Brocade 4Gb and 8Gb HBAs as Well as FCoE Switches for HP Customers

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. announced that the Brocade 4 and 8 Gbps Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapters (HBAs) have been successfully tested on the HP ProLiant server platform, and the HP StorageWorks Modular Storage Array (MSA) and Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) disk storage platforms.

The new Brocade 8000 Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) switch, which enables the consolidation of storage and IP networking ports at the server edge, will also be offered by HP to its customers. The Brocade 8000 connects to HP servers to help meet the performance and cost requirements of next-generation data centers.

High-Performance Server Connectivity Solutions
for Data Center Innovation
The Brocade FC HBAs are an ideal complement to the HP ProLiant server platform, delivering a new class of server connectivity capabilities that meet the needs of HP ProLiant server customers and help them make their data centers more efficient, reliable, and adaptable.

Brocade HBAs are designed to extend I/O performance for HP ProLiant servers 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 HBAs provide twice the throughput of competing products.

“HP is the highest-volume reseller of HBA technology in the world. With the qualification of our 4 and 8 Gbps HBAs, Brocade and HP are providing greater choice to an increasing number of customers who want industry-leading server connectivity solutions for their virtualized data centers today,” said Madhu Matta, vice president, Brocade Server Division. “Our HBAs allow customers to consolidate more servers and virtualize server-to-storage environments while simplifying overall management across the SAN in a cost-effective manner.”

Server Consolidation
for Next-Generation Data Center Evolution
The new Brocade 8000 switch has also been added to HP’s portfolio of storage solutions. The Brocade 8000 is a multiprotocol, Layer 2, top-of-rack FCoE switch with 24 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) ports and eight FC ports supporting 8 Gbps speeds. Within the rack, the Brocade 8000 connects to HP servers to form an FCoE connectivity solution – from server to storage target – to meet the demands of next-generation data centers. FCoE integrates seamlessly with HP environments and utilizes the familiar rich set of storage-aware FC fabric services, management applications, and utilities in the data center.

The Brocade 8000 switch provides customers the scalability required in highly demanding virtualized HP server environments. Transporting storage and networking data over CEE reduces the number of server adapters, cables, and required switch ports, which in turn simplifies cabling and reduces power consumption and cooling costs.

“Customers are looking to lower costs by simplifying management, improving energy efficiency, and reducing power consumption within their technology infrastructures,” said Bob Wilson, vice president of Storage Platforms, StorageWorks Division, HP. “By deploying FCoE with HP’s broad storage portfolio with Brocade’s 8000 switch, customers can consolidate server traffic, reduce cable requirements, and simplify infrastructure management.”