Brocade announced a series of data center fabric switches and server HBAs that deliver a new level of end-to-end data center networking performance. In addition, the Company announced advanced networking capabilities across both switches and HBAs that simplifies the end-to-end management of server and storage environments, including data migration and data security, in data centers.

Augmenting the performance of the Brocade DCX Backbone and 48000 director, the new family of 8Gbit/sec fibre channel switches ranges in capacity from 8 to 80 ports, and offers high levels of performance in the industry. Brocade's new 8Gbit/sec HBAs also set new performance standards, and leverage Brocade's technological expertise in delivering advanced capabilities for storage and data center networks. Together, the new products offer unmatched server-to-storage connectivity and capabilities, supporting features such as fabric Quality of Service (QoS), traffic management and other Adaptive Networking services that benefit evolving data centers.

"The use of server virtualization for optimized asset utilization and cost-effective disaster recovery is driving the need for more dynamic movement of data and applications across different physical server environments," said Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) Analyst Bob Laliberte. "QoS and flow control characteristics associated with these 'mobile' applications need to follow the application as it moves among systems. Brocade's 8Gbit/sec switches and HBAs provide the performance levels and end-to-end adaptive networking services capabilities to address these real 'next-generation' challenges."

According to a recent ESG survey, enterprise customers currently using server virtualization expect to double the number of physical servers equipped for virtualization and increase the number of virtual servers running on them by more than 150%. With this tremendous growth, data center managers will require high performance networks with the capability to assign network services like bandwidth or priority to each guest on a virtual server. Brocade is the first company to offer these "end-to-end" capabilities that extend from the application to the physical and virtual server, through the data center fabric and to storage devices with adaptive networking capabilities.

Brocade server-to-storage connectivity solutions are an integral component of Brocade's Data Center Fabric (DCF) architecture. The Brocade DCF architecture is an open framework that allows customers to evolve their data center infrastructures for maximum performance, flexibility, and investment protection. As data centers become increasingly virtualized, Brocade's DCF architecture and products will deliver integrated server-to-storage management to better support and manage virtual servers and applications for improved performance and uptime.

"Brocade's reputation as a leader in enterprise data centers is built on our track record of providing high performance, flexible, and intelligent infrastructure for today's, and tomorrow's demanding business applications," said Tom Buiocchi, Brocade Vice President, Worldwide Marketing. "Brocade-engineered innovation and reliability are now extended from the data center network to server platforms for better end-to-end manageability, virtual mobility, security and performance in the data center."