Brocade is beefing up its routers with capabilities to address the bandwidth, scale, and performance needed for emerging software defined networks. The Brocade MLX Series routers will include new hardware modules and software.
"Networks today have much more demand put on them than ever before. In support of The New IP, we strive to help our customers modernize their networks with the most robust scalable, flexible, and open solutions possible," said Jason Nolet, vice president of switching, routing, and analytics for Brocade. "The Brocade MLXe also provides a seamless transition to real-world SDN with support for OpenFlow 1.3 in the first implementation that provides interworking between legacy forwarding and new software-defined forwarding. This capability provides a logical path for network operators to integrate OpenFlow into existing networks."
To address enterprise requirements for scaling existing network bandwidth and supporting increasing numbers of users and devices that require highly dynamic networks, Brocade delivered software enhancements to the Brocade MLXe carrier-class routing platform, including support for OpenFlow 1.3 with significant features to help organizations deploy new application- and user-specific services in a secure manner. Delivered in unique Brocade MLXe programmable hardware, the Brocade OpenFlow 1.3 implementation provides fine-grained control for highly customized services at scale. The Brocade MLXe is the first carrier-class platform to support interworking between traditional routed networks and new software-defined networks, via Brocade Hybrid Port Mode.
The new hardware modules provide a mix of high port density, wire-speed scale-out single-chassis performance, and scale for simultaneous support of both IPv4 and IPv6, which is designed to help prevent Internet outages from route table explosion. Built with the Brocade VersaScale processor, this sixth-generation programmable silicon is a Brocade innovation that delivers the flexibility and features of software with the performance and scale of hardware.
Brocade delivers a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) solution with the recently announced Brocade Vyatta Controller and the Brocade MLXe. The architecture of the Brocade Vyatta Controller is tested with the OpenFlow 1.3 implementation in the Brocade MLXe carrier-class router, enabling complete SDN solutions optimized for the specific needs of service provider and data center networks.
For more details, go to www.brocade.com.