Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System – Cisco Describing Cisco UCS Components

Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System The Cisco UCS X-Series Modular system, shown in Figure 16-17, is the latest generation of the Cisco UCS. Here are the major new features:    Figure 16-17 Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System The new Cisco UCS X9508 chassis provides a new and adaptable substitute for the first generation of the […]

Fibre Channel Protocol Port Types – Cisco Fibre Channel Protocol Fundamentals

Fibre Channel Protocol Port Types The FC switched fabric includes three participants: the initiator, the target, and the FC switch. The initiator and the target are end devices, or nodes, that connect to the FC switches that build the switched fabric. All of the participants connect to each other through physical ports. In the FCP […]

Fibre Channel Layered Model – Cisco Fibre Channel Protocol Fundamentals

Fibre Channel Layered Model In the networking world, a layered model is often used to describe a complex relationship that affects multiple levels with different functions. One such model is the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, which describes the communications between computing systems. Another layered model that describes the internetworking between computing systems is the […]

Cisco UCS Blade Chassis – Cisco Describing Cisco UCS Components

Cisco UCS Blade Chassis The Cisco UCS 5108 chassis incorporates unified fabric; integrated, embedded management; and Fabric Extender technology. It uses fewer physical components, has no need for independent management, and enables greater energy efficiency than traditional blade server chassis. This simplicity eliminates the need for dedicated chassis management and blade switches, reduces cabling, and […]

Cisco IOM Product Overview – Cisco Describing Cisco UCS Components

Cisco IOM Product Overview Cisco UCS 2200 Series Fabric Extenders, shown in Figure 16-9, bring the unified fabric into the blade server enclosure, providing multiple 10-Gigabit Ethernet connections between blade servers and the Fabric Interconnect, simplifying diagnostics, cabling, and management. This series is a second-generation I/O module (IOM) that shares the same form factor as […]

Zoning Configuration – Cisco Describing VSANs and Fibre Channel Zoning

Zoning Configuration The configuration of the zoning on the Cisco MDS and Nexus switches is specific to Cisco’s implementation of the Fibre Channel Protocol, and even though it is based on the Fibre Channel Protocol standard, there’s still the need to have a more flexible approach that also considers features such as the VSANs—something that […]

Cisco UCS B-Series Servers – Cisco Describing Cisco UCS Components

Cisco UCS B-Series Servers The Cisco UCS B-Series blade servers have also gone through multiple generations. At the time of writing this chapter, the current generations available are the fifth (M5) and the sixth (M6). The Cisco UCS servers either have a two-CPU socket mainboard or a four-CPU socket mainboard. To distinguish between them and […]

Zoning Management – Cisco Describing VSANs and Fibre Channel Zoning

Zoning Management When managing the zoning configuration, you need to be aware of some additional guidelines, options, and recommendations. Therefore, before working on the zoning configuration, consider the following: Two types of zones are supported on the Cisco MDS switches. Up until now, we have discussed the regular zones. The other type is the default […]

Cisco Fibre Channel NPIV Feature – Cisco Storage Virtualization

Cisco Fibre Channel NPIV Feature The first of the two storage virtualization technologies that will be discussed is the NPIV feature. What exactly is the challenge and why do you need to know about it? In a typical physical design, there is a server, or the initiator, that connects to a Fibre Channel switch through […]