www.brocade.

com

DATA SHEET

BROCADE
VDX 6710
DATA CENTER
SWITCH
DATA CENTER

HIGHLIGHTS
Simplifies network architectures and
enables cloud computing by delivering
Brocade VCS technology
Enables cost-effective 1 Gigabit Ethernet
(GbE) connectivity with full switching
capability
Maximizes performance through
wire-speed ports with 600 nanosecond
port-to-port latency and hardware-based
Inter-Switch Link (ISL) Trunking
Provides multi-homed active-active server
connections for Ethernet networks
Creates scale-out Ethernet fabrics for
virtualized data centers
Simplifies management by maintaining
network policies as Virtual Machines (VMs)
move throughout the data center with
Automatic Migration of Port Profiles (AMPP)
Provides dynamic configuration and
secure communication to VMware
vCenter via Brocade VM-aware network
automation
The Brocade One strategy helps
simplify networking infrastructures
through innovative technologies and
solutions. Brocade VDX 6710 Data
Center Switches support this strategy
by simplifying network architecture
while increasing network performance
and resiliency with Ethernet fabrics.

Revolutionizing the Way Data

Center Networks Are Built
Seeking better ways to build clouds and
virtualized data centers, todays IT
organizations are turning to highperformance networking solutions that
increase flexibility through leading-edge
technologies. Brocade VDX Data Center
Switches are specifically designed to
improve network utilization, maximize
application availability, increase scalability,
and dramatically simplify network
architecture in virtualized data centers.
Brocade VDX Data Center Switches with
Brocade VCS fabric technology enable
organizations to build data center Ethernet
fabricsrevolutionizing the design of Layer 2
networks and providing an intelligent
foundation for cloud computing.

Whether organizations want to enhance their

classic hierarchical network architectures or
deploy flatter scale-out fabrics for virtualized
data centers, the Brocade VDX family delivers
the innovative technology to enhance and
simplify their networks. Without disrupting
classic Ethernet architectures, Brocade VCS
technology enables organizations to preserve
existing network designs and cabling, and
to gain active-active server connections
without employing Spanning Tree Protocol
(STP). For scale-out fabric architectures,
Brocade VCS technology allows organizations
to flatten network designs, provide Virtual
Machine (VM) mobility without network
reconfiguration, and manage the entire
fabric more efficiently.

INVESTMENT PROTECTION AND

UNMATCHED SIMPLICITY
Brocade VDX Data Center Switches provide a
flexible choice for building an Ethernet fabric.
Organizations can start with two switches, then
scale to add switches as demand increases.
IT managers also can mix and match 1 Gigabit
Ethernet (GbE) and 10 GbE fixed switches
in the fabric, using the Brocade VDX 6710
for cost-effective 1GbE and the Brocade
VDX 6720 and Brocade VDX 6730 for
high-bandwidth 10GbE connectivity.
The Brocade VDX switch portfolio provides
Ethernet storage connectivity for Fibre Channel
over Ethernet (FCoE), iSCSI, and NAS storage
solutions on a single product family. IT
organizations can protect their Fibre Channel
investments by connecting Fibre Channel
Storage Area Networks (SANs) to Ethernet
fabrics with the new Brocade VDX 6730 switch.

Proactive Monitoring
Brocade Fabric Watch is an innovative
switch health monitoring feature available
on the Brocade VDX Data Center Switch with
Brocade Network OS 2.1. Fabric Watch
monitors the health of certain switch
components and, based on the threshold
set, declares each component as marginal
or down. Monitored components can
include fans, power supplies, temperature
sensors, compact flash cards, WWN cards,
ports missing Single Form-Factor Pluggables
(SFPs), and faulty ports. Once a component
is declared marginal or down, Fabric Watch
notifies users via a system-log message,
e-mail, or both mechanisms.

ENABLING CLOUD-OPTIMIZED
NETWORKING
The Brocade VDX 6710 allows organizations
to cost-effectively extend the benefits of an
Ethernet fabric to existing 1 GbE server
environments. This high-performance
1 GbE fixed port switch provides a reliable,
scalable, and flexible foundation to support
demanding applications. It features 48 1GbE

copper interfaces and six 10 GbE SFP+

interfaces for configuration flexibility in
cloud-optimized networks.
By providing a reliable, scalable, and flexible
foundation for Ethernet fabrics, the Brocade
VDX 6710 supports a build-as-you-grow
model. Organizations can form an Ethernet
fabric initially with two switches and scale to
larger fabrics for cost-effective connectivity
to 1 GbE servers.
Local switching delivers high performance
for intra-rack traffic in virtualized
environments, providing ultra-low latency
of 600 nanoseconds for the same ASIC on
the same switch. This helps organizations
design a network with no over-subscription
for deterministic network performance
and improved application response time,
making the Brocade VDX 6710 ideal for
performance-demanding environments.
The Brocade VDX 6710 supports multiple
deployment models, including:
Classic 1 GbE access: Delivers 1 GbE
Top-of-Rack (ToR) access with a broad
set of Layer 2 features.
Scale-out fabrics for virtualized data
centers: Enables dynamic, large-scale
server virtualization deployments in private
(IT customers within an enterprise) and
public (external customers of managed
service providers) clouds with proven
fabric capabilities and Layer 2 Equal Cost
Multi-Path Protocol (ECMP).

