Broadcom Launches Brocade G730 64Gb FC 128-Port Core Switch Platform

Broadcom Inc. announced a secure and high density Gen 7 64Gb FC switch platform, the Brocade G730 switch, a 128-port core switching platform for the autonomous SAN.

Additionally, it doubles density 64Gb FC optical transceiver that expands the port density for the Brocade G730 and G720 switches.

Brocade Gen 7 FC safeguards and modernizes the SAN vs. cybersecurity and BC challenges that threaten to disrupt data center operations. It is a cyber resilient network for storage, protecting enterprises vs. cybersecurity threats as well as disruptions or outages from catastrophic events.

New integrated security technology protects mission critical operations by validating the integrity of Gen 7 hardware and software.

Enhanced autonomous SAN capabilities transform billions of telemetry data points into automated actions that ensure the reliability and performance of critical applications, virtual infrastructure, and NVMe storage. With the launch of the Brocade G730 switch, the company continues to extend industry 64Gb FC portfolio.

“Broadcom is modernizing the storage network to overcome cybersecurity vulnerabilities and the realities of technology obsolescence,” said Jack Rondoni, SVP and GM, Brocade storage networking division, Broadcom. “Upgrading a network removes the risks of legacy technology and enables our customers to take advantage of the innovations delivered in Brocade Gen 7 FC. Enhanced security and autonomous SAN technology takes the guesswork out of protecting and managing a network.“

Enterprises have never had so many infrastructure technology choices. Staying ahead of the technology curve enables competitive advantages through infrastructure. A Brocade Gen 7 cyber resilient network protects vs. security threats, enables non-stop operations, and maximizes management automation. FC fabrics are secure by design, based on controlled access between servers and storage and isolation within the data center. Brocade Gen 7 technology further reduces the vulnerabilities from malware and hijacking attacks, by validating the integrity of the switch OS, security settings, and hardware.

“Security remains a top priority for enterprise customers that are modernizing their IT infrastructure to keep up with the demands of new workloads,” said Eric Burgener, research VP, infrastructure systems, platforms and technologies group, IDC. “FC is inherently secure based on its point-to-point architecture that minimizes the impact of a compromised server or network attack. Gen 7 FC enables the highest levels of security, reliability, and performance for enterprises that are looking to modernize their storage networks.“

The company introduced autonomous SAN technology with the Brocade Gen 7 FC to simplify and automate management. Its self-optimizing and self-healing capabilities maximize performance and availability, by automatically detecting and mitigating issues that can lead to disruptions or outages to applications and data access. By understanding and analyzing network telemetry data in real time, the SAN can automatically make intelligent decisions on traffic prioritization and congestion mitigation to ensure non-stop operations.

With almost 3 decades in the data center, the firm understands the cybersecurity and BC requirements for enterprise storage customers. It has integrated that knowledge into a rules-based engine resident in the fabric, providing the fastest possible problem mitigation. FC continues to be an essential piece of most enterprises’ critical storage infrastructure due to its security, reliability, and long-lasting investment protection. With a foundation of 6-nines availability and multi-general compatibility, FC continues to add new capabilities and value to address the evolving needs of storage customers.

Brocade G730 switch: High-density building block for increased scalability
Create high-scale fabrics in less rack space with the industry’s highest-density 64Gb/s switch. The Brocade G730 Switch provides 128 64Gb line rate ports in a 2RU design and 50% lower switching latency compared to previous gens to maximize performance of NVMe storage. Performance, integrated security, and autonomous SAN management technologies enable a cyber resilient network for mission-critical storage.

The Brocade 64G double density optical transceiver (SFP-DD). Next-gen transceiver enables high density 64Gb/s switch portfolio. Connect more servers, storage or switches in the same footprint with the FC first double density optical transceiver. It delivers port density on the Brocade Gen 7 switches: up to 128 ports on the G730 (2RU) and 64 ports on the G720 (1RU).

