(PR NEWSWIRE) BROCADE Introduces Next Generation of Storage Area Network S
BROCADE Introduces Next Generation of Storage Area Network Switches Designed
for the Global E-Business Economy
New SilkWorm 2000 Product Line Sets New Standard for Reliability,
Availability and Serviceability, Provides Migration Path to True-Fabric
Storage Environments
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Brocade Communications
Systems, Inc. (BROCADE(R)) (Nasdaq: BRCD) announced today the next generation
of its open, scalable Fibre Channel fabric solutions for storage area
networking, delivering on the next phase of its FABRIC 2000(TM) strategy.
Based on BROCADE's advanced architecture, the SilkWorm(R) 2000 family is a new
class of Fibre Channel switches and software. The SilkWorm 2000 family
introduces two new true-fabric switches and significant enhancements to
BROCADE's fabric operating system software, Fabric OS(TM). In addition,
SilkWorm 2000 introduces the industry's first software-upgradeable loop switch
to connect legacy Arbitrated Loop storage devices and servers in a storage
area network (SAN). The BROCADE loop switch is an unique offering from
BROCADE that provides an easy migration path from loop-based storage
environments to true fabric-based SANs. BROCADE SilkWorm switches are the
defacto standard for connecting servers with storage devices through a Fibre
Channel network, allowing companies to access and share storage in a high-
performance, scaleable SAN.
"With the rise of electronic commerce, the corporate data center now
interacts directly with the customer. For today's e-business companies,
reliability, security and availability of data are now of paramount concern
and the financial implications of data-center downtime are extreme. Companies
must carefully design and architect SANs to support their demanding storage
and application requirements," said Sean Derrington, Senior Research Analyst,
Open Computing & Server Strategies, META Group.
The SilkWorm 2000 family is designed to lower the total cost of ownership
of data storage environments and enable business continuity in today's
demanding "24x7"-hour e-business economy. The SilkWorm 2000 family introduces
three new Fibre Channel switches: the SilkWorm 2100, 2400 and 2800 models,
which are based on significant advancements in Fibre Channel fabric technology
and software. SilkWorm 2100 is a Fibre Channel Loop switch that, through a
software upgrade, provides a simple migration path from a loop-based storage
environment to a fabric-based SAN.
The SilkWorm 2400 and 2800 models are, respectively, eight-port and
sixteen-port, Fibre Channel Fabric switches that provide universal ports for
simplified installation and hardware port zoning for optimal security. In
addition, the SilkWorm 2000 family provides the only Fibre Channel switches to
offer "hot-swappable" redundant power supplies, taking high availability to
the next level. The SilkWorm 2000 family is backward compatible with
BROCADE's current installed base of SilkWorm switches.
"In the high-pressure business of discount retail, maintaining an
efficient, reliable data center is critical to our business success. SANs
based on BROCADE Fibre Channel Fabric switches provide a high-performance
storage environment for high data availability. As we continue to expand our
data centers, Fibre Channel Fabrics will enable us to maintain the reliability
and data continuity required to support our business," said Mike Prince, CIO
of Burlington Coat Factory.
"The SilkWorm 2000 family of Fibre Channel switches delivers on an
important cornerstone of BROCADE's strategy to provide open, standards-based
solutions with optimized data availability," said Greg Reyes, president and
CEO of BROCADE. "Our customers have expressed their enthusiasm for this new
product line and are eager to take advantage of the latest in serviceability,
manageability, reliability and backward compatibility of the SilkWorm 2000
product family. In addition, the SilkWorm 2100 drop-in hub replacement
provides an important bridge allowing for the integration of legacy loop-based
environments into standards-based, scaleable, full-fabric SANs through a
simple software upgrade. Through our SilkWorm 2400 and 2800 models, we
deliver advanced state of the art technology to further simplify SAN
deployment and meet the needs of our customers."
SilkWorm 2000 Product Family Highlights
The SilkWorm family of Fibre Channel Fabric switches and management
software is the only suite of full-fabric, standards-based connectivity
solutions available today for SANs. The SilkWorm 2000 family of products is
expected to be generally available in Q3, 1999. Highlights include:
SilkWorm 2100
-- An eight-port Fibre Channel Loop switch that provides high-speed
interconnection for a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL). A
scalable alternative to a hub, SilkWorm 2100 offers a true switching
environment and a fast migration path from loop-based environments to
full-fabric SANs.
-- Each port supports parallel transfer rates of 100 Megabytes per second.