BROCADE VCS TECHNOLOGY

Brocade VCS technology allows IT
organizations to create efficient data center
networks that just work. Ethernet fabric
architectures built on Brocade VCS technology
share information across nodes, greatly
simplifying management and reducing
operational overhead. Brocade VCS technology
offers unmatched VM awareness and
automation versus traditional architectures
and competitive fabric solutions, and
supports storage over a unified fabric.

Only Brocade VCS technology, backed

by a heritage of proven fabric innovations,
delivers IT agility and assures reliability,
with a cost-effective point of entry to allow
IT organizations to transition gracefully to
elastic, highly automated, mission-critical
networks in their virtualized data centers.
Brocade VCS technology is embedded in the
Brocade VDX Data Center Switch portfolio.
Using Brocade VDX Data Center Switches,
todays IT organizations can build Ethernet
fabrics to support cloud-optimized
networking and greater enterprise agility.
Learn more about Brocade VCS technology
at www.brocade.com/vcs.

Network Virtualization
Brocade VCS technology offers features to
support a virtualized server and storage
environment. During a VM migration, network
switch ports must be dynamically configured
to ensure that the VM traffic experiences
consistent policies and configurations. Brocade
Automatic Migration of Port Profiles (AMPP)
enables such a seamless migration. Port
profiles and MAC address mapping are created
on any switch in the fabric. The mapping
provides the logical flow for traffic from the
source port to the destination port. As a VM
migrates, the destination port in the fabric
learns of the MAC move and automatically
activates the port profile configuration.
Brocade VM-aware network automation
provides secure connectivity and full
visibility to virtualized resources with
dynamic learning and activation of port
profiles. By communicating directly with
VMware vCenter, VM-aware network
automation eliminates manual configuration
of port profiles and supports VM mobility
across VCS fabrics while providing
protection against VM MAC spoofing.
AMPP and VM-aware network automation
features enable organizations to fully align
virtual server and network infrastructure
resources, and realize the full benefits of
server virtualization.

Classic Hierarchical Ethernet Architecture

Ethernet Fabric Architecture

WHAT IS AN ETHERNET FABRIC?

Edge

Aggregation

Core

Core

Compared to classic hierarchical Ethernet

architectures, Ethernet fabrics provide
higher levels of performance, utilization,
availability, and simplicity. They are
designed to be:

Access

Scalability

Flexible: Can be architected in any

topology to best meet the needs
of any variety of workloads

Servers with 10 Gbps Connections

Servers with 10 Gbps Connections

Flatter: Eliminates the need for

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), while
being completely interoperable with
existing Ethernet networks

Resilient: Uses multiple least cost

paths for high performance and
high reliability

Figure 1.
Compared to classic Ethernet architectures, Ethernet fabrics allow all paths to be active
and provide greater scalabilitywhile reducing management complexity.

Elastic: Scales easily up and down

as needed
More advanced Ethernet fabrics
borrow further from Fibre Channel
fabric constructs:

REMOTE
DATA CENTER

PRIMARY
DATA CENTER
Public
Network

VM

Core
routers

VM
VM

VCS fabric
extension

Layer 47
application delivery

VCS fabric
extension

VM

Native
Fibre Channel

Security services
(firewall, encryption)

SAN
VM

VM

VM

VM
VM

Blade
servers

VM

FCoE/iSCSI/NAS
storage

Dedicated Fibre
Channel SAN for
Tier 1 applications

Rack-mount
servers

Figure 2.
Brocade VCS technology simplifies the network architecture, enables unified storage
connectivity, improves VM mobility, and allows the seamless insertion of services.

They are self-forming and function

as a single logical entity, in which all
switches automatically know about
each other and all connected physical
and logical devices.
Management can then be domainbased rather than device-based, and
defined by policy rather than repetitive
procedures.
These features, along with
virtualization-specific enhancements,
make it easier to explicitly address
the challenges of VM automation
within the network, thereby facilitating
better IT automation.
Protocol convergence, such as Fibre
Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), may also
be a feature, intended as a means of
better bridging LAN and Storage Area
Network (SAN) traffic.
Learn more about Ethernet fabrics at
www.brocade.com/ethernet-fabric.

