Cisco Interconnect Solutions for HP BladeSystem c-class

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1 Cisco Interconnect Solutions for HP BladeSystem c-class Integrated switching solutions reduce data center complexity. HP BladeSystem solutions are quickly gaining popularity because of the function and cost benefits they can deliver. To meet their full potential, HP BladeSystem solutions need to transparently integrate into the data center environment and deliver the security, availability, and manageability that defines data center class networking. As the leader in networking, Cisco provides a full portfolio of interconnect solutionss for the HP BladeSystem c-class. These switches deliver the services and functions needed to properly support today s application environment. Increased Agility and Decreased Total Cost of Ownership with Cisco Integrated Switching Organizations today face a number of challenges in their data center, with capital expenditure (CapEx) pressures, spiraling operating expenses (OpEx), security concerns, regulatory compliance, and alignment with ever-evolving business requirements. Because infrastructure complexity in the data center is a cause of many of these challenges, many organizations are undertaking infrastructure standardization and consolidation which is the first phase of the Cisco vision for the next-generation data center (the subsequent phases are virtualization, integration, and automation; go to for details). Companies around the world have simplified their data center infrastructures using HP BladeSystem, an all-in-one data center infrastructure combining servers and storage as well as storage area network (SAN), Ethernet network, and InfiniBand server fabric connectivity. Consolidating multiple blades and integrating Cisco network connectivity into a single chassis increases data center efficiency by simplifying infrastructure, improving IT asset allocation, and reducing management and administration complexity. An HP BladeSystem environment also increases application availability through features inherent to the platform as well as through approaches such as server virtualization and server clustering. In addition, HP BladeSystem can have a positive effect on data center facilities by decreasing power costs, reducing cabling requirements, and conserving rack space. Although customers have multiple options for connecting the HP BladeSystem solution to the network, the most effective approach is an integrated switch. Connecting the HP BladeSystem enclosure using Cisco Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and InfiniBand interconnect solutions provides high application availability, simplified management and troubleshooting, lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than for an external switch, and the capability to rapidly provision new applications to adapt to changing business conditions. Traditionally, organizations had only one option for server connectivity: an external switch. The major drawback of this approach is complicated cable management and diagnostics. Each pair of redundant cables represents two potential points of failure, and cabling complexity can also delay problem resolution and affect service levels. Another downside of connecting with an external switch is the high cost, including expenses for rack space, power, and cooling. In addition, separate management interfaces for servers and switches and separate support relationships tax already overburdened IT groups. Poor integration can increase operating expenses and technical All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 8

complexity; it can also have broader effects, decreasing application availability, compromising information security policy, and weakening regulatory compliance.

2 complexity; it can also have broader effects, decreasing application availability, compromising information security policy, and weakening regulatory compliance. As the industry leaders, HP and Cisco have partnered to deliver an outstanding portfolio of blade system switches to address the needs of customers as they deploy their HP BladeSystem solutions. Cisco offers Cisco Catalyst LAN switches, Cisco MDS 9000 family Fibre Channel switches, and Cisco InfiniBand software to help ensure that a customer s HP BladeSystem environment integrates into the rest of the data center environment without compromising availability, security, or compliance. Furthermore, because Cisco offers a common management interface often the management interface already in use in the data center implementation of Cisco blade server switches further contributes to reduced OpEx. Overview Cisco Interconnect Solutions for HP BladeSystem c-class By standardizing on Cisco blade server switches (Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and InfiniBand) in their HP BladeSystem solution, organizations can take advantage of Cisco technology leadership to simplify their data center operations and reduce time to deployment for new application infrastructure, without compromising the availability, security, and predictable application performance needed in today s business environment. Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 for HP c-class BladeSystem Running the same Cisco IOS Software found on other Cisco data center products, Ethernet switch modules based on the market-leading Cisco Catalyst family provide proven performance, security, high availability, and ease of management. The Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 is designed with sixteen internal 1Gb downlinks and eight 1Gb RJ- 45 copper uplinks. Up to four uplinks can be optionally configured as fiber with SFPs. Two uplinks can optionally be configured as internal cross-connects. Figure 1 shows the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch Figure 1. Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 Advantages High availability through control plane protection and traffic management tools Sophisticated security through access control, access control lists (ACLs), rate limiting, and VLANs Scalability because of seamless integration into Cisco IOS Software switch fabric and robust Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) support Shared interface and operation management with other Cisco switches and routers, allowing a single management domain All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 8

Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch for HP c-class BladeSystem Fibre Channel switch modules based on the market-leading Cisco MDS 9000 family provide critical SAN functions at the fabric edge, including

