FAQ

Brocade Technical Assistance Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction
The Brocade® Technical Assistance Center provides a single support contact for Storage Area Network (SAN)
and IP networking products purchased through Brocade, Brocade OEM Partners, or Brocade Solution Providers.
Organizations facing the challenges of maintaining large or complex networking environments can gain
immediate access to Brocade expertise and resources to accelerate problem resolution, increase uptime,
and improve overall efficiency.

For more information about The Brocade Technical Assistance Center, visit:
www.brocade.com/services-support/support-plans/index.page.

General Questions and Answers

Q. What levels of Brocade Direct Support does Brocade offer?
A . Brocade offers a comprehensive support portfolio with different levels to meet customer needs:
••Essential: Brocade Essential Support provides software and hardware support to customers with Brocade products. Essential
Support includes 24×7 access to the Brocade Technical Assistance Center (TAC) (available through phone, e-mail, and the Web),
software updates, online self-service tools, and several hardware replacement Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to fit unique
customer requirements.

••Premier Choice: Premier Choice Support builds on top of the benefits included in Essential Support with the addition of enhanced
features like a Support Account Manager, Semi-annual Support Business Reviews, the Activity Quality Process, priority access to
expertise, and accelerated escalation management.

••Premier: Premier Support includes all the offerings of Essential Support in addition to a Support Account Manager (SAM),
Premier account profile, quarterly support reviews, unlimited use of the Activity Quality Process, priority access to Brocade
Technical Support expertise and accelerated escalation management, premier monitoring, annual network health checks, and
firmware upgrade services.
Q. Where is Brocade Technical Support available?
A . Brocade Technical Support is available worldwide. For more information on the level of Brocade Technical Support available in a
specific location, contact your Brocade Sales Representative or maintcontracts@brocade.com.

Q. How do I register my products covered by a Brocade Technical Support contract?

A . Brocade Technical Support customers can register their equipment at www.brocade.com/support/activateplan.jsp.

Q. How do I register my products covered by warranty?

A . For streamlined access to Brocade expertise and resources, please register your Brocade-supported equipment at
www.brocade.com/forms/jsp/Warranty_Prod_Reg/warranty_reg.jsp.

Q. What numbers should I call to obtain support?

A . For technical issues, Brocade customers can contact Brocade Technical Support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Toll-free
numbers are available in many countries.

For more details, visit www.brocade.com/services-support/international_telephone_numbers/index.page.

Essential Support
Q. What is the value of Essential Support?
A . Essential Support provides different levels of support to meet customer needs, scale with growing environments, and help ensure
maximum data reliability. This level of support offers:

••A single point of contact for all Brocade hardware and software support activities
••Direct access to Brocade Technical Support resources and expertise 24×7
••Unlimited access to online self-service tools in MyBrocade ®

••Reduced costs associated with downtime

••Greater operational efficiency and lower overall support costs
••A variety of hardware and software SLAs to meet customer needs
Q. What hardware components are covered under Essential Support?
A . All components shipped with the chassis are covered under a valid Brocade Direct Support contract. Following are the common
hardware items supported under this contract:

••Chassis/switch
••Line cards
••Optics and LEDs
••Management and switch fabric modules
••AC power supply
••Exhaust and power supply fans

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Q. What are the onsite responsibilities of Brocade and the customer?
A . Essential Support offers service levels that include an onsite option. If customers purchase one of those service levels, Brocade
provides a field engineer to install advance hardware replacement onsite.
Brocade responsibilities include:

••Physically remove/replace the defective product

••Re-attach data cables and apply power
••Ensure the device passes a self-test
••Package the defective equipment for return
Customer responsibilities (with assistance from the Brocade Technical Assistance Center [TAC]) as required) include:

••Restore device configuration (including IP address)

••Ensure network connectivity
Q. What are the Essential Support SLAs?
A . Essential Support provides a choice of options and SLAs. The following chart summarizes the Essential SLA options under
Brocade Direct Support.