COMPREHENSIVE LAYER 2
LAN CAPABILITIES

CLOUD-OPTIMIZED NETWORK
ACQUISITION

In addition to Brocade VCS fabric technology,

the Brocade VDX 6710 includes a rich set
of traditional Layer 2 Ethernet protocols
and features. When communicating to the
rest of the network, it uses protocols such
as Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)
and 802.1Q.

Brocade helps organizations easily address

their information technology requirements
by offering flexible network acquisition and
support alternatives to meet their financial
needs. Organizations can select from
purchase, lease, and Brocade Network
Subscription options to align network
acquisition with their unique capital
requirements and risk profiles.

The Brocade VDX 6710 is also ready for

IPv4/IPv6 Layer 3 routing capabilities
that can be implemented in a future
Brocade Network OS release.

BROCADE GLOBAL SERVICES

Brocade Global Services has the expertise
to help organizations build scalable,
efficient cloud infrastructures. Leveraging
15 years of expertise in storage, networking,
and virtualization, Brocade Global Services
delivers world-class professional services,
technical support, and education services,
enabling organizations to maximize their
Brocade investments, accelerate new
technology deployments, and optimize the
performance of networking infrastructures.

MAXIMIZING INVESTMENTS
To help optimize technology investments,
Brocade and its partners offer complete
solutions that include professional services,
technical support, and education. For more
information, contact a Brocade sales
partner or visit www.brocade.com.

BROCADE VDX 6710 FEATURE OVERVIEW

Brocade VDX 6710-54
Switching bandwidth (data rate, full duplex)

216 Gbps

Port-to-port latency

600 ns

Form factor

1U

Dimensions and weight

Width: 44.0 cm (17.32 in.)

Height: 4.37 cm (1.72 in.)
Depth: 40.97 cm (16.13 in.)
Weight: 8.57 kg (18.90 lb)

1 GbE RJ45 ports

48

1/10 GbE SFP+ ports

Power supplies

Two hot-swappable, load-sharing

Cooling fans

N+1 redundant, integrated into power supplies

BROCADE VDX 6710 SPECIFICATIONS

System architecture
Connector options

1 GbE RJ45
1000Base-SX and 1000Base-LX
4G 1 GbE optic
1 Gbps SFP options: TX
10 GbE SR and 10 GbE LR
10 Gbps SFP+ options: 1/3/5 m direct-attached copper (Twinax)
Out-of-band Ethernet management: RJ-45 (fixed)
Console management: RJ-45 to RS-232 (fixed)
Firmware and diagnostic: USB

Maximum VLANs

2048

Maximum MAC addresses

30,000

Maximum port profiles (AMPP)

256

Maximum Layer 2 multicast groups

256

Maximum Spanning Tree instances

32

Maximum LAG groups

256

Maximum members in a standard LAG

16

Buffer memory on Brocade VDX 6710-54 (3-ASIC)

12 MB

Maximum MAC addresses in a VCS fabric

30,000

Maximum switches in a VCS fabric

24

Maximum ECMP paths in a VCS fabric

Maximum trunk members for VCS fabric ports

Maximum switches across which a vLAG can span

Maximum jumbo frame size

9600 bytes

Queues per port

DCB Priority Flow Control (PFC) classes

System architecture (continued)

Operating system

Brocade Network OS

Layer 2 switching features

MAC Learning and Aging

Static MAC Configuration
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)
802.3ad/802.1AX
Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs)
VLAN Encapsulation 802.1Q
Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)
IEEE 802.1D
Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP)
IEEE 802.1s
STP IEEE 802.1D

Per-VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST+/PVRST+)

STP PortFast and PortFast BDPU Guard
STP Root Guard
Layer 2 Access Control Lists (ACLs)
IGMP v1/v2 Snooping
Pause Frames IEEE 802.3x

Brocade VCS features

Automatic Fabric Formation

Distributed Fabric Services
Transparent LAN Services
Virtual Link Aggregation Group (vLAG) spanning
multiple physical switches
Switch Beaconing

Distributed Configuration Management

Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links
(TRILL)
Equal Cost Multi-Path (ECMP)
Automatic Migration of Port Profiles (AMPP)
VM-aware network automation

DCB features

Priority-based Flow Control (PFC) IEEE 802.1Qbb

Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS)
IEEE 802.1Qaz

Data Center Bridging eXchange (DCBX)

DCBX Application Type-Length-Value (TLV) for
FCoE and iSCSI

Quality of Service (QoS)

Eight priority levels for QoS

Class of Service (CoS) IEEE 802.1p

Per-port QoS configuration

Scheduling: Strict Priority (SP), Shaped Deficit
Weighted Round-Robin (SDWRR)

Switch health monitoring

Fabric Watch monitoring and notification

Management
Management and control

IPv4/IPv6 management
Industry-standard Command Line Interface (CLI)
Remote lights out management (future update)
In-band management
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP)
IEEE 802.1AB
MIB II RFC 1213 MIB
Switch Beaconing

