Brocade FC SAN Mid-Range Switches Maintenance
side by side.

16Gb mid-range · 6505/6510/6520

6505 (24 ports) · 6510 (48 ports) · 6520 (96 ports) — 16Gb, partially EOSL

32Gb mid-range · G610/G620/G630

G610 (8/24 ports) · G620 (24/48/64 ports) · G630 (96/128 ports) — 32Gb

64Gb-ready · G720/G730

G720 (24/56/64 ports) · G730 (96/128 ports) — 64Gb FC, current generation

Components & optics

Power supplies · fan modules · 8/16/32/64Gb FC SFP+/QSFP+ · LC cables

EOSL status of Brocade mid-range generations

Brocade FC SAN mid-range is the workhorse area of the DACH SAN landscape — typical are two-tier SAN fabrics with 4-8 edge switches (6510/6520 or G620/G630) plus director-class core. Broadcom support for a 6510/G620 edge switch configuration is a significant cost item per switch, which multiplies accordingly for an 8-switch fabric. TPM reduces this to 40-50 percent. For EOSL 6510/6520 fleets we see up to 70 percent — Broadcom often no longer offers renewal.

We service Brocade FC SAN mid-range with OEM power supplies, fan modules and complete switches as replacement from our own warehouse. For 16Gb fleets (6510/6520) we also maintain certified refurbishing pools — this generation has high install density in DACH and EOSL is reached or near. 32Gb (G610/G620/G630) and 64Gb (G720/G730) are current generations with full OEM component availability. SFP+/QSFP+ optics we supply as certified third-party (50-70% cheaper) or original Brocade. Brocade Fabric OS (FOS) on switches continues to work without licensing — all SAN functions (zoning, trunking, virtual fabric) stay active.

The full OEM-vs-TPM matrix (spare parts, SLA tiers, language, sub-outsourcing, compliance docs, reporting) is the same for every Brocade line — see the Brocade battle card.

BAIT/MaRisk documentation package, DORA Art. 28 contract template, ISO 27001 and GDPR-compliant media handling apply identically to every Brocade line — details on the Brocade battle card.

Same four steps for every Brocade line: inventory → fixed-price quote in 48 h → contract (BAIT/MaRisk/DORA hooks) → hand-over with spare-parts provisioning. Details on the Brocade battle card.

Which Brocade mid-range models do you service?

Complete mid-range family of all three generations: 16Gb (6505 24-port, 6510 48-port, 6520 96-port — partially EOSL reached), 32Gb (G610 with 8/24 ports, G620 with 24/48/64 ports, G630 with 96/128 ports — current mid-range generation) and 64Gb-ready (G720 with 24/56/64 ports, G730 with 96/128 ports — current top mid-range). Including all power supplies, fan modules and SFP+/QSFP+ optics modules.

What does TPM cost for Brocade mid-range compared to Broadcom support?

30 to 60 percent savings. For a 6510-48 or G620-48 with 24×7×4, TechCare is roughly 55% below the Broadcom price; for a G730-128 roughly 55–60% below Broadcom support. For a complete two-tier SAN fabric with 8 edge switches, TechCare is roughly 55% below Broadcom support. For EOSL 6510/6520 fleets we see up to 70 percent — Broadcom often no longer offers renewal.

Does Fabric OS and Brocade Network Advisor continue to work without a Broadcom contract?

Yes. Brocade Fabric OS (FOS) on the switches continues to work without licensing — zoning, trunking, virtual fabric, ISL trunking, all SAN functions stay functionally active. FOS code updates to newer versions require an active Broadcom contract, usually uncritical with stable SAN configurations. SAN management tools like Brocade Network Advisor (today SANnav) run independently — customers actively using SANnav keep the software subscription with Broadcom. TPM only replaces the hardware layer.

Can you service EOSL 6510/6520?

Yes, a focus area of our Brocade business. 6510 (released 2012, EOSL 2022-2023) and 6520 (released 2013, EOSL 2024-2025) are still very widespread in DACH SAN fabrics — typically in stable two-tier fabrics that don't necessarily need refresh because 16Gb FC remains sufficient for many workloads. We stock switches, power supplies, fan modules and 16Gb FC optics for these generations. FOS on older 6510/6520 continues to work — code updates to newer FOS versions require an active Broadcom contract, uncritical with stable SAN configurations.

What about Broadcom since the Brocade acquisition in 2017?

Broadcom acquired Brocade Communications in 2017 — the FC SAN division (today's Brocade) stayed with Broadcom, the IP networking division was spun off to Ruckus/CommScope (today partially with Extreme Networks). From a maintenance perspective: Broadcom support is the OEM support for current Brocade FC products (G620/G630/G720/G730/X6/X7). TPM for Brocade FC is an established alternative — DACH SAN customers are increasingly open to multi-vendor TPM contracts after the Broadcom acquisition because service conditions have shifted.

Which SLA levels do you recommend for Brocade mid-range?

Mid-range switches as edge switches in two-tier fabrics: 24×7×4 with German-speaking onsite engineer is standard — edge switch outage affects server clusters with attached storage arrays, often with critical database or hypervisor workloads. With redundant fabric-A/fabric-B designs (standard in DACH SAN), single switch failure can be absorbed — 5×9 NBD is theoretically possible here, but we recommend 24×7×4 due to typically high workload criticality. For EOSL switches and test/dev environments, Parts Only or 5×9 NBD sufficient.