Brocade Communications Systems Bigiron RX Series User manual
HIGHLIGHTS
• System redundancy (switch, management and
power) across all BigIron RX chassis
• Interchangeable half-height line modules
reduce sparing costs and provide cost-effective
modular growth
• Compact chassis design supports very high-
7-foot Telco rack
• Scalable hardware-based IP routing to
•
and IPv6 protocol support
• Advanced virtual output queue (VoQ) design
eliminates head of line blocking and provides
scalable QoS
•
based honoring and marking and congestion
management
•
link aggregation supports high-bandwidth
inter-switch trunking
• High-availability design features redundant
OSPF restart
• Advanced non-blocking Clos fabric features
adaptive self-routing with graceful system
degradation in the event of two or more
module failures
•
switch ports without impacting performance
Modular Layer 2/3
Ethernet Switches
The role of data networks in our daily lives
needs such as application convergence,
non-stop operation, scalability and IPv6-
readiness place new demands on the
network. Modern network solutions must
be assessed across a wider set of attributes
than earlier generation equipment. In
particular, the network must be evaluated on
merits that include performance, reliability,
scalability, quality of service, security and
total cost of ownership (TCO).
The Brocade®BigIron®
areas, enabling network designers to deploy
today’s requirements with a scalable
architecture designed to support network
growth and evolution. The BigIron RX Series
incorporates the latest advances in switch
architecture, system resilience, quality of
service and switch security in a family of
modular chassis setting leading industry
benchmarks for price-performance,
scalability and TCO.
Available in four chassis models, the
BigIron RX Series allows network designers
to standardize on a single product family
for aggregation and backbone switching.
In addition to its enterprise role, the BigIron
RX Series, with its high-density and compact
design, is an ideal IP solution for high-
performance computing environments and
HIGH-
PERFORMANCE
ETHERNET
SWITCHING
Providers (IXPs and ISPs) where non-
are needed.
All four BigIron RX systems are designed
Additionally, the BigIron RX Series supports
restart routing for fast convergence in the
event of a management module failure.
At the heart of the BigIron RX architecture
is an adaptive self-routing Clos switch fabric
with a virtual output queue (VOQ) design.
This non-blocking architecture is optimized
for maximum throughput and low latency for
all size packets. Scalable to over two billion
packets per second, the BigIron RX Series
in the industry. This advanced and scalable
design ensures the reliable deliver of all IP-
based voice, video and data applications.
proven IronWare networking software
and IronShield security, embedded sFlow
services. The BigIron RX Series enables
a user to deploy a reliable, secure and
scalable networking solution today that
is ready to accommodate tomorrow’s
applications and technologies.
PURPOSE-BUILT FEATURE SET
FOR DEMANDING NETWORKS
Industry-Leading Performance
and Scalability
The BigIron RX Series is the industry’s most
terabits per second data throughput per
system.
High-Availability Design
Redundant and resilient design ensures
high availability operation for demanding
• Redundant, hot-swappable components
– Management Module: Systems
modules with sub-second detection
and fail-over
– Switch Fabric Element Redundancy:
switch fabric module support
millisecond fail-over performance
– Hitless Management Failover (HMF):
Stateful failover ensures that the
forwarding engines on the line modules
are not impacted by a management
failover. This capability enables non-
stop packet forwarding in the event
of a management module failover.
– Redundant Power Supplies: All three
redundancy for AC and DC power
• Distributed Forwarding Architecture:
Advanced network processors, high-
performance CPU and high-speed memory
on each interface module provide for a
scalable high-performance architecture
• IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation up to
Eight Links: Scalable, cross-module
trunking provides for resilient high-
capacity connections between switches
•
provide fast service restoration in event
– Metro Ring Protocol optimized for ring
backbones
Robust Layer 3 Feature Set
Brocade IronWare™software suite includes
• BGPv4:
• OSPF:
• IS-IS:
adjacencies
• Brocade Direct Routing (BDR): The
forwarding information base (FIB) is
downloaded to the hardware-based
forwarding engine on each line module.
This memory can be pre-populated with
IPv6 routes for wire-speed routing
performance.
• Policy-Based Routing (PBR): Support
customizable routing policies using
access control lists (ACLs). This feature
can be used to balance network usage
by controlling the network paths for
• Comprehensive Multicast Feature Set:
Provides hardware-based support for a
number of multicast protocols including
MSDP, PIM-SM (Sparse Mode) and PIM-DM
(Dense Mode), allowing network managers
multicast applications
• VRRP and VRRPE (Enhanced VRRP):
a backup router to other network routers.
In the event of a router failure, the BigIron
RX will automatically and seamlessly
perform the tasks of the failed router.
