DCX Backbones
Brocade DCX Backbone family includes highly robust 8 Gbps
network switching platforms that combine breakthrough performance,
scalability, and energy efficiency with long-term investment
protection.
Supporting open systems and System z environments, Brocade DCX
Backbones are designed to address the data growth and application
demands of evolving enterprise data centers; enable server, SAN,
and data center consolidation; and reduce infrastructure and
administrative costs.
Choice at the Core and at the Edge
Brocade DCX Backbones are available in two modular form factors.
Built for large enterprise networks, the 14U Brocade DCX has eight
vertical blade slots to provide up to 384 Fibre Channel ports using
Brocade-branded 4 Gbps or 8 Gbps SFPs. Built for midsize networks,
the 8U Brocade DCX-4S has four horizontal blade slots to provide up
to 192 Fibre Channel ports.
Both models feature ultra-high-speed Inter-Chassis Link (ICL)
ports to connect up to three backbones, providing extensive
scalability and flexibility at the network core. At the network
edge, organizations can utilize Brocade 8 Gbps switches, Brocade
48000 Directors, or-for complete backbone-class capabilities-the
Brocade DCX-4S.
Industry-Leading Performance, Scalability, and Energy
Efficiency
Delivering uncongested 8 Gbps throughput and four times the
performance of competitive offerings, Brocade DCX Backbones enable
enterprises to:
- Achieve greater server, storage, network, and data center
consolidation
- Broaden server virtualization with more-and more
demanding-virtual machines on fewer physical servers
- Reduce equipment, facility, and overhead costs
- Scale efficiently and non-disruptively to meet storage growth
and application demands
Brocade DCX Backbones are also ten times more energy efficient
than competitive offerings. In addition to helping organizations
reduce energy costs and achieve "green" initiatives, Brocade DCX
Backbones free up limited power and cooling resources in the data
center for more servers and storage arrays.
Flexible, Multi-protocol Architecture
The Brocade DCX family supports 1/2/4/8/10Gbps Fibre Channel and
FICON®, FCIP, and IPFC. To consolidate server I/O for open
systems using emerging Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and
Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE), Brocade DCX Backbones can
provide high density, end-of-row connectivity. Alternatively,
Brocade 8000 top-of-rack switches can be connected over Fibre
Channel ISLs to DCX Backbones in the network core.
Native B- and M-Series connectivity enables organizations to
leverage current Brocade investments without risk, disruption, or
management complexity. Brocade DCX Backbones include a
Virtual Fabrics feature that enables partitioning of a physical SAN
into logical fabrics and isolation by application, business group,
customer, or traffic type. Optional Fibre Channel Integrated
Routing alleviates the need for special-purpose blades or routers
to connect servers and storage in separate fabrics. And optional
SAN extension over long-distance IP connections accelerates offsite
replication, backup, and restore.
Powered by Brocade FOS with Intelligent
Management
Brocade DCX Backbones utilize Brocade's powerful Fabric Operating
System (FOS), delivering advanced capabilities to include
Bottleneck Detection, Top Talkers, and Adaptive Networking, a suite
of tools that helps optimize fabric behavior and ensure ample
bandwidth for critical apps. To maximize network performance and
reduce administrative overhead, Brocade DCFM provides intuitive
system configuration, comprehensive management, and a
topology-centric view of the network fabric.
Fabric-Based Data Encryption and Protection
Brocade DCX Backbones deliver high-speed, highly secure
fabric-based encryption of data on disk or tape with integrated
support for leading key management solutions. This enables
organizations to further prevent exposure of sensitive information,
fulfill compliance requirements, and reduce administrative overhead
and complexity.
Through integration with third-party applications, Brocade DCX
Backbones also help enterprises to continuously protect data
without impacting server resources, recover instantly to any point
in time, and scale third-party applications across heterogeneous
environments.
Brocade HBAs, CNAs, and Optical Transceiver
Modules
Brocade HBAs and CNAs deliver industry-leading server connectivity
to Brocade DCX Backbones coupled with unified management using
Brocade DCFM. Users also have the flexibility of
utilizing third-party server connections.
When using 4Gbps or 8Gbps Fibre Channel connections to servers,
switches, or storage devices, Brocade DCX Backbones require Brocade
optical transceiver modules. Available in multiple models to
satisfy a wide range of requirements. these Small Form-factor
Pluggable (SFP) modules are optimized for Brocade 8Gbps products to
maximize performance, reduce power consumption, and help ensure the
highest availability of mission-critical applications.
