Brocade and IBM have completed systems integration testing of the Brocade 8 Gbit/sec Fibre Channel HBAs with the IBM System x server family.

The Brocade Fibre Channel HBAs are an ideal complement to the IBM System x family, which includes a spectrum of powerful, scalable, efficient systems for every environment from a small office to high-performance data center. IBM has made the Brocade Fibre Channel HBAs available as a peripheral option for IBM System x servers

Brocade HBA Benefits for IBM System x Environments:

• Brocade and IBM will now deliver a new class of server connectivity that leverages Brocade Advanced Fabric Services to meet the urgent needs of IBM System x customers to make their data centers more efficient, reliable, and adaptable
• Brocade HBAs deliver unique breakthrough performance and end-to-end networking capabilities for IBM customers considering server virtualization as part of their data center strategy

The Brocade End-to-End Advantage:
Augmenting the industry-leading performance of the Brocade DCX Backbone family, the innovative Brocade 8 Gbit/sec HBAs utilize an industry-first integration of important adapter functions, such as virtual channels, into high-performance hardware
Brocade end-to-end data center solutions offer unmatched server-to-storage connectivity as well as Brocade Adaptive Networking services such as true Quality of Service (QoS) from server virtual machines to storage array ports and traffic management
Brocade 8 Gbit/sec HBAs are designed to extend I/O performance at the server up to an industry-best 500,000 Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) per port, an important factor in high transaction-oriented environments such as database and e-mail messaging systems
Brocade 8 Gbit/sec HBAs provide twice the throughput of competing products [Medusa Labs, Brocade Solutions Center]
Brocade 8 Gbit/sec HBAs support data authentication features that help ensure faster and more secure communications between virtual servers and storage
“IBM’s System x family of x86 servers deliver the industry’s broadest and most robust line and is known for its superior performance," said James Northington, vice president of IBM System x. “We are excited to add Brocade’s end-to-end solutions to our portfolio because they offer our customers a cost-effective choice with enhanced performance.”

“With the introduction of our 8 Gbit/sec HBAs, Brocade and IBM are delivering a new class of server connectivity for the virtualized data center,” said Luc Moyen, vice president and general manager of the Brocade Data Storage Product Division. “We are addressing the business needs to make data centers more efficient, reliable, and adaptable, and our HBAs allow customers to consolidate more servers and virtualize server-to-storage environments while simplifying overall management of service levels across the SAN.”