) ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁" St itch " ▁AS IC ▁and ▁their ▁own ▁V x Work s - based ▁firm ware ▁( F ab ric ▁OS ▁or ▁F OS ). ▁ ▁Sil k W orm ▁eventually ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁long - l ived ▁market ing ▁design ation ▁for ▁an ▁entire ▁line ▁of ▁products , ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁product ▁being ▁retro - named ▁the ▁Sil k W orm ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁( SW 1 0 0 0 ) ▁to ▁distinguish ▁it ▁from ▁subsequent ▁platforms . ▁ ▁Bruce ▁Berg man ▁was ▁the ▁CE O ▁during ▁most ▁of ▁this ▁period . ▁ ▁Product ▁names ▁were ▁generally ▁pun s ▁on ▁various ▁kinds ▁of ▁w oven ▁fabric , ▁since ▁a ▁switched ▁F ib re ▁Channel ▁network ▁is ▁also ▁called ▁a ▁" fab ric ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Gregory ▁Re yes ▁joined ▁the ▁company ▁as ▁CE O . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Bro cade ▁released ▁the ▁Sil k W orm ▁ 6 4 0 0 , ▁which ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁" direct or " ▁similarly ▁to ▁IBM ▁ES CON ▁direct ors ▁already ▁well - est ab lished ▁in ▁the ▁main frame ▁computer ▁market . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" direct or " ▁became ▁univers ally ▁used ▁for ▁more ▁expensive ▁FC ▁switch es . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Bro cade ▁released ▁switch es ▁based ▁on ▁its ▁third ▁generation ▁AS IC , ▁" B LO OM " ▁( Big ▁LO