Brocade Virtual Compute Blocks

At VMworld, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. announced advancements to its CloudPlex architecture with new Virtual Compute Blocks. 

These bundled solutions consist of integrated, tested and validated multi-vendor server, virtualization, networking and storage resources. The solutions are available, delivered and supported in collaboration with a range of alliance partners, including Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi Data Systems and VMware.

This open approach is an underlying tenet of the Brocade CloudPlex architecture, which was announced in May 2011. The open, extensible framework is designed to help customers build the next generation of distributed and virtualized data centers in a simple, evolutionary way that preserves their ability to dictate all aspects of the migration. It is the foundation for integrated compute blocks and it supports existing multi-vendor infrastructure to unify customers’ assets into a single compute and storage domain.

"Organizations are seeking to maximize the benefits of cloud computing through more efficient infrastructure procurement, pre-integrated components, faster support response, and greater choice in best-in-class products to meet specific business needs," said John McHugh, CMO of Brocade. "Brocade Virtual Compute Blocks leverage our Ethernet fabrics and industry-leading FC SAN fabrics to allow our partners to create integrated stacks that optimize cost effectiveness, flexibility and performance. Because these solutions are open, they allow our customers to scale components independently and better utilize legacy infrastructures."

According to IDC research, "As organizations move to create a dynamic data center enabled by virtualization, they are moving to architectures where server, storage, and network assets are in tighter alignment into converged infrastructures. IDC defines a converged infrastructure as one in which the server, storage, and network infrastructure resources are treated as pools to be assigned as needed to business services… The top benefits organizations achieve by implementing a converged infrastructure are cost savings, simplified management, better availability, increased flexibility, and higher utilization."

Brocade Virtual Compute Block Partner Solutions
Brocade Virtual Compute Block solutions include hypervisor software integrated with servers, storage and Brocade fabric networking products in bundled, pre-racked and pre-tested configurations enriched by technology from Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi Data Systems and VMware.

Dell
Brocade and Dell have partnered to develop a reference architecture that includes Dell Compellent FC storage, Dell PowerEdge servers, Brocade data center and SAN switches and the VMware hypervisor, which is being shown at the Brocade VMworld booth.

"Our reference architecture developed with Brocade demonstrates Dell Compellent’s commitment to provide open, cloud-optimized solutions for our customers’ increasingly dynamic requirements in FC environments," said Phil Soran, president of Dell Compellent. "Enterprises that deploy this reference architecture benefit from the ability to scale virtualization with their business requirements while deploying industry-leading storage from Dell Compellent and FC networking solutions from Brocade."

EMC
EMC and Brocade have joined forces with several partners to deliver Virtual Compute Blocks, which combine VMware virtualization software and management tools, EMC VNXe unified storage, servers and integrated Brocade FC and Ethernet fabric networking technologies. EMC and Brocade are now working with Arrow, Tech Data, First Distribution and Acao to deliver Virtual Compute Blocks in the U.S., and in parts of Europe, Africa, and South America. These integrated, easy-to-install solutions enable EMC customers to quickly deploy private and hybrid cloud infrastructures, which provide data center consolidation, availability, scalability and automation.

"Our integration work with Brocade is a key enabler for our resellers in providing simplified deployment of Virtual Compute Blocks and further demonstrates our commitment to delivering cloud infrastructure solutions for our mutual customers that help transform data centers into highly efficient and agile environments," said Josh Kahn, vice president of Solutions Marketing at EMC.

Fujitsu
Fujitsu and Brocade have partnered to create solutions supporting Fujitsu’s Dynamic Infrastructures architecture, which will help enterprises boost business agility, efficiency and IT economics. These are designed for data centers of the future, delivering powerful automated pools of computing resources made up of server, storage, network and virtualization technology.

"Fabric-based networks are an important requirement to successful deployments of solutions that will enable our customers to accelerate their cloud-based IT initiatives," said Jens-Peter Seick, senior vice president of the Product Development Group at Fujitsu Technology Solutions. "We are pleased to add Brocade Ethernet fabric technologies to our portfolio, which enhances the long-term partnership we have had in deploying SANs for our customers’ virtualized environments."

Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi converged data center solutions combine storage, compute and networking, with software management, automation and optimization to automate, accelerate and simplify cloud adoption. As a key networking partner, Brocade provides networking solutions for Hitachi converged data center solutions, including Ethernet switch, FC fabric data center switches, and FC switch modules for the Hitachi Compute Blade family.  

Solutions include:

• Hitachi solutions built on Microsoft Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track: A combination of Hitachi storage and compute, with Brocade networking and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V and System Center for high-performance private cloud infrastructures and an avenue for further automation and orchestration.  
• Hitachi Unified Compute Platform: An open and converged platform that provides orchestration and management within the portfolio of Hitachi converged solutions for automated dynamic management of servers, storage and networking to create business resource pools from a simple, yet comprehensive interface.  
• Hitachi Converged Platform for Microsoft Exchange 2010: The first in a portfolio of pre-tested application-specific converged solutions, engineered for rapid deployment and integrated with Exchange 2010’s new features for resilience, predictable performance and seamless scalability.

"HDS and Brocade have partnered to deliver tested and proven solutions with tightly integrated storage, compute and networking products that allow our mutual customers to benefit from Ethernet switch and FC fabric technologies to create flexible cloud-based infrastructures," said Asim Zaheer, vice president of Corporate and Product Marketing at Hitachi Data Systems. "Through quicker deployment, automation and scalability, Hitachi converged data center solutions help organizations adopt cloud at their own pace and see predictable results and faster time to value."

VMware
VMware and Brocade have developed a reference architecture solution that enables organizations to create a scalable virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment.

The VMware/Brocade VDI reference architecture, VMware View, combines Brocade VDX data center switches and converged network adapters, Intel x-86-based rack servers, iSCSI-based storage and TrendMicro security software.

Benefits of the VMware/Brocade VDI solution include performance and scalability, enhanced security, ease-of-migration and lower total cost of ownership.

"VMware and Brocade have collaborated on a joint VDI solution that addresses our customers’ needs to improve business productivity though increased performance, secured client access and elimination of business disruptions," said Vittorio Viarengo, vice president of End-User Computing at VMware. "IT organizations can utilize our reference architecture to deploy a quick-start configuration within their data center or at remote locations. In addition, it can be used as a test or development platform for businesses eager to gain the benefits and advantages of virtualizing user desktops."

Avnet Virtual Compute Block Solutions
Separately at VMworld, Brocade and Avnet announced the joint development of marketing and enablement support for a new set of multi-vendor, pre-tested and configured virtualization solutions. The first of these is a reference architecture and validated solution designed to cost effectively scale VDI environments to support thousands of clients (or desktops) per solution bundle. The VDI bundle will help Avnet reseller partners design and deploy open, efficient and scalable virtualization solutions for their end customers by incorporating Brocade and VMware networking and hypervisor technologies in conjunction with a variety of compute and storage platforms.