MyBrocade: Online
Service Level Agreements Technical Assistance Center Software Updates and
Self-Services, KB, and Case
(SLAs) (TAC) Downloads
Management

4-hour1,2 Onsite (-4OS)

4-hour 1,2Parts (-4P)

Next-business-Day1,2,3 Onsite
(-NBO)

Next-business-Day 1,2,3 24×7 Access Unlimited Unlimited

Parts (-NDP)

Return to Factory (-RTF)

Remote Support4 (-RMT)

Software Support (-SW)

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Subject to customer providing Brocade with a description of the repair problem, part number, serial number, and return address. To determine if your specific location is within the required distance for
a 4-hour or next-business day response please visit: http://www.brocade.com/support-availability
2
Additional limitations and/or restrictions may apply. Hardware delivery times are based on a single point of failure incident. Delivery times for failures including but not limited to non-standard/variable
configuration unit replacements, oversized/heavy weight items, or non-single point of failures may fall outside the posted SLA. Non-mechanical supplies and accessories (e.g. sheet metal, rack
mounts, hinges, etc.) are excluded from the delivery SLA. Software version levels on replacement hardware may require upgrade/downgrade based on your current operating environment.
3
Next-business-day delivery is available when Brocade receives a case by 2:00 p.m. local time and customer distance from the nearest parts distribution center is within commercial carrier’s standard
next-business-day delivery area (some restrictions may apply). If customer location is outside the commercial carrier’s next-business-day delivery area parts will ship the same or next day (2:00
p.m. local time cutoff for same day shipping, some restrictions may apply). Delivery times may vary due to customs and local regulations which are outside of Brocade control. Customers may be
responsible for importation costs, brokerage fees, import duties, and taxes. Next-business-day is not available on selected holidays.
4
Available only for Brocade hardware products with Assurance Limited Lifetime Warranty (ALLW)

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Q. Does Brocade have a 2-hour response SLA?
A . Yes. Brocade offers 2-hour Onsite and 2-hour Parts. Both SLAs are available only in limited locations throughout the United States
upon request.

Q. What type of phone support do I receive with the Brocade Assurance Limited Lifetime Warranty?
A . Some products covered by the Brocade Assurance Limited Lifetime Warranty are bundled with 9×5 phone access to the Brocade
Technical Assistance Center (TAC). Customers that want access beyond the bundled period, or 24×7 access to the Brocade TAC,
must purchase a Brocade Technical Support contract. Following are the Brocade Assurance Limited Lifetime Warranty-bundled
support durations:

• Brocade ICX 6610, Brocade ICX 7450, Brocade ICX 7750, Brocade FCX Series, Brocade FastIron SX 800, and Brocade FastIron
SX 1600: 90 days

• Brocade ICX 6430, Brocade ICX 6450, Brocade ICX 7250: 3 years
Out-of-warranty products will not be supported by Brocade. Customers have the option to purchase a support contract or receive
support on a time and materials basis.

Q. Where can I find more information about the Brocade Time & Materials Policy?
A . Details on this policy can be found at www.brocade.com/support.
Premier Choice Support
Q. What is Premier Choice?
A . Premier Choice is a support level positioned between Brocade Essential Support and Premier Support. Premier Choice Support
includes all the offerings in Essential Support. It is an entry into the Premier Support customer experience through an attractive price
point and limited deliverables compared to Premier Support.

Q.What is the difference between Premier, Premier Choice, and Essential?

A . Essential Support is reactive support only. Premier Support and Premier Choice build on top of Essential Support and include
features such as enhanced Technical Assistance Center (TAC) response, escalation, and time target updates as well as access to a
Support Account Manager (SAM). The key difference between Premier Support and Premier Choice is in the amount of proactive
and reactive features. The table below provides a summary of the differences:

Essential Support Premier Choice Premier Support

Value Proposition Reactive Support Proactive Support High-Touch Support
TAC Response Targets Standard Enhanced Enhanced
AQP No 2 per year Unlimited
Premier Monitoring No No Yes
SAM: No Low-touch High-touch

••Premier Account Profile No Yes Yes

••Case Management No Severity 1 only All Cases

••Support Reviews No 2 per year, remote 4 per year, onsite

••Health Checks Available Online Available Online Yes

Services Add-On Menu Partial Access Full Access Full Access

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Q. Is the SAM’s role different in Premier Choice versus Premier Support?
A . Yes the SAMs role is slightly reduced in Premier Choice. The main differences of a Premier Choice SAM are:
••They only assist with Severity Level 1 cases
••AQP process is only available two times per year
••Customers get semi-annual Business Support Reviews that are remote
••SAM do not perform Health Checks for customers
Premier Support
Q. What are the benefits of Premier Support?
A . In addition to the features included in Essential Support, Brocade Premier Support includes a Brocade Support Account
Manager (SAM). Brocade SAMs are knowledgeable about customers’ specific environments and act as a single point of contact
for all Brocade software and hardware issues. They also keep customers informed about key support matters by proactively
communicating and coordinating software upgrades and releases. Premier Support customers have immediate access to the
Technical Assistance Center (TAC) and proactive support that helps them avoid problems and optimize resources.

