Cisco MDS 9000

Intelligent Scalability

The Cisco MDS 9000 Family offers industry-leading port density, scaling from 4 to 528 ports per chassis. Using the Cisco 4-Port 10-Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module, up to 44 10-Gbps ports can be integrated into a single chassis, and 132 ports can be integrated into a single 42-unit rack. Because building a large-scale storage network requires more than just high port density, Cisco Systems has introduced innovative features that make multilayer storage networks a reality. VSANs, Inter-VSAN Routing (IVR), advanced traffic management, hardware-enabled serviceability, and comprehensive security features make the Cisco MDS 9000 Family the platform of choice for businesses requiring high scalability and low TCO.

Virtual SANs

Ideal for efficient, secure SAN consolidation, VSANs allow more efficient storage network utilization by creating hardware-based isolated environments within a single physical SAN fabric or switch. Each VSAN can be zoned as a typical SAN and maintains its own fabric services for added scalability and resilience. VSANs allow the cost of SAN infrastructure to be shared among more users, while ensuring absolute segregation of traffic and retaining independent control of configuration on a VSAN-by-VSAN basis.

Integrated SAN Routing

In another step toward deploying the most efficient, cost-effective, consolidated storage networks, the Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4-Port 10-Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Modules also support IVR routing functionality for Fibre Channel. IVR allows selective transfer of data traffic between specific initiators and targets on different VSANs while maintaining isolation of control traffic within each VSAN. With IVR, data can transit VSAN boundaries while maintaining control plane isolation, thereby maintaining fabric stability and availability. Integrated IVR eliminates the need for external routing appliances, greatly increasing routing scalability while delivering line-rate routing performance, simplifying management, and eliminating the challenges associated with maintaining separate systems. Integrated IVR means lower total cost of SAN ownership.

Integrated Mainframe Support

The Cisco 4-Port 10-Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module is mainframe ready, with full support for IBM zSeries FICON and Linux environments. Qualified by IBM for attachment to all FICON-enabled devices in an IBM zSeries operating environment, the module supports transport of the FICON protocol in cascaded fabrics, as well as intermix of FICON and open systems Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) on the same switch. VSANs simplify intermix of SAN resources between z/OS, mainframe Linux, and open systems environments, allowing for increased SAN utilization and simplified SAN management. VSAN-based intermix mode eliminates the uncertainty and instability often associated with zoning-based intermix techniques. VSANs also greatly reduce the probability of a misconfiguration or component failure in one VSAN affecting operation in other VSANs. VSAN-based management access control simplifies partitioning of SAN management responsibilities between mainframe and open systems environments, enhancing security. FICON VSANs can be managed using the integrated Cisco Fabric Manager; the Cisco command-line interface (CLI); or IBM CUP-enabled management tools, including IBM SA/390, Resource Measurement Facility (RMF), or Dynamic Channel Path Management (DCM).