Brocade G730 and G720 Switches and 64Gb Double Density Optical Transceivers and Ports-on-Demand kits are available.

Dave Lincoln, VP, product management, Dell Technologies, Inc., said: “Dell Connectrix B-Series 64G FC switches deliver the security, end-to-end NVMe performance, and reliability required by today’s enterprise data centers. Our longstanding collaboration with Broadcom, and validated interoperability with Dell infrastructure, ensures that customers will be able to easily and confidently deploy these new switches to support the most demanding workloads with superior performance.“

Olivier Delachapelle, head, product line management Europe, Fujitsu Ltd., said: “Broadcom’s launch of its high-density Brocade Gen 7 FC SAN switch and double-density SFP, combined with the autonomous capabilities inherent in Gen 7 FC, gives customers the foundation of a modern IT infrastructure. In a world where security and BC are critical, it gives tremendous peace of mind to know that Gen 7 FC SANs from Broadcom are widely-trusted and deployed when it matters the most.”

Patrick Osborne, VP and GM, collaborative products and big data, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, said: “HPE’s cloud data services help customers unlock value from all of their data, everywhere. Together with Broadcom, HPE helps customers accelerate mission-critical workloads and sets the foundation for high-speed NVMe fabrics with secure, self-healing storage. Continued innovations to the Broadcom Gen 7 networking portfolio, combined with HPE Alletra cloud-native infrastructure, and HPE GreenLake, help our customers fast track their digital transformations from edge to cloud.“

Dan McConnell, SVP, product management, Hitachi Vantara LLC, said: “Collaborating for more than 20 years, Broadcom and Hitachi Vantara have once again joined forces to develop innovative infrastructure solutions for the on-demand data center. The Hitachi VSP family, coupled with the expanded Brocade Gen 7 FC portfolio, not only delivers industry-leading performance, to take maximum advantage of low latency, high performance fabrics, but also provides the industry’s most cyber resilient network for storage, protecting enterprise from cyber threats and costly disruptions.”

Hui Li, GM, storage, Inspur Electronic Information Industry Co.Ltd. , said: “We are pleased to once again collaborate with Broadcom to deliver industry-leading solutions. Combining the new cutting-edge capabilities of the Brocade G730 switch with Inspur Information’s new storage G6 platform, we can now offer customers the autonomous SAN technology with the cybersecurity and BC data efficiency they demand. Further, we look forward to creating end-to-end solutions that help increase the productivity of our customers and accelerate the digital economy.“

Stuart McRae, executive director and GM, data management and storage, Lenovo corporation, said: “Lenovo Storage, with our Broadcom partnership, delivers integrated end-to-end FC and NVMe-FC solutions built on Gen 7 SAN infrastructure that accelerates our customers’ applications and increases their data security, while reducing operational expense and providing investment protection. With this announcement, the Lenovo ThinkSystem DB720S Gen 7 scales up to 64 ports each with 64Gb/s bandwidth, while offering new self-healing, self-optimizing, and cyber resiliency capabilities.“

Phil Brotherton, VP, solutions and alliances group, NetApp, Inc., said: “Broadcom’s customer-centric technology is one of the primary reasons for our successful relationship, which has resulted in thousands of customers embracing NetApp and Broadcom’s hybrid cloud SAN solutions. The combination of the new Brocade G730 and NetApp’s ONTAP portfolio of solutions furthers our ability to provide customers with automated management, self-optimizing, self-healing capabilities, and a cyber resilient network that will help make the lives of front-line IT staff much easier- resulting in optimal performance and access for mission critical SAN deployments.“

AJ Kapase, AVP, global strategic alliances, Pure Storage, Inc., said: “The collaboration between Pure Storage and Broadcom continues to drive innovation for the modern data experience, by delivering industry-leading solutions that provide predictable workload performance and improved data mobility for the enterprise customer. Brocade’s Gen 7 autonomous SAN capabilities and integrated security features will help create a more cyber resilient network for our customers.”