IBM Storage Networking b-type Gen7 Switches and Directors From Brocade

IBM Storage Networking b-type Gen7 switches and directors offer additional features

Technology is evolving at an incredible pace, and businesses are demanding more from their IT resources and infrastructure.

Rapid adoption of flash storage and the rise of NVMe-based storage unleash advancements in application design that drive new levels of performance and capacity requirements, such as advanced analytics, business intelligence, and data-intensive workloads. With the integration of new technologies that are accelerating the delivery of data and services, the network will need to evolve to keep pace with innovations in storage and the demands of modern applications to maximize the full value of investments in next-gen data center infrastructures.

To meet increasing demands for faster, more reliable data access, organizations need to deploy an infrastructure that reduces latency, increases bandwidth, and ensures continuous availability. Performance is not enough on its own. Analytics and automation capabilities are required to transform current storage networks into an autonomous SAN. This requires a network that is capable of delivering these capabilities to maximize performance, simplify management, and reduce operational costs.

Legacy infrastructure was not designed to support the performance requirements of evolving workloads and NVMe-based storage. In fact, an aging network will impede the performance of the on-demand data center.

By modernizing the storage network with IBM Storage Networking b-type Gen 7, organizations will enable a faster, more intelligent, and more resilient network. This will maximize the performance, productivity, and efficiency of their storage investments and resources, even as they rapidly scale their environments.

Additional 32Gb/s extended long wavelength (ELWL) and 64Gb/s short wavelength (SWL) enhanced small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) transceiver options are available for IBM Storage Networking b-type switches and directors.

An optional Gen 7 inter-chassis link (ICL) kit with 8x32Gb/s 2km quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) is available for both Gen 6 and Gen 7 directors.

Key requirements: Fabric OS 9.0.1a, or later, is required.

Planned availability date: May 14, 2021