Q. What are the responsibilities of a Brocade Support Account Manager?

A . The Brocade Support Account Manager (SAM) is included in a Premier Support agreement, and is
responsible for:

• Acting as a Brocade Technical Support focal point for implementations, change activities, escalations, and critical situation
management

• Creating and maintaining a Premier account profile, which details information about a customer’s environment
• Coordinating firmware upgrades, if purchased
• Proactively communicating technical tips, best practices, white papers, and other information
• Conducting quarterly support reviews
• Coordinating annual Brocade SAN Health and Brocade NET Health checks
• Helping to accelerate problem resolution to reduce downtime
Q. What is the benefit of having “priority access” to the Brocade Technical Assistance Center?
A . Premier Support customers receive higher prioritization when they submit cases to Brocade Technical Support, regardless of
whether a case is created by telephone, e-mail, or online using case management. Cases created by Premier Choice and
Premier Support customers bypass the support queue and move to the front of the line for more immediate problem resolution.

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Q. What is the Brocade Activity Quality Process (AQP)?
A . As part of its Premier Support offering, Brocade will review and track all scheduled activities to ensure that the most current and
correct information is used to help the customer conduct proper change activities. By ensuring that all activities are reviewed, the
Brocade AQP optimizes customer readiness and success. Activity review includes a high-level technical and procedural review for
the scope of the activity. Activities covered by this process include, but are not limited to:

• Brocade Fabric OS (FOS), Brocade OS, and Brocade Network OS upgrades

®

• Feature additions
• License changes
• New product installations
• Fixing known issues
• Implementing best practices
• Release notes and Technical Status Bulletin (TSB) assessments
Q. What is automated fault management and proactive device monitoring?
A . Utilizing a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) infrastructure to conduct fault management and proactive monitoring, Brocade
Technical Support Engineers can view customers’ Brocade network devices and proactively identify problems before their networks
are impacted. Automated fault management and proactive device monitoring provide proactive responses to traps and alerts sent
from network devices. The Brocade SAM will receive these alerts and work with customers to address potential problems. If an
issue is identified, tight integration with Brocade Technical Support expedites the creation of cases and reduces time to resolution.
Together, automated fault management and proactive device monitoring can reduce network downtime by as much as one hour per
event.

Q. What is a quarterly support review?

A . Brocade SAMs conduct quarterly support reviews to communicate the overall status of a customer’s Brocade networking
infrastructure and to discuss ways to improve uptime and operational efficiency. These reviews include:

••Metrics, analysis, and status of the installed base and reported problems (cases)
••Recommendations based on previous issues and best practices (as applicable to the environment)
••Review of planned activities
••Collated customer reports and documentation
••Additional topics tailored to customers’ needs

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Q. What is an annual health check?
A . Brocade offers annual Brocade SAN Health and Brocade NET Health checks for efficient networking infrastructure operations. The
Brocade SAM coordinates the annual health check, working with Brocade experts to collect and analyze critical operational data,
such as logical and physical topologies, device inventory, zoning bandwidth utilization, and monitoring capabilities.

The Services Add-on Menu

Q. What is the Services Add-On Menu?
A . Customers have their own unique requirements when it comes the type of support they need and how they receive it. To better cater
to all types of customer environments, the Brocade Support portfolio now includes an add-on menu of features to supplement
base support contracts. Customers with Premier Support from Brocade receive the benefits of proactive and preferential support
firsthand. The Services Add-On Menu builds on these same principles to provide additional flexibility with a set of features that
reduce downtime and augment customer environments.

Below is a table that includes all the current items on the Services Add-On Menu:

Services Add-On Menu Item Description

Fast Pass to Expertise* Access to expert-level Brocade TAC engineer

U.S. Citizen TAC* Access to U.S. citizen-only TAC engineers

Designated Business TAC* Access to TAC engineers specialized in business segment

Professional Services by Day Professional Services in daily increments

Testing as a Service (TaaS) Brocade performs a network augmentation POC

Network Monitoring Service (NMS) Remote Troubleshooting, Fault Management, Proactive Monitoring, and Advanced Analytics

Secure Service Receive replacement products without having to return defective devices

Onsite Support Engineer (OSE) Access to a full-time OSE

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Q. What is Fast Pass to Expertise?
A . Brocade understands that many of its Premier customers work tirelessly on troubleshooting issues prior to contacting Brocade. This
offer is available to help customers who call in with critical cases after extensive troubleshooting internally. Fast Pass to Expertise
provides customers with Severity Level 1 and Severity Level 2 cases faster access to the most experienced engineers at Brocade.

