Brocade MLX / NetIron MLXe Carrier-Class IP-Routing Maintenance
side by side.
TechCare TPM vs. Broadcom Brocade Support. Cost range, EOSL advantages, migration path and DACH compliance at a glance — for IT leadership and procurement.
Cost comparison
Example Brocade G620 SAN switch with 4-year Broadcom Support: TechCare TPM roughly 36–54% below the OEM price.
Active EOSL lines
- NetIron MLX-4 / MLX-8 / MLX-16 / MLX-32 · EOSL 2019-05-18
- MLXe-4 / MLXe-8 / MLXe-16 (Extended-Variante) · EOSL 2024-06-30
Which MLX / NetIron configurations we service
- MLX / MLXe chassis
- MLX-4 (4 LC slots) · MLX-8 (8) · MLX-16 (16) · MLX-32 (32) · MLXe variants (rebrand 2010+)
- 10 GbE line cards
- NI-MLX-10Gx4 · NI-MLX-10Gx8 · BR-MLX-10Gx24 (24-port 10G, x8d) · BR-MLX-1GFx48 (48-port 1G SFP)
- 40/100 GbE line cards
- BR-MLX-100Gx1 · BR-MLX-100Gx2 (2-port 100G CFP) · BR-MLX-40Gx4 · BR-MLX-10Gx20
- Management & switch fabric
- NI-MLX-MR · NI-MLX-MR2-M · NI-MLX-SF · NI-MLX-SF2/SF3 (higher backplane gen)
- Power, fans & transceivers
- AC and DC PSUs (1800W, 2400W) · fan trays · 10G XFP/SFP+ · 100G CFP/QSFP28 · CWDM/DWDM tunable
EOSL status of MLX generations
| Generation | Released | End of vendor support | TechCare TPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLX-4 (ursprüngliche Generation) | 2008 | 2020 | Recommended |
| MLX-8 / MLX-16 | 2008-2010 | 2020-2022 | Recommended |
| MLX-32 (große Chassis-Variante) | 2010 | 2022 | Recommended |
| MLXe-Rebrand (alle Chassis) | 2010+ | 2024 | Recommended |
| BR-MLX-100Gx1 / 100Gx2 Linecards | 2012-2015 | 2024-2026 | Supported |
| NI-MLX-SF3 (Switch-Fabric v3) | 2014 | 2025+ | Supported |
Why TPM maintenance for Brocade MLX instead of Extreme Networks Support
Broadcom sold the Brocade IP line (MLX, ICX, VDX) to Extreme Networks in 2018. Extreme runs MLX as a maintenance-mode line without active roadmap — support renewals are getting expensive or unavailable. MLX routers in carrier backbones, internet exchanges and enterprise WANs have 8-12 year refresh cycles.
We stock all MLX generations: chassis MLX-4 to MLX-32 (incl. MLXe rebrand), 10/40/100 GbE line cards (BR-MLX-100Gx1/x2 most critical), management modules NI-MLX-MR and MR2-M, switch fabric SF/SF2/SF3, PSUs and fan trays. NetIron firmware (6.0-6.3) stays functional.
OEM vs. TechCare — where the switch pays off
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.
Stays with Brocade MLX / NetIron MLXe
- Fabric OS / FOS software licenses
- SANnav management subscription
- Broadcom TAC software tickets
Moves to TechCare
- Hardware defects (memory, disk, PSU, mainboard, modules)
- 24×7×4 on-site SLA with German-speaking field service
- Spare-parts logistics DACH + global hub network
- Fixed-price contract in 48 h, one inventory — one contract
DACH compliance by design.
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.
Migration path from first contact to hand-over.
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.
FAQ on Brocade MLX maintenance
- Which MLX components do you service?
- Complete MLX family: chassis MLX-4 to MLX-32 (incl. MLXe rebrand), all 10/40/100 GbE line cards, management modules, switch fabric SF/SF2/SF3, AC/DC PSUs, fan trays. Plus all XFP/SFP+/QSFP+/CFP transceivers.
- What does TPM cost vs. Extreme Networks Support?
- For an MLX-16 with 6× BR-MLX-100Gx2 and 24×7×4, TechCare is roughly 55% below the Extreme price. Older MLX-4/MLX-8 (EOSL): TPM is the only option, with predictable pricing per chassis.
- Does NetIron CLI and Brocade Network Advisor stay functional?
- Yes. NetIron CLI (5.x/6.x) and Brocade Network Advisor / SLX Visibility stay functional. SNMP, syslog, NetFlow/sFlow export and all BGP/OSPF/MPLS configs continue unchanged.
- Are BGP speaker and MPLS PE roles safely operable?
- Yes. NetIron 6.x as carrier OS is extremely stable — BGP4, BGPv6, MPLS LDP, RSVP-TE, BFD, IS-IS and OSPF-NSF/GR are all fully implemented. For critical IX or carrier backbone roles we recommend 24×7×4 with spare line cards.
- Can we migrate to Extreme SLX during TPM?
- Yes. Extreme SLX (SLX 9740, SLX 9540) is positioned as MLX successor. TPM bridges 18-36 months of carrier router refresh. Alternatives: Cisco NCS or Juniper MX.
- Spare availability for BR-MLX-100Gx2 (100G CFP)?
- 100G CFP line cards are the most critical spare position — we specifically stock BR-MLX-100Gx1 and BR-MLX-100Gx2 plus matching CFP 100G transceivers (LR4, ER4). Per-site verification before contract.