Brocade Core Switch Architecture

Back to: Brocade FC (Fibre Channel) Switches

Chassis Design

The Brocade Core switch, including models X6-8, X7-8, DXC8150-8, X6-4, X7-4, and DCX8150-4, is built on a chassis design consisting of 12 slots for the 8-slot models and 8 slots for the 4-slot models. These slots are dedicated for specific purposes as outlined below:

• Port Blades:
  • 8-slot models (X6-8, X7-8, DXC8150-8): Slots 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12
  • 4-slot models (X6-4, X7-4, DCX8150-4): Slots 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Available port blade sizes in the market: 16, 32, 48, and 64 ports.
  • Port blade oversubscription ratios:
    • 16-port: 1:1 (no oversubscription)
    • 32-port: 2:1
    • 48-port: 4:1
    • 64-port: 8:1
  • Back-end bandwidth: Each port blade connects to the backplane, ensuring high-speed data transfer, typically supporting up to 768 Gbps per slot.
• Core Processor (CP) Blades:
  • 8-slot models: Slots 6, 7
  • 4-slot models: Slots 3, 4
  • CP blades work in an Active-Passive configuration.
  • CP blades are labeled as:
    • CP0 (Active)
    • CP1 (Standby)
  • CP Blade Components:
    • 1 Processor
    • RAM
    • Flash storage
  • Interfaces on each CP blade:
    1. USB port
    2. Ethernet ports:
       • Eth0 (Management port)
       • Eth1 (Service port)
    3. Console port
    4. Active LED indicator
  • Default IP Addresses:
    • Management IP (Eth0): 10.77.77.77
    • Service IPs (Eth1):
      • 10.77.77.75
      • 10.77.77.74
    • Each Core switch requires three IP addresses:
      • One for Management
      • Two for Service
• Core Routing (CR) Blades:
  • 8-slot models: Slots 5, 8
  • 4-slot models: Slots 1, 2
  • CR blades handle high-speed data routing between port blades and other switches.

Fans and Sensors

Brocade Core switches are equipped with robust cooling and monitoring systems to ensure optimal performance and prevent hardware failures.

• Fans:
  • Redundant fan modules are installed to maintain proper airflow across all blades.
  • Each chassis includes hot-swappable fan units, ensuring continuous operation during maintenance.
  • Fans automatically adjust speed based on temperature sensors, optimizing cooling efficiency.
• Sensors:
  • Temperature sensors are strategically placed throughout the chassis, including near critical components like CP and CR blades.
  • Voltage sensors monitor power supply levels.
  • Environmental sensors track humidity and other physical conditions.
  • All sensor data can be monitored via the CLI or Brocade’s SANnav management software, with configurable thresholds for alerts.

Inter-Chassis Link (ICL)

To connect two Core switches, Inter-Chassis Links (ICL) are used.

• Each Core switch contains 1 ICL slot with two ICL ports.
• These high-speed ports enable seamless interconnection, ensuring minimal latency and maximum throughput between Core switches.
• ICL Port Speeds:
  • 32 Gbps
  • 64 Gbps
  • 128 Gbps (using channel bonding or aggregation)

Summary

The Brocade Core switch’s architecture, across models X6-8, X7-8, DXC8150-8, X6-4, X7-4, and DCX8150-4, ensures high availability, redundancy, and high-speed data processing through a well-defined slot and blade configuration. The CP blades work in an active-passive mode, and the Core Routing blades handle the traffic efficiently, while port blades allow for scalable port densities. The ICL ports facilitate strong interconnectivity between core switches, maintaining a robust network backbone.

The inclusion of fans and sensors ensures optimal hardware conditions, preventing overheating and hardware malfunctions, while enabling real-time monitoring through Brocade’s management tools.