- Brocade communications Systems Ethernet Switch Specification Sheet
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)