Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B
The Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B is the ultimate 14U 8-slot Gen 7 Fibre Channel director built on the Brocade X7-8 platform. Delivering an extraordinary 30.72 Tbps of non-blocking switching bandwidth and up to 512 64Gb/s ports, the ED-DCX7-8B provides autonomous self-healing SAN fabrics, line-rate NVMe-oF switching, and six-nines uptime for global enterprise backbones.
Also written as: Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B, Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B, DCX7-8B Flagship 64Gb Director
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | Connectrix |
| Form factor | 14U director chassis |
| Released | Sep 2020 |
| Slot count | 8 horizontal port blade slots + 2 Control Processor (CP) slots + 2 Core Routing (CR) slots in 14U |
| Port count | Up to 512x 64Gb/s Fibre Channel ports or 256x 256Gb/s QSFP links |
| Switching bandwidth | 30.72 Tbps aggregate chassis bandwidth |
| Operating system | Brocade Fabric OS (FOS) Gen 7 director edition |
| Power supply | Quad redundant hot-plug power supplies with redundant high-volume blower assemblies |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell Connectrix ED-DCX6-8B
Compatible parts
HBAs
540-BBUU Dell Emulex LPe31002 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BBUV Dell QLogic 2692 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
Transceivers
407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
Rail kits
770-BCKW Dell ReadyRails II Sliding Rails for 2U PowerEdge Servers (B6)
Works together
How the Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B connects to servers, storage and the network: 1 way, with the parts and products on each path.
Fibre Channel SAN
Match the speed: 16Gb and 32Gb FC HBAs, switches and array ports work together, and each generation also runs one or two speeds below its own (a 32Gb port runs at 16Gb and 8Gb).
Servers
Dell PowerEdge R6525 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R7525 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R250 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R350 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R450 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R550 2U rack
Adapters for the server
- 540-BBUU Dell Emulex LPe31002 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
- 540-BBUV Dell QLogic 2692 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BCMS Dell QLogic 2770 Single Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
Storage
Dell PowerStore 1000T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 1000X 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 3000T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 3000X 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 5000T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 5000X 2U rack
Optics
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- SAN transport and NVMe over FC for backup mrplanb.com
- Dell E-Lab Navigator (Dell interoperability) dell.com
Check compatibility with Dell
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Dell has tested with the Dell Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B.
- Compatibility Dell E-Lab Navigator (storage and SAN interoperability) (free vendor sign-in)
- Support Dell Support: drivers, manuals and service tag lookup
Equivalent models from other brands
Buying a used Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B: what to check
Verify dual CP74 Control Processor sync, inspect Core Routing CR74 modules, test blower motor RPM and thermal alarms, confirm all 8 port blade slots, and check high-line AC inputs.
FAQ
How does the ED-DCX7-8B resolve slow-drain SAN devices?
Integrated Gen 7 autonomous traffic management dynamically quarantines slow-drain devices without impacting healthy storage flows.
Can the ED-DCX7-8B interlink across datacenters?
Yes, using integrated Gen 7 extension blades or ICL optical links to span metropolitan distances.
Buying or selling Connectrix ED-DCX7-8B?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- Dell Connectrix Director Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27