3 Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch for HP c-class BladeSystem Fibre Channel switch modules based on the market-leading Cisco MDS 9000 family provide critical SAN functions at the fabric edge, including virtual SANs (VSANs), N-Port ID Virtualization (NPIV), and quality of service (QoS). Figure 2 shows the Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch. HP and Cisco offer two models for low entry cost with pay as you grow flexibility. 12-Port Fabric Switch offers 8 internal ports and 4 fabric facing ports. 24-Port Fabric Switch offers 16 internal ports and 8 fabric facing ports. 12-port Upgrade License to activate additional ports on demand. Figure 2. Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch Advantages VSANs and NPIV support allow segmented SAN access to help ensure adherence to information security policies and regulatory compliance Rich set of tools for QoS management especially important in a blade server environment Consistent Fabric Manager management interface for management transparency and lower OpEx Cisco InfiniBand Software Solution for HP 4X DDR InfiniBand Switch Module The Cisco InfiniBand software solution for HP BladeSystem c-class provides a high-performance, highly available computing fabric for clustering. Works in conjunction with the HP 4X DDR IB Mezzanine HCA. The HP 4X DDR IB Mezzanine HCA is a single-port 4X DDR InfiniBand PCI-Express Mezzanine adapter for HP c-class server blades. Advantages 20-Gbps InfiniBand connectivity to each blade Reduced number of adapters, cables, and switch ports required Centralized management of the I/O or storage bandwidth addition and removal Capability for users to adjust resources on demand without downtime InfiniBand Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), which allows delivery of low-latency performance High-bandwidth connectivity (160 Gbps to chassis) All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 8

4 Major Benefits for Business and IT End-to-End Solutions Cisco interconnect solutions for HP BladeSystem interoperate transparently with existing LAN, SAN, and servers, avoiding the interoperability problems and business disruption that can result from different implementations of features such as STP and Cisco EtherChannel. The Cisco interconnect solutions can be managed as integrated components of the HP BladeSystem solution, easing management requirements. An end-to-end Cisco networking solution also provides networking capabilities not otherwise available, such as QoS, security, network management, and multicast support, helping ensure maximum server uptime. Availability Infrastructure consolidation concentrates business functions on a reduced number of physical assets in the data center. Although this has a positive effect on data center OpEx, it does introduce heightened requirements for availability, because infrastructure failure can have a broader scope. Blade architectures inherently have features that increase server hardware availability; however, because blade systems interact with the network in a slightly different manner than servers that are directly connected, network switches in the blade server chassis must provide data center-class functions. The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 is designed to transparently integrate into large data center-class networks. Of particular value is a robust implementation of STP to help ensure a high degree of integrity in the Layer 2 fabric. Similarly, features such as Cisco EtherChannel, which maps a logical connection across multiple physical links, increases the resilience of the Layer 2 environment. The Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch offers similar mechanisms for the storage fabric. The Fibre Channel switch enhances data protection and availability for applications such as Microsoft Exchange, SQL, and backup solutions with the capability to create VSANs. Each VSAN segregates any fabric disruptions or operating errors within that particular VSAN. For example, a registered state change notification (RSCN) storm in the backup VSAN will affect only that VSAN; the Exchange VSAN or any other VSAN will not be affected. The Fibre Channel switch also supports PortChannels, which allows logical SAN fabric links to be mapped across multiple physical links, increasing both fabric stability and data availability. The Cisco InfiniBand software soltuon offers a number of high-availability features inherent in InfiniBand fabrics. More important, InfiniBand allows highly resilient server architectures such as clustering that deliver increased application availability. Finally, all three platforms support sophisticated QoS and traffic management tools to help ensure that high-value traffic is given preferential treatment. All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 8

5 These are just a few examples drawn from a broad portfolio of unique features that are directly related to higher server availability, which translates to higher application availability. Here are some other examples of features that enhance availability: Dramatically reduces the number of connections; cables consume 25 percent of system administration time and are the prime cause of downtime, but an HP BladeSystem with redundant modules and redundant connections needs only four cables, compared to 32 for connection to an external switch Improves mean time between failures (MTBF) because Cisco blade switches attach directly to the midplane instead of with Ethernet cables, which can become disconnected Takes advantage of the redundant, heavy-duty power supplies and cooling efficiencies in the HP BladeSystem enclosure Optimizes application performance with wirespeed performance on all ports Provides failover to a redundant Cisco blade switch module in the same enclosure Information Security and Regulatory Compliance Robust yet flexible segmentation capability is important to maintaining information security and regulatory compliance. Inflexible segmentation can be an impediment to business operations, and insufficiently robust segmentation can undermine security and compliance. Cisco blade server switches have a number of mechanisms to help ensure that customers can segment in an effective manner, allowing customers to adapt segmentation schemes to their particular needs. The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 provides several sophisticated tools to facilitate isolation and segmentation at Layer 2, through sophisticated ACLs and technologies such as Private VLAN Edge, which allows subsegmentation within the VLAN. The Cisco MDS9124e uses the Cisco industry-leading VSAN and Inter-VSAN Routing (IVR) technology to help ensure that information access is restricted to the appropriate users, even in an environment where the server and storage infrastructures are shared. Additionally, both switch modules have a number mechanism such as Secure Shell Version 2 (SSHv2) and role-based access control (RBAC) to prevent unauthorized access to the switch modules themselves. Finally, it is important to note that Cisco interconnect solutions for HP BladeSystem transparently integrate into the large data center network. The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 run the same Cisco IOS Software found on other Cisco data center network products. The Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch completely integrates into the SAN fabric either in native mode or interoperability mode. All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 5 of 8

