Brocade: New campus LAN innovations expand 'Effortless' network vision

• ICX product family extends SDN support with new OpenFlow 1.3 switches
• ICX 7250 Switch allows organisations to easily scale for increasing demands

BROCADE Inc has announced new innovations to its campus local area network (LAN) switch family which it said would help organisations realise The Effortless Network vision and build the foundation for the New IP (Internet Protocol).
 
The New IP covers the transformation of the network to meet today’s demands, and is characterised by virtualised and software-based network services running on commoditised hardware.
 
Meanwhile, Brocade said its The Effortless Network vision is based on three main pillars:

• Dramatically simplified and automated access layer networks to significantly reduce operational overhead and enable IT to respond to business needs in real-time;

• Unmatched scalability and upgradeability to accommodate emerging applications and IT imperatives for the next decade, extending the life of the network infrastructure; and

• No-compromise solutions that deliver enterprise-class functionality and availability at a tremendous business value

The new Brocade ICX 7250 switch delivers the industry's highest 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) port density for any switch in its class to address the onslaught of user video and wireless traffic that is taxing campus networks.
 
Brocade also unveiled Switch Port Extender, a new HyperEdge Architecture technology, designed to simplify network deployment and ongoing maintenance. Through added automation, this technology enables shared network services and management between Brocade ICX 7250, 7450, and 7750 switches distributed across the campus.
 
Brocade also extended OpenFlow 1.3 support to Brocade ICX 7450 and 7750 switches to enable SDN (software-defined networking) solutions in LAN architectures.
 
Combined with the Brocade Vyatta Controller, these switches give customers a way to begin realising the possibilities of SDN automation, it said in a statement.
 
“Today's organisations require a high-performance, scalable campus LAN infrastructure to address the proliferation of mobile devices, rich media, and insatiable user expectations,” said Sean Ong (pic), Malaysia country manager for Brocade.
 
“In addition, customers are seeking networking solutions that will help to increase IT agility and lower operating expenses through automation and management consolidation,” he added.
 
Pricing and availability
 
General availability for the Brocade ICX 7250 begins this month with a list price starting at US$2,000.
 
The initial release of Switch Port Extender is planned for late 2015 and will support Brocade ICX 7750 and 7450 mixed domains. Future releases will include support for all Brocade ICX 7250, 7450, and 7750 switches.
 
The Brocade ICX 7450 and 7750 OpenFlow 1.3 implementations are available this month and will support standalone mode initially, with full stacking support to follow in a future software release.
 
Related Stories:
 
Network transformation with the New IP
 
Brocade’s HyperEdge Architecture to deliver infrastructure for ‘Effortless Networks’
 
Startup lessons from OpenFlow creator Martin Casado
 
 
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