The Brocade SilkWorm 12000 Core Fabric Switch, available in 64-port and dual 64-port configurations, expands the capabilities of existing fibre channel storage environments and is a highly reliable and intelligent solution for deploying enterprise-class Storage Area Networks (SANs) in mission-critical environments.
Building on the proven Brocade SAN architecture, the Brocade SilkWorm 12000 sets a new industry standard for ultra-high availability, scalability, manageability, and security in the storage environment, enabling customers to scale storage more effectively, support continuous data availability, and reduce the overall cost of storage management.



Ultra-High Availability
Combining a wide array of redundant hardware components and innovative software, the SilkWorm 12000 provides unprecedented ultra-high availability in an enterprise-level switch, meeting enterprise-class "five-nines" availability requirements. As a result, it helps support a strategic SAN infrastructure capable of addressing the most demanding business requirements. Ultra-High availability highlights include:
No single points of failure
Redundant and hot-pluggable components
Environment monitoring
Non-disruptive software upgrades (Hot Code Load)
Dual out-of-band mangement connections
Simplified Manageability

The SilkWorm 12000 simplifies management by networking core and edge switches under Brocade Fabric OS, the embedded operating system.
Centralized management
Heterogeneous device connectivity
Automatic data routing and rerouting
Self-healing ISL Trunking capabilities

Advanced Security
The SilkWorm 12000 supports Brocade Secure Fabric OS, the most comprehensive fabric-based security architecture available. Based on state-of-the-art networking security technology, this architecture addresses a wide variety of vulnerabilities within the SAN fabric.
Enables hardware-enforced zoning by World Wide Name (WWN)
Provides secure Telnet access through SSH Secure Shell
WEB TOOLS operates over a secure browser using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol

Interoperability
The SilkWorm 12000 is fully interoperable with the entire SilkWorm product family, enabling a seamless upgrade path and optimal investment protection. Also, the Brocade Fabric OS shipping with each SilkWorm 12000 has earned FCIA SANmark compliance, verifying that it complies with fibre channel standards and is interoperable with third party solutions.
Extensible, Modular, Bladed Architecture
The SilkWorm 12000 offers an extensible, multiprotocol architecture designed for optimal data reliability in a storage network with support for emerging storage networking technologies.
Provides 1 and 2 Gbit/sec operation
Offers industry leading fibre channel port density with 128 ports in a 14 rack unit enclosure for optimal space utilization and flexibility
Provides core backbone switch capabilities to allow SANs to scale to well over 1,000 ports, providing investment protection and a clear growth plan
Advanced Fabric Services

Brocade Fabric OS is included in the SilkWorm 12000 and provides a wide variety of Advanced Fabric Services that are designed to improve the investment protection, security, performance, scalability, and efficiency of Brocade SAN fabrics including:
Security and Access Control Service
Advanced Performance Monitoring Service
Extended Fabrics Service
Advanced Zoning Service
Inter-Switch Link Trunking Service
QuickLoop/Fabric Assist Service
Fabric Watch Service