Industry-Leading Layer 2 Features
including Spanning Tree Protocol (STP),
The BigIron RX also supports Brocade Metro
Ring Protocol (MRP) for sub-second service
restoration in ring topologies. Additionally,
the BigIron RX supports multi-instance
Feature BigIron RX-4 BigIron RX-8 BigIron RX-16 BigIron RX-32
8
Switching capacity per system
Available data capacity
Total switch capacity
Packet forwarding capacity per system
768
Side-to-Side Side-to-Side Front-to-Back Front-to-Back
Power supply redundancy
SYSTEM SUMMARY
(M = Number of supplies needed for fully loaded system and N = 1 to M supply redundancy)
• Metro Ring Protocol (MRP):
An alternative to Spanning Tree Protocol,
MRP provides sub-second fault detection
MRP works in conjunction with VSRP
like resilience.
• Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol
(VSRP): Supports sub-second fault
detection and fail-over for mesh topologies
in which redundant switches provide
back-up operation for one another
• Single-instance STP: Provides a single
instance of STP to run on all port-based
• Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Based
on IEEE 802.1w: Dramatically improves
the spanning tree convergence time to sub-
second by automatically renegotiating port
roles in case of a link failure without relying
on timers
• Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST): Allows
(i.e., load distribution)
• Topology Groups: Dramatically improves
allowing a few instances of STP, RSTP,
MRP, or VSRP to control large groups
• Super Aggregated VLANs (SAVs): Allows
• PIM and IGMP Snooping:
topologies by identifying ports that request
a multicast stream and forwarding the
stream only on these ports. This dramatically
improves the performance of multicast
applications, allowing for many more
streams to be transiting the network.
Advanced Quality of Service
• Advanced QoS: Allows administrators to
Type of Service (ToS), DiffServ settings or
Rate Limiting status
• Very Low Latency Across all Packet Sizes:
Consistent low latency for strict priority
applications such as voice over IP, high
performance computing and video over IP
•CongurableCombinationsofQueuing
Disciplines and Congestion Control
Policies: Combinations of Strict Priority (SP)
and Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) provide
the event of egress port congestion,
drop or weighted random early detection
• Advanced Bandwidth Management:
Allows intelligent bandwidth management
using hardware based enforcement of
Committed Information Rate (CIR) with
seamless integration with other advanced
QoS features including priority marking
and honoring.
Cohesive,UniedandEasy-to-Use
Network Management
• Centralized Network Management:
Web-based, graphical interface tool that
empowers network operators to seamlessly
• Command Line Interface (CLI):
consistent and common throughout
Brocade products
• Web interface: Provides easy-to-use
• sFlow (RFC 3176): Provides scalable,
wire-speed network monitoring and
accounting with no impact on network
performance
Brocade IronShield Security
• Wire-speed Extended Layer 2, Layer 3
and 4 Access Control Lists (ACL): Control
packet forwarding and restricts access to
the system management interface, while
– Extensible ACL Implementation for
Layer 3 and 4 Information:
IP address, IP protocol type, TCP or
UDP port, IP precedence or ToS values
– Flexible ACL Implementation for
Layer 2 Information:
based on source or destination MAC
– ACL Scalability: Support for up to
– Ease of Administration: Identify an ACL
by name or number, or add a comment
line for ease of administration
– Secure Shell and Secure Copy:
Provides secure access to the
administration and management
interface over the network
• Protection Against Denial of Service
(DoS) Attacks: Prevents or minimizes
network downtime from malicious users
protects against broadcast storms
• User Authentication: Authentication with
prevents unauthorized network access
• MAC Port Security: Controls the MAC
addresses allowed per port
• sFlow (RFC 3176): Provides cost-effective,
scalable, wire-speed network monitoring
to detect unusual network activity
• SNMPv3:
with authentication and privacy services
• BGP-Guard: Complements MD5 security
disruption by restricting the number of
APPLICATIONS
Brocade Enterprise Infrastructure
Solutions
the ongoing operations of the organization.
zero downtime on the network, securing the
network from DoS attacks, cyber-spying, and
malicious users, and maintaining data integrity
cost or impacting performance. All this in a
structure that allows for graceful growth as
The BigIron RX Series incorporates exceptional
resiliency, security and scalability in an
architecture designed to scale from the edge
to the core to minimize TCO. The resilient
design includes redundant management
modules, switch fabrics, fans and power
supplies. This hardware resiliency is enhanced
with software resiliency including hitless
system failover, graceful restart, MRP, VSRP,
the chassis utilizing the high performance
hardware-based QoS features of the RX Series.
Wire-speed security is maintained by locking
out unauthorized users with port security,
sFlow. The BigIron RX Series allows you to
core. The BigIron RX Series provides one
common architecture that meets the demands
needs with high performance, resiliency,
security and scalability with low TCO.
