The Fs8-18 Blade; Fips Mode; Performance Licensing; Adding A License - Brocade Communications Systems StoreFabric SN6500B Administrator's Manual

The FS8-18 blade

The FS8-18 blade provides the same features and functionality as the Brocade Encryption Switch.
The FS8-18 blade installs on the Brocade DCX Backbone chassis, which include the DCX, DCX-4S,
DCX 8510-8, and DCX 8510-4 chassis.

FIPS mode

Both the Brocade Encryption Switch and the FS8-18 blade always boot up in FIPS mode, which
cannot be disabled. In this mode, only FIPS-compliant algorithms are allowed.

Performance licensing

Encryption processing power is scalable, and may be increased by purchasing and installing an
encryption performance license. The base unit Brocade Encryption Switch and FS8-18 Encryption
Blade have a standard capacity of 48 Gbps of encryption processing power. Additional encryption
processing power can be added for disk I/O by purchasing and installing an Advanced Disk
Encryption Performance Upgrade license. When the performance upgrade license is applied,
encryption processing power of up to 96 Gbps is available for disk encryption. Note that when the
license is applied to a Brocade DCX Backbone chassis, it applies to all FS8-18 blades installed on
that chassis.

Adding a license

The encryption performance licenses are added just like any other Fabric OS feature license. After
the license is added, the Brocade Encryption Switch and Brocade DCX Backbone chassis with
encryption blades installed must be rebooted for the license to take effect. See the Fabric OS
Administrator's Guide for information about obtaining and adding licenses.

Licensing best practices

Licenses installed on the switches and blades must have identical performance numbers when
used together in high availability (HA) clusters or data encryption key (DEK) clusters.
Fabric OS Encryption Administrator's Guide (SKM/ESKM)
53-1002721-01

The FS8-18 blade

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