Cisco MDS

2019: Support 64Gbps the Fibre Channel and the modules Ansible in MDS 9700

High performance is necessary for work with problems of the next generation in SAN networks on the basis of the Fibre Channel standard. Thanks to parallelism of processes of a read and write of data and reduction of a delay time the NVMe/FC technology changes requirements to SAN networks, stimulating at the same time further fall forward to 64 Gbps for providing to tasks of NVMe/FC of necessary bandwidth.

The Cisco MDS 9700 platform on which support 64Gbps is implemented by the Fibre Channel is ready to meet these requirements, declared in Cisco Systems company on September 16, 2019. It gives to customers the chance to provide the proper level of the storage area network, increasing at the same time scalability and network performance and services of data storage. With the Cisco MDS platform of 9700 customers will not take unawares the critical applications processing unprecedented amounts of data, at the same time they will be able to continue to use the existing procedures and knowledge bases.

• Customers will be able to implement completely 64G-functionality on the MDS 9700 platform in process of readiness of the corresponding line cards.
• All opportunities of functionality of NVMe/FC are already available to customers. Updating of the operative equipment which can be carried out without its idle times will be helped by functionality of configuring and management.

At the same time, Cisco Systems provides support of the modules Ansible (freely extended automation tools with the open code for configuring and setup) on the MDS 9000 platform. At the same time for further simplification of processes of automation the company provided the add-on modules facilitating accomplishment of such tasks which are often found in storage area networks as configuring of VSAN, management of device-alias and zoning.

Among opportunities of Ansible add-on modules:

• Reduction of operating costs. Simplification of deployment of new network infrastructures of data storage and setup of new devices allows to accelerate memory allocation to applications.
• Increase in flexibility of business processes in the field of SLA. Elimination of the errors caused by a human factor, acceleration of deployment and setup of new switches and storage systems.
• Acceleration of problem solving and change management. Changes for different products of different vendors can be consolidated in the uniform automated technology process.
• Simplification of integration of solutions of other vendors. Use of technologies on the basis of open standards allows to work with products of a set of vendors with the minimum costs for studying of different products.

2016: MDS 9718

MDS 9718 is the switch for the organization of networks of storage of SAN.

On February 2, 2016 Cisco provided flagman model of a line of switches of the optical links (the so-called director) intended for the organization of networks of storage SAN Cisco^[1].

The director of MDS 9718 is scaled up to 768 ports and 16 "linear" Fibre Channel cards. These line cards can be set in younger models of a series of directors. All MDS models work running NX-OS OS and use identical power supplies.

MDS 9718 (2015)

For February 18, 2016 MDS 9718 supports a 16-gigabit Fibre Channel, but Cisco announced the forthcoming modification which will allow to use in it 32-gigabit technology. For this purpose owners of the director will need to purchase other line cards and to make a firmware update.

One more feature of the director of Cisco MDS 9718 – "native" support of Restful of API interfaces for the Dev Ops applications. The corporation provided a 40-gigabit line card of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) which can be set in all MDS models and its Ethernet switches for data centers of Nexus.

Representation of application of Restful of API interfaces (2016)

2014: Cisco MDS 9148S Multilayer Fabric Switch и Cisco MDS 9706 Director

On August 5, 2014 Cisco provided the Cisco switches MDS 9148S Multilayer Fabric Switch and Cisco MDS 9706 Director, the module MDS 9700 FCoE as the models completing completing of a product portfolio 16G.

As a part of a portfolio the small SAN switches for installation in the top-of-rack configuration and flagship products of SAN.

Cisco provides technology complete unified switching structure of DPC which all components: the Cisco switches Nexus for Ethernet networks and Cisco MDS for networks of storage, the computing Cisco UCS platforms – function running one NX-OS operating system.

Cisco MDS 9148S Multilayer Fabric Switch

Cisco MDS 9148S Multilayer Fabric Switch is the available, universal, manageable switch for SAN networks of initial level and for networks of departments of the enterprises. The switch executed on dedicated ICs for networks of storage like "switch on a crystal" provides the selected bandwidth of the Fibre Channel of 16 Gbps on each Cisco MDS 9148S is delivered in a basic 12-port configuration with a possibility of activation of the license for 12 ports and scaling to 48 ports. For simplicity of the order it is delivered also in a complete 48-port configuration.

For simplification of setup of the ready-made solution the master of the fast Quick Configuration Wizard setup is provided. Such functions of a corporate class as nondestructive upgrade, virtual SAN (VSAN), internetwork routing of Inter-VSAN Routing (IVR), ensuring quality of service of QOS, aggregation of channels (Port Channels), virtualization of N-Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) ports are provided.

For ensuring high availability the redundant power supplies and fans allowing replacement in the "hot" mode are installed.

Cisco MDS 9706 Director

Cisco expanded a line of the devices of the class MDS 9700 Director leading in the industry, having offered the market the new MDS 9706 switch with smaller dimensions (it is intended for installation in conditions of limited space).

Cisco MDS 9706 Director

Multiprotocol MDS 9706 has the high performance and availability, has full redundancy of components. MDS 9706 Director is executed in a compact form factor of 9RU that allows to use the expensive area of data center optimum. The device is characterized by extreme flexibility, supporting various protocols from a front line for the industry by density of ports and allowing installation in one modular chassis 9RU to 192 ports: 16G of the Fibre Channel with line speed, 10G Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) with the line speed, FICON (in the long term).

