
   • Supports 48 ports.
   • Negotiable speed: Up to 16G FC (Auto-negotiation supported).
9. Condor4 ASIC (Generation 7, 2017)
   • Powers X6 Directors and G610/G620/G630 switches.
   • Supports 32G FC.
   • Optimized for NVMe-over-FC traffic.
   • Includes advanced telemetry capabilities for proactive monitoring.
10. Condor5 ASIC (Generation 8)
    • Used in X7 Directors, G720, and 7850 Extension Switch.
    • Supports 64G FC.
11. GoldenEye5 ASIC (Generation 8)
    • Used in G730 and G710 switches.
    • Supports 64G FC.

Generations of Brocade ASICs

Generation	ASIC Type	Max FC Speed	Ports Supported	Frame Processing Time	Key Features
Gen 1	Stitch	2G FC	8	~200 ns	Basic Fibre Channel switching
Gen 2	Loom	4G FC	16	~150 ns	Improved port density
Gen 3	Bloom, Bloom-2	8G FC	32	~100 ns	Enhanced processing speeds
Gen 4	Golden Eye, Condor	8G FC	48	~50 ns	Basic Fibre Channel switching
Gen 5	Condor2, GoldenEye2	8G FC	40-32	N/A	Used in DCX Backbone Family
Gen 6	Condor3	16G FC	48	N/A	IO Insight, advanced monitoring
Gen 7	Condor4	32G FC	Up to 128	N/A	NVMe-over-FC, real-time telemetry
Gen 8	Condor5, GoldenEye5	64G FC	Up to 128	N/A	High-speed FC, used in X7 Directors

Key Features of Brocade ASICs

• Low Latency: Purpose-built to process Fibre Channel traffic with ultra-low latency.
• Buffering and Queuing: Efficient use of SD-RAM for buffering data during traffic spikes.
• Telemetry: Real-time monitoring of port health and traffic patterns, especially in Gen 6 and newer ASICs.
• NVMe Support: Starting from Condor3, ASICs support NVMe-over-FC for next-gen storage.
• Port Virtualization: ASICs enable dynamic allocation of ports, allowing flexible configurations.

🔥 Key Features of Condor 5 ASIC:

1. Lower Latency for NVMe Workloads:
   • The Condor 5 ASIC reduces latency by 50%, achieving a remarkable 460 nanoseconds (ns) of latency.
   • This is crucial for NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe/FC), as lower latency means faster data transfers — essential for high-speed storage environments.
2. Latency Monitoring Across Fabric:
   • It has the intelligence to learn, measure, and monitor latency for data flows across the storage fabric.
   • This allows administrators to identify bottlenecks and optimize data paths, ensuring smooth storage operations.
3. Increased Buffer Capacity:
   • The Condor 5 offers 50% more buffers per ASIC.
   • Buffers help manage burst workloads (sudden spikes in data flow), support long-distance data transfers, and improve congestion management by queuing data effectively.
4. Support for Multiple Fibre Channel Speeds:
   • It supports a wide range of Fibre Channel speeds: 4, 8, 10, 16, 32, and 64 Gb/s.
   • This flexibility lets you upgrade storage networks progressively without a full hardware overhaul.
5. Enhanced Security:
   • The ASIC provides double encryption and compression capacity.
   • This boosts data protection by encrypting data in transit and reduces data size for more efficient bandwidth usage.

Conclusion

Brocade’s ASICs have evolved over time to meet the increasing demands of modern storage networks. With each generation, Brocade has improved port speeds, monitoring capabilities, and support for advanced protocols like NVMe-over-FC. Understanding these ASICs is crucial for optimizing SAN performance and ensuring seamless data flow.