Unlike hub-based environments, which share bandwidth among ports,
SilkWorm 2100 enables full bandwidth data transfers simultaneously on
all ports.
-- Is software upgradeable to full-Fabric support, which future-proofs the
investment in the switch as the SAN grows.
-- Provides enhanced port-level fault isolation for superior reliability
in loop environments.
SilkWorm 2400, 2800
-- The SilkWorm 2400 and 2800 are eight-port and sixteen-port switches,
respectively. These products are full-fabric Fibre Channel switches
that create an intelligent infrastructure to support connectivity of a
wide range of host and storage types.
-- Both switches offer universal port support, hardware port zoning,
self-discovery of SAN-attached devices, and "hot-swappable"
components, including redundant power supplies and cooling. These
advanced features ensure the highest level of serviceability,
reliability and manageability in a full-fabric environment.
-- The SilkWorm 2400 and SilkWorm 2800 are the first switches to support
both fabric and loop environments independently on the same switch.
-- Up to 32 switches can be interconnected to build backbone fabrics
containing more than 400 ports.
Fabric OS
-- Fabric OS 2.0 is the next generation of BROCADE's embedded intelligence
in a switch-based fabric. Fabric OS is software which provides a set
of management and fabric services. The Fabric services include
sophisticated routing protocols to simplify the construction of
Fabrics, which may comprise thousands of storage devices and hosts in
a SAN. The Fabric OS provides "future-proof" investment protection
which enables users to grow a SAN over time.
New Software Products
-- QuickLoop 2.0 is an advanced Fabric software service which works in
conjunction with SilkWorm 2400 and 2800 to allow these switches to
co-exist in loop-based environments. This provides a convenient
migration path from loop-based environments using hubs to fabric-based
SANs. Using QuickLoop and the SilkWorm switch, users can protect
existing investments in servers and storage and still take advantage
of the reliability and scalability of a SAN.
-- BROCADE ZONING 2.0 is a service that enables the fabric to be segmented
into virtual private SANs. BROCADE ZONING is policy-based and
distributed to enable hardware-enforced fabric segmentation in
multi-switched fabrics. BROCADE is the only company that allows for
zones that logically span switches. Convenient zoning options allow
users to zone by port, by device name, or by group of devices.
-- BROCADE WEB TOOLS 2.0 provides a web-based interface for configuration
and management of BROCADE switches. Using an embedded web server, the
entire fabric can be managed through standard web browsers.
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current
expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. BROCADE's actual results
may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking
statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include risks
surrounding the development of the emerging market for storage area networks
(SANs) and for SAN switching products, the timely development, production and
acceptance of new products and services, and BROCADE's ability to compete in a
highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace. These and other risks
are detailed in BROCADE's prospectus dated May 24, 1999, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. BROCADE assumes no obligation to update
the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
About Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
BROCADE (Nasdaq: BRCD) is a leading supplier of open Fibre Channel Fabric
solutions that provide the intelligent backbone for Storage Area Networks
(SANs). The BROCADE SilkWorm(R) family of Fibre Channel switches and SAN
management software are designed to optimize data availability in the storage
enterprise. Using BROCADE solutions, companies can simplify the
implementation of Storage Area Networks, reduce the total cost of ownership of
data storage environments, and improve network and application efficiency and
performance.
BROCADE is committed to maintaining open, standards-based solutions.
Leading systems, applications and storage vendors have selected BROCADE as
their Fibre Channel connectivity standard, including CNT, Compaq Computer,
Dell Computer, Groupe Bull, McDATA Corporation, Network Appliance, Sequent,
Siemens Computer Systems and StorageTek. In addition, BROCADE counts industry
leaders Emulex, Legato, QLogic and VERITAS among its strategic partners.
The company's headquarters is at 1901 Guadalupe Parkway, San Jose, CA
95131. Visit BROCADE at brocade.com, or contact the company at
info@brocade.com.
BROCADE, SilkWorm, SilkWorm Express, Fabric Integrator, FABRIC OS, and
FABRIC 2000 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Brocade Communications
Systems Incorporated, in the United States and/or in other countries. All
other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service
marks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective
owners.
SOURCE Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
-0- 06/21/99
/CONTACT: Media Relations: Jennifer Hart of Trainer Public Relations for
BROCADE, 415-440-2208, jennifer@trainerpr.com; or Investor Relations: Mike
Byrd of BROCADE, 408-487-8184, Mbyrd@brocade.com/
/Web site: brocade.com
(BRCD)
CO: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
ST: California
IN: CPR
SU: PDT
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