6 Management and Operations One of the main ways to reduce data center OpEx is to improve operating efficiency. Management consistency is a distinct advantage of the entire Cisco product line for the blade server environment. The entire family shares management consistency as well as integration with blade server manufacturer s management tools, so the net effect is simplified management and administration. Furthermore, because the Cisco blade server switches integrate with the broader data center networks, data center operations staff do not have to deal with the complication of multiple management domains (the switches in the blade server chassis and the switches in the rest of the network). Cisco also reduces operating costs by incorporating powerful diagnostic and troubleshooting features directly into the switches. Tools such as Layer 2 Traceroute and the Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) integrated protocol analyzer can significantly reduce problem resolution times, enhancing both IT productivity and application availability. Integrated Management IT can manage HP servers and Cisco network devices in an integrated way, using HP System Insight Manager (SIM), HP OpenView, CiscoWorks software, and Cisco Network Assistant (CNA). Using a single console to monitor the status of servers as well as switches saves time for IT. The capability to proactively monitor and manage servers and switches end to end saves even more time and can increase availability. Reports on use trends and customer service levels help IT plan capacity to sustain service levels, and automated maintenance activities such as Cisco IOS Software updating can free staff to manage other infrastructure. HP SIM software helps simplify provisioning, monitoring, and control of the HP BladeSystem infrastructure. By streamlining fundamental IT processes, HP SIM helps ensure that scarce IT talent can focus on a proactive response to business needs instead of a reactive response to system problems or time-consuming manual processes. Familiar Network Management Tools IT manages Cisco interconnect solutions with the same skills and familiar tools used to manage other Cisco network devices, simplifying diagnostics and avoiding training time and costs. Supported management tools include CiscoWorks, Cisco Network Assistant (CNA), Cisco IOS Software command-line interface (CLI), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) MIBs, Telnet interface support, and diagnostic tools such as SPAN and Remote SPAN (RSPAN). For enhanced traffic management, monitoring, and analysis, the embedded Remote Monitoring (RMON) software agent in Cisco interconnect solutions supports four RMON groups: history, statistics, alarms, and events. Cisco Device Manager provides an easy-to-use, Web-based management interface that even IT personnel without extensive training can use to quickly set up switches. Lower Capital and Operating Costs Cisco blade switches cost less to acquire than comparable rack-mount switches. Ongoing operating costs are lower as well, for the following reasons: Reduced power consumption Over three years, companies using HP BladeSystem c-class servers can save more than US$130,000 in power costs and more than US$67,000 in cooling expenses. The source of the savings is HP Thermal Logic technology, which automatically adjusts cooling, power, and processor speed based on real-time requirements. (This assessment compares HP BladeSystem c-class servers All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 6 of 8

7 to 320 single-unit rack-mounted servers. The calculation assumes three years of operating use at US$0.10 kilowatts per hour.) Space savings The HP BladeSystem c-class requires 40 percent less floor space than single-unit rack-mount servers. Avoidance of business disruption Fewer cables, power supplies, and fans mean fewer points of failure. Lower annual support costs A consolidated service and warranty program for HP BladeSystem and blade switch costs less than separate programs for each. Solution Components HP BladeSystem hardware: modular data center infrastructure The HP BladeSystem c-class enclosure offers innovations in virtualization, power, and cooling as well as system-management capabilities that can reduce both operating and capital costs. Management software HP SIM, HP OpenView, and CiscoWorks software allow IT staff to manage HP servers and Cisco network devices in an integrated way. Cisco interconnect solutions for HP BladeSystem c-class: Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 (Ethernet), Cisco MDS 9124e Fabric Switch (Fibre Channel), and Cisco InfiniBand solutions (Cisco InfiniBand software) These intelligent switches for the HP BladeSystem chassis fully integrate Cisco networking technology leadership into the HP BladeSystem chassis. HP consulting, support, and break/fix services With 69,000 service professionals in 170 countries, HP provides one of the largest IT customer support organizations in the world. Why HP and Cisco? An HP BladeSystem solution with an integrated network switching solution from Cisco provides unique advantages: Global companies receive consistent services worldwide because HP is the first Cisco Global Gold Certified Partner, having earned the highest level of Cisco certification. HP in-depth technology expertise, global strategic partnerships, and more than 40 years of IT experience contribute to high-quality solutions that deliver high levels of performance and flexibility at low cost. Customers gain the benefit of both vendors breadth and depth of experience. HP standards-based servers lead the industry with their high processor and memory density, on-board storage, and innovations such as built-in integrated lights-out (ilo) technology. Cisco networking solutions connect nearly three times as many customers as all other networking vendors combined. CiscoWorks and HP OpenView management tools integrate transparently, helping IT groups do more faster and with less staff. For More Information For more information about Cisco interconnect solutions for the HP BladeSystem, contact your HP or Cisco account manager or reseller or visit us on the Web at or All contents are Copyright Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 7 of 8

Integrated Switching: Cisco Blade Switch Modules for HP BladeSystem Enclosures. Reduce data center complexity

Integrated Switching: Cisco Blade Switch Modules for HP BladeSystem Enclosures Reduce data center complexity Increase agility and decrease TCO with integrated switching As a company s data center expands,