Brocade supercharges MLX router family

Brocade has beefed up the Brocade MLX Series of routers with new hardware modules and software, providing a seamless path to open, software-driven programmable networks that the industry refers to as the “New IP”. With these additions, Brocade enables a smooth transition between legacy networks and networks designed for the New IP, which are driven by an increased demand for social technology, mobile devices, and the cloud.

Source: Brocade. The MLXe family.

According to the company, many organisations are now encountering challenges in scaling existing network bandwidth and supporting increasing numbers of users and devices. These organisations are struggling with the transition to a more agile,  software-driven infrastructure. However, the ability to meet these dual challenges has become more critical to their business success, especially as they move to hybrid cloud models.

To address these needs, Brocade has delivered software enhancements to the Brocade MLXe carrier-class routing platform, including support for OpenFlow 1.3. Delivered in Brocade MLXe programmable hardware, the Brocade OpenFlow 1.3 implementation provides fine-grained control for highly customised 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 the Brocade Hybrid Port Mode.

The new hardware modules provide an ideal mix of high port density, wire-speed scale-out single-chassis performance, and scale for simultaneous support of both IPv4 and IPv6. Built with the Brocade VersaScale processor, this programmable silicon is a Brocade innovation that delivers the flexibility and features of software with the performance and scale of hardware.

“Networks today have much more demand put on them than ever before. In support of the New IP, we strive to help our customers modernise their networks with the most robust scalable, flexible, and open solutions possible,” said Adam Judd, Vice President for Asia Pacific at 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.”

New elements include:

- 20-port 10 GbE Interface Module with combo 10/1G support and MACsec encryption
- 2-port 100 GbE Interface Module with CFP2 interface
- OpenFlow 1.3 features including SSL/TLS and Accounting with QoS, Group Table, and QinQ
- SDN performance with full 12-tuple L2+L3+L4 matching for up to 128k flows with support for full 100G flow size
- First carrier-grade open solution for end-to-end multi- data center orchestration via OpenStack
- Advanced forwarding scale for up to 2 million IPv4 plus 800,000 IPv6 routes
- Agile programmable networks via Brocade VersaScale processor
- Wire-speed scale-out performance with deep buffers and high port density