Cisco MDS 9706 Director has maximum capacity, in the industry. Switching capacity of the slot 1.5 Tbit / with, and the switching capacity of the front panel – up to 12 Tbit / with, it provides protection of investments at deployment, in the future, of protocols of the next generation the Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet.

Cisco MDS 9706 Director has considerable reliability. Its redundancy is maintained by the matrixes of switching of N+1 replaced in the "hot" mode redundant supervisors, power supplies and fans. Cooling with a frontal and rear flow allows to use the installation diagram with alternation of cold and hot corridors.

Line card Cisco MDS 9700 FCoE

Payment Cisco MDS 9700 as a part of which 48 ports 10G FCoE help the Cisco MDS 9700 Series Multilayer Director platforms to find the multiprotocol flexibility necessary for SAN.

Having unrolled support of the FCoE protocol, the enterprises integrate Ethernet LAN and the Fibre Channel of SAN, saving means, simplifying management, reducing requirements to energy consumption and cooling, increasing flexibility. At the same time the low delay, determinancy and network controllability of the Fibre Channel protocol remain.

The module Cisco MDS 9700 FCoE expands advantages of the FCoE protocol out of access level limits, connecting convergent multilink networks FCoE SAN and FC SAN networks.

The module has the most high density of FCoE ports, from all available to the director Fibre Channel switches, it is intended for seamless interaction between the Cisco switches MDS 9700 and Cisco Nexus or Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect.

Cisco MDS 9710 Multilayer Director

The solutions Cisco for switching of networks of storage are considered as crucial components of its portfolio of network solutions for DPC (consists of director products, switches, servers, the systems of centralized operation and uniform Cisco NX-OS OS).

The Cisco MDS 9710 Multilayer Director device brings performance of the systems of this type to new level, supporting the general capacity of switching 24 Tbit / page. The high density of Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel over Ethernet ports provides high coordination of work of SAN and LAN networks. The device keeps in contact with networks of storage for crucial applications, large volumes of data, SSD solid state drives and cloud solutions without prejudice to the current IT transactions. MDS of tradition of smooth operation inherent to products cover software updating without stopping of systems and fault tolerance with completely excess fans (N+1), a matrix of switching and power supplies (N: N). Innovation supports up to 384 ports 16 GB Fibre Channels or FCoE with line speed on one chassis 14 RU high and provides building of any SAN network using new 48-port line cards of 16 GB Fibre Channels and 48-port cards 10 GB FCoE.

Cisco MDS 9250i Multiservice Fabric Switch

Multiservice switch Cisco MDS 9250i Multiservice Fabric Switch supports the custodial services and the solutions Cisco I/O Accelerator and Data Mobility Manager increasing efficiency of SAN networks due to execution of important storage functions in the centralized order in a switching matrix. This architecture reduces time and resources necessary for standard storage functions simplifies and accelerates functions of data protection and observance of statutory and regulatory requirements.

The switch supports (with line speed) up to 40 ports 16GB FC/FICON, 8 ports 10 GE FCoE and 2 ports 1/10GE FCIP/iSCSI, providing to the customer wide feature set of storage on licensing terms. The SAN Extension expansion simplifies problems of data protection and support of business continuity, remote replication of data and other services of disaster recovery on the global area networks (WAN) using tunneling of FCIP based on open standards. The system of acceleration of input-output Cisco I/O Accelerator accelerates operation of applications in city (MAN) and global (WAN) networks and supports data encryption in channels of reservation and replication, simplifying disaster recovery and observance of statutory and regulatory requirements. The Cisco Data Mobility Manager system facilitates fast data transfer from one logical partition (LUN) or the disk array in another without breaks in data access.

Cisco MDS 9513

The simplified and smart storage area network (SAN)

Implementation of the storage area network in virtual data center thanks to the multilevel Cisco switch MDS 9513 means for network:

• high performance
• scalability
• availability
• capability to changes
• to the logician

The multilevel Cisco switch MDS 9513 allows to solve such problems of the virtual server as:

• urgent need from servers in data access in network
• big capacity of data via the server
• different profiles of security for multiple lease, "cloud" calculations and diverse environments
• loss of understanding of individual applications from management of SAN

Networks are more integrated among themselves in data storage

You can easily connect the Cisco SAN system on the basis of MDS (the mnogourovneny switch) to the big simplified networks using the multilink fiber-optical channel through Ethernet (FCoE). Besides, the operating system and a control interface same, as well as for other switches of data center Cisco.

Expansion of opportunities of SAN for performance improvement

Consolidation of the virtualized server and high-class storage system in the storage area network:

• up to 528 fiber-optical ports of high performance (1, 2, 4 and 8 GB / c) on one chassis
• quadruple increase in capacity of switches of the MDS 9500 series

Logical storage for the mixed environments

This switch of the storage area network provides logicality for diverse external environments with the help:

• the fiber-optical channel and the channel with an expanded range of IP and acceleration of I/O

data coding through a disk and a film

• capabilities of data to frequent movement
• applications of the third-party developer for long data protection

The network manager of data center of Cisco provides end-to-end logic of a route and promotes simplification of management of virtual structure of data center.

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