brocade SAN switch question

Can anyone tell me what the significant differences are between
the brocade 3200 and the 3250.

Brocades web site indicates that the 3250 is cheaper, but I would like
to know if there are any features in the 3200 that have been cut down
in the 3250 in order to reduce the price.

(zombie) wrote in news:ab7e8105.0407231827.19ac6f63
@posting.google.com:

Can anyone tell me what the significant differences are between
the brocade 3200 and the 3250.

Brocades web site indicates that the 3250 is cheaper, but I would like
to know if there are any features in the 3200 that have been cut down
in the 3250 in order to reduce the price.

It seems to be a newer version, but basically the same switch at a lower
price. In the past, Brocade has been doing this kind of thing by removing a
few licenses from the switch but there is no indication that this has been
done to the 3250. It might run the linux-based FabricOS 4.x like it's
bigger brothers, the 3900 switch and the 12000 and 24000 directors - as
opposed to the QNX-based 3.x which the 3200 and 3800 uses.

Have a talk with Brocade and see if it isn't just an upgrade. Having two
competing 8-port products out there doesn't really seem viable...

--
/Jesper Monsted

Thanks for the information. Din't know that Fabric OS was linux based.
Pardon my ignorance here, what does the abbrevation QNX stand for.

Zombie

Jesper Monsted wrote in message . 74.163...
(zombie) wrote in news:ab7e8105.0407231827.19ac6f63
@posting.google.com:

Can anyone tell me what the significant differences are between
the brocade 3200 and the 3250.

Brocades web site indicates that the 3250 is cheaper, but I would like
to know if there are any features in the 3200 that have been cut down
in the 3250 in order to reduce the price.

It seems to be a newer version, but basically the same switch at a lower
price. In the past, Brocade has been doing this kind of thing by removing a
few licenses from the switch but there is no indication that this has been
done to the 3250. It might run the linux-based FabricOS 4.x like it's
bigger brothers, the 3900 switch and the 12000 and 24000 directors - as
opposed to the QNX-based 3.x which the 3200 and 3800 uses.

Have a talk with Brocade and see if it isn't just an upgrade. Having two
competing 8-port products out there doesn't really seem viable...

(zombie) wrote in
om:

Thanks for the information. Din't know that Fabric OS was linux based.
Pardon my ignorance here, what does the abbrevation QNX stand for.

QNX is a real-time OS used for embedded stuff like (tadaaa!) FabricOS. It
was used for all FabricOS versions in the 1.x, 2.x and 3.x series. The
Silkworm 3900, 12000 and 24000 switches run 4.x which is based on a linux
kernel with the FabricOS application running on top. If you get the root
login, you can actually get a full shell and poke around behind the scenes,
but i would highly recommend against that.

--
/Jesper Monsted

zombie schrieb:
Can anyone tell me what the significant differences are between
the brocade 3200 and the 3250.

Brocades web site indicates that the 3250 is cheaper, but I would like
to know if there are any features in the 3200 that have been cut down
in the 3250 in order to reduce the price.


The significantest diefference are the FRUs. On the 3200 switch power
supplies and fans could be replaced in the field (non disruptive). On
the xx50 series this is not possible. You can only swap the switch, with
all the impact to your environment.

If you buy Brocade take also a look to the fabric licence. V2 is
cheapest (max 2 switches in a fabric), V4 are four switches and full
fabric is many switches.

Bye

Sascha