Security

Port-based Network Access Control IEEE 802.1X

RADIUS
TACACS+
Secure Shell (SSHv2)
BPDU Guard

Telnet
SNMP v1/v2C, v3
sFlow RFC 3176
Out of band management (standalone mode)
RMON-1, RMON-2
NTP
Management Access Control Lists (ACLs)

Mechanical
Enclosure

Front-to-rear, rear-to-front airflow; 1U, 19-inch EIA-compliant; power from non-port side

Environmental
Temperature

Operating: 0C to 40C (32F to 104F)

Non-operating and storage: 25C to 70C (13F to 158F)

Humidity

Operating: 10% to 85% non-condensing

Non-operating and storage: 10% to 90% non-condensing

Altitude

Operating: Up to 3000 meters (9842 feet)

Non-operating and storage: Up to 12 kilometers (39,370 feet)

Shock

Operating: 20 g, 6 ms half-sine
Non-operating and storage: Half-sine, 33 g 11 ms, 3/eg Axis

Vibration

Operating: 0.5 g sine, 0.4 grms random, 5 to 500 Hz

Non-operating and storage: 2.0 g sine, 1.1 grms random, 5 to 500 Hz

Airflow

Maximum: 60 CCFM
Nominal: 44 CFM

Heat dissipation

1044 BTU/hr

Power
Power supplies

Two internal, redundant, field-replaceable, load-sharing AC power supplies

Power inlet

C13

Input voltage

100 V to 240 V ~5 A 2.5 A

Input line frequency

47 to 63 Hz

Inrush current

50 amps max

Maximum current

4 amps max (24-port switch); 7 amps max (60-port switch)

Maximum power consumption

156 watts

Safety Compliance
Bi-Nat UL/CSA 60950-1 Second Edition
CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1 Second Edition
EN 60950-1 Second Edition
IEC 60950-1 Second Edition
GB4943-2001 and GB9254-1998
CNS 14336(94)

EMC
FCC Class A
ICES A
VCCI-A
CE
C
BSMI
GOST
KC Class A
CCC

Immunity
ANSI C63.4
ICES-003 Class A
CISPR22 and JEIDA (Harmonics)
EN55022 and EN55024
EN55022 or CISPR22 or AS/NZS CISPR22
CNS 13438(95)
51318.22-99 and 51318.24-99
KN22 and KN24
GB17625.1-2003

Standards Compliance
Brocade VDX 6710 products conform to the following Ethernet standards:
IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol
IEEE 802.1s Multiple Spanning Tree
IEEE 802.1w Rapid reconfiguration of Spanning Tree Protocol
IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation with LACP
IEEE 802.3ae 10G Ethernet
IEEE 802.1Q VLAN Tagging
IEEE 802.1p Class of Service Prioritization and Tagging
IEEE 802.1v VLAN Classification by Protocol and Port
IEEE 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP)
IEEE 802.3x Flow Control (Pause Frames)
The following draft versions of the Data Center Bridging (DCB) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) standards
are also supported on the Brocade VDX 6710:
IEEE 802.1Qbb Priority-based Flow Control
IEEE 802.1Qaz Enhanced Transmission Selection
IEEE 802.1 DCB Capability Exchange Protocol (Proposed under the DCB Task Group of IEEE 802.1 Working Group)
FC-BB-5 FCoE (Rev 2.0)

www.brocade.com

DATA SHEET
BROCADE VDX 6710 ORDERING INFORMATION
SKU

Description

BR-VDX6710-54-F

Brocade VDX 6710, 48P GbE, 6P SFP+, AC, non-port side exhaust airflow

BR-VDX6710-54-R

Brocade VDX 6710, 48P GbE, 6P SFP+, AC, port side exhaust airflow

XBR-250WPSAC-F

FRU 250W ACPS/FAN, non-port side exhaust airflow

XBR-250WPSAC-R

FRU 250W ACPS/FAN, port side exhaust airflow

XBR-VDX6710-54-F

Brocade VDX 6710, 48P GbE, 6P SFP+, FRU, AC, non-port side exhaust airflow

XBR-VDX6710-54-R

Brocade VDX 6710, 48P GbE, 6P SFP+, FRU, AC, port side exhaust airflow

BR-VDX6710-54VCS-01

VCS software license for Brocade VDX 6710-54

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San Jose, CA USA
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info@brocade.com

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T: +41-22-799-56-40
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Singapore
T: +65-6538-4700
apac-info@brocade.com

2011 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 08/11 GA-DS-1606-00
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Brocade NET Health, Brocade One, CloudPlex, MLX, VCS, VDX, and When the Mission Is Critical, the Network Is Brocade
are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. Other brands,
products, or service names mentioned are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied,
concerning any equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the
right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This
informational document describes features that may not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for
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