Customers with this service should call the TAC as they normally would with a Severity Level 1 and Severity Level 2 case. Once it
has been confirmed that the case is critical and the customer has done the necessary troubleshooting on their end, the customer will
be immediately routed to an expert-level engineer who will then drive the case to resolution. After the case is flagged as a Fast Pass,
all future calls with that serial number will get routed directly to an expert.

Q. What is U.S. Citizen TAC?

A . As security requirements expand and become more stringent, Brocade provides the support offerings to meet them, including a
targeted support offering for customers that require U.S.-citizen support only.

The U.S. Citizen TAC offering is available to US Federal customers that can only be assisted by Brocade TAC engineers who are
U.S. citizens. Customers with this service that call into Brocade will be routed to a designated TAC staffed with U.S. citizens only.

Q. What is Designated Business TAC?

A . Brocade knows that many of its support customers come from similar industries and leverage many of the same Brocade product
solutions. Due to these similarities, Brocade has created specialized groups in TAC to identify, support, and resolve issues faster.
Access to these designated TACs is available 24×7 around the world.

One designation is for service provider customers. When service provider customers call into the TAC, their issues are handled by
a group of TAC engineers that are specifically trained on service provider environments. This helps solve cases quicker and route
customers to the appropriate engineer more efficiently.

Q. What is Professional Services by Day?

A . Professional Services by Day is an allowance of days that grants customers’ access to Brocade Professional Services whenever they
want. The timing of change activities or implementations can be unpredictable, and a reserve of Professional Services days helps
ensure that Brocade services will be there when needed. Customers that purchase Professional Services by Day can use it for a
variety of onsite or remote services including implementations, configurations, and health check activities related to Brocade SAN or
IP hardware and software products.

Professional Services by Day is limited to one working week consisting of five (5) consecutive days of service assistance. Brocade
requires an initial planning meeting with the customer to understand and document specific customer requirements and confirm
the scope of work. Scheduling Professional Services by Day must be requested at least ten (10) business days prior to any Brocade
resources being assigned.

A full list of the Professional Services available and additional terms and conditions can be found in the Professional Services by
Day Statement of Work.

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Q. What is Testing as a Service (TaaS)?
A . Testing as a Service (TaaS) provides proactive services from Brocade to help customers augment and enhance their environments.
Similar to a Proof of Concept (POC) this service from Brocade will provide customers with confidence that customer-defined
configurations and deployments have been thoroughly tested prior to implementation. Also included in TaaS is stress testing and
code reviews to confirm that customers’ networks meet Brocade best practices.

Q. What is Network Monitoring Service?

A . Brocade Network Monitoring Service (NMS) is available to all Brocade customers and consists of four core components designed
to maximize network availability and performance:

••Automated Fault Management: One-way SNMP trap for forwarding and filtering that enables Brocade to view and proactively
respond to issues.

••Proactive Device Monitoring: Two-way SNMP polling that ensures connectivity or environment threshold exceptions.
••Remote Troubleshooting: Remote access through Secure Shell that accelerates diagnostic data collection, reducing the burden of
capturing and sending diagnostic data to Brocade.

••Advanced Analytics: A real-time dashboard accessible through MyBrocade provides visibility and the insight required to be
proactive, predictive, and transparent in network management.

Q. Why is Advance Analytics sold separately and only to Premier Customers?

A . Part of Premier Support is “Premier Monitoring,” which includes three of the four NMS features: Automated Fault Management,
Proactive Device Monitoring, and Remote Troubleshooting. Premier Customers that want the Advanced Analytics feature can buy it
as an add-on to get the equivalent of the full NMS offering.

Q. What is Secure Service?

A . Brocade offers a Secure Service option for customers with secure environments. Secure Service is an add-on to the existing
support contract, which allows customers to receive replacement products without requiring the return of the defective product.
Customers are responsible for destroying the existing hardware and providing proof of destruction documentation. Hardware
delivery times are in accordance with the contract Service Level Agreement.

Q. What is an Onsite Support Engineer (OSE)?

A . In today’s business climate, IT organizations with growing and complex networking infrastructures often find themselves short on
time and resources—making it difficult to meet the needs of the business while performing daily support and management activities.
As increasing headcount is not always an option, this service includes a Brocade Onsite Support Engineer (OSE), in addition to the
services of a Premier Support agreement. Brocade OSEs work side by side with a customer’s IT staff, providing onsite technical
expertise to keep Brocade Storage Area Network (SAN) and IP networking environments running smoothly.

Brocade OSEs are senior technical professionals who have in-depth expertise and certifications in Brocade hardware and software
products. As focused support contacts for all Brocade solutions, Brocade OSEs facilitate communication and provide proactive
coordination of problem escalation and change activities, accelerating resolution, and improving operational efficiency. These
engineers have access to vast Brocade resources and can leverage strategic Brocade partnerships to quickly troubleshoot and
resolve issues in complex environments.