Brocade for Enterprise and Application
Hosting Solutions
Data centers are the core of business
operations requiring high density, high
performance, high security and low latency
switching to ensure connectivity to mission
critical applications. The increasing value
of the data center to business operations
necessitates that data and network integrity,
without impacting performance.
The BigIron RX Series addresses these
needs by acting as the gateway and switch
fabric of the data center. The density of
the RX Series allows for growth from the
smallest to the largest data center. Port
aggregation allows for high performance
availability of the server farm.
Brocade hardware based IronShield security
features protect the server farm against
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and provide
security for maintaining network integrity.
The sFlow functionality supplies the network
access information required to track who
has accessed which server on the network
as a means to provide network usage audit
trails. Utilizing Brocade wire-speed switching
the appropriate server and block undesired
optimal operation, security and integrity
of the network and data center.
BigIron RX-16
BigIron RX-32
BigIron RX-32
10-GbE
1-GbE
1 and 10-GbE front end application servers
10-GbE data servers
Data Center Routing and
Switching Access
FastIron SuperX BigIron RX-32
10/100/1000 Wiring Closet
BigIron RX-4
Fiber Distribution
10/100/1000 Aggregation
Fiber Distribution
10/100/1000 Aggregation
1-GbE 802.3AD
link aggregation
App
Servers
NAS
Cluster
Computing
1-GbE
10-GbE
Figure 1.
solutions.
Figure 2.
hosting solutions.
Brocade for Internet Exchange
Solutions
These cross-roads of the Internet connect
high-performance routers from many Service
Providers in peering relationships without
requiring a full mesh of router ports.
The BigIron RX Series excels in this
resiliency features of the chassis make the
BigIron RX Series an extremely cost effective
and robust solution.
Brocade for High-Performance
Computing Solutions
High-performance computing has entered
switching as the technology of choice. Ultra-low
are required for successful deployment.
The BigIron RX Series chassis are ideal
for this environment. They offer low latency
through the switch with unparalleled
performance architecture offers up to
meet the needs of the most demanding
HPC environment. The combination of
performance, density and reliability makes
the BigIron RX Series an excellent choice
NetIron Router NetIron Router
NetIron Router
NetIron Router
Service Provider
Service Provider
Service Provider
Service Provider
BigIron RX-16
BigIron RX-16
BigIron RX-16
BigIron RX-16
Exchange L3 Core
BigIron RX-32
10-GbE
10-GbE10-GbE
10-GbE
Figure 3.
Internet exchange
solutions.
Storage
BigIron RX-8
Storage
BigIron RX-8
Processors
BigIron RX-32
Figure 4.
High-performance
computing solutions.
IEEE Compliance
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
RFC Compliance
OSPF
IS-IS
RIP
IP Multicast
BROCADE BIGIRON RX SERIES SPECIFICATIONS
– RFC 768 UDP
Others
IPv6 Core
format
IPv6 Routing
IPv6 Multicast
Addresses
for SSM
• draft-ietf-ssm-arch SSM for IP
IPv6 Transitioning
and Routers
Network Management
• Integrated Standard-based Command Line Interface (CLI)
Element Security Options
• AAA
• RADIUS
• Secure Copy (SCP)
Environmental
Safety Agency Approvals
Communication Systems
ElectromagneticEmissionCertication
• FCC Class A
Immunity
Environmental Regulatory Compliance
Warranty
Mounting Options
System Max @ 100 VAC @ 200 VAC @ -48 VDC
Current
Amps
Power
Watts
Thermal
Output
Current
Amps
Power
Watts
Thermal
Output
Current
Amps
Power
Watts
Thermal
Output
57
BigIron RX-8
6
BROCADE BIGIRON RX SERIES SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions Weight
BigIron RX-8
78 lbs
BROCADE BIGIRON RX SERIES PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Part Number Description
BI-RX-8-AC BigIron RX-8 AC system
BI-RX-8-DC BigIron RX-8 DC system
for BigIron RX Series
for BigIron RX Series
for BigIron RX Series
for BigIron RX Series
for BigIron RX Series
for BigIron RX Series
RX-BI-MR Management Module for BigIron RX Series chassis,
Management Module for BigIron RX Series,
RX-ACPWR-B-SYS
RX-ACPWR-F-SYS
chassis
RX-DCPWR-B-SYS
RX-DCPWR-F-SYS
ORDERING INFORMATION
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.
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
export license from the United States government.
Corporate Headquarters
info@brocade.com
European Headquarters
emea-info@brocade.com
AsiaPacicHeadquarters
Singapore
apac-info@brocade.com
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