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Brocade Supplemental Support
Q. What can I expect from a Brocade Supplemental Support Plan?
A . Brocade Supplemental Support is for Premier Choice and Premier Support customers. It is designed to augment existing support
plans from Brocade OEM Partners and Brocade Solution Providers by providing customers direct access to Brocade Technical
Support resources on a 24×7 basis. Brocade Supplemental Support customers must have an existing support plan with a Brocade
OEM Partner or Brocade Solution Provider that covers their hardware at a minimum.

If an issue arises involving a Brocade product, a customer must first contact the appropriate Brocade OEM Partner or Brocade
Solution Provider according to the existing support contract and obtain a support ticket number. Next, the customer may contact
Brocade directly to troubleshoot and fix the issue.

Q. What support level must I have to be eligible for Supplemental Support?

A . Brocade Supplemental Support is only available for Premier Choice and Premier Support customers.

Q. Is Brocade Supplemental Support available through Brocade OEM Partners? What is the communication
process and call flow for this arrangement?
A . Brocade Supplemental Support is offered by select Brocade OEM Partners. In situations where an OEM resells Brocade
Supplemental Support, Brocade Technical Support works the case cooperatively with the OEM Partner and the end-user customer,
coordinating all hardware and software fixes.

Q. With a Brocade Supplemental Support Plan, does Brocade escalate calls to the Brocade OEM Partner
when a hardware issue is detected? Who closes the call?
A . If Brocade determines that it is a hardware issue and a part needs to be replaced, Brocade will refer the customer back to the
Brocade OEM Partner to have the issue fixed. The Brocade OEM Partner will then manage the ticket to closure.

MyBrocade Online Self-Service Tools

Q. What is MyBrocade?
A . Customers with valid Brocade Technical Support contracts have access to MyBrocade, an online portal for 24×7 technical support.
The online self-service tools available within MyBrocade include:

••My Cases: To open, update, and track cases in real time.

••Knowledge Base: To search solutions to technical issues and access product documentation.
••Downloads: To download firmware updates and new software releases.
Customers can learn more about MyBrocade at https://login.brocade.com/.

Q. Who has access to MyBrocade?

A . All customers and partners with a valid Brocade Technical Support contract have access to MyBrocade.

Q. What is My Cases?
A . My Cases is an online support module (replacing the previous MySupport application) within MyBrocade for case management.

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Q. How do I access My Cases?
A . My Cases is accessible through MyBrocade for customers and partners with a valid Brocade Technical Support contract. To access
My Cases, register on MyBrocade (https://my.brocade.com/wps/portal/registration) using a serial number from a valid Brocade
Technical Support contract or an existing Brocade ID.

Q. I am a Brocade OEM Partner, Brocade Software Delivery Partner, or a Brocade Qualified Support
Partner. Do I have access to My Cases?
A . Yes. OEMs, Brocade Support Delivery Partners (SDPs), and Brocade Qualified Support Partners (QSPs) have access to My Cases.

Q. I am a Brocade OEM Partner, Brocade Software Delivery Partner, or a Brocade Qualified Support
Partner. Can my end-user customers use My Cases?
A . Yes. End-user customers may register for access to My Cases via MyBrocade at https://my.brocade.com/wps/portal/registration.
End-user customers will have view-only (secondary) access, since Brocade Partners manage customer cases with Brocade.

Q. Where do I access Downloads and Documentation?

A . Software Downloads and Documentation for all customers and partners are accessible through MyBrocade
(https://login.brocade.com/). Click the “downloads” tab or the “documents” tab in the MyBrocade top navigation.

Q. Where should I go for more information on MyBrocade?

A . For more information on MyBrocade online self-service tools, visit the MyBrocade microsite at
www.brocade.com/microsites/mybrocade-support-tools/index.html or send e-mail to WebCustomerCare@brocade.com.

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© 2015 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11/15 GA-FAQ-1898-04

ADX, Brocade, Brocade Assurance, the B-wing symbol, DCX, Fabric OS, HyperEdge, ICX, MLX, MyBrocade, OpenScript,
The Effortless Network, VCS, VDX, Vplane, and Vyatta are registered trademarks, and Fabric Vision and vADX are trademarks
of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. Other brands, products, or service
names mentioned may be trademarks of others.

Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning any
equipment, equipment features, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes to this
document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This information document describes features that
may not be currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability. Export of technical
data contained in this document may require an export license from the United States government.