Cisco MDS 9134 Multilayer Fabric Switch

he Cisco MDS 9134 Multilayer Fabric Switch , designed for midrange to large enterprise customers, provides line-rate 4-Gbps and 10-Gbps ports based on a purpose-built "switch-on-a-chip" application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with high performance, high density, and enterprise-class availability. The switch offers outstanding value by providing flexibility, high-availability, security, and ease of use at an affordable price in a compact one-rack-unit (1RU) form factor. With the flexibility to expand from 24 to 32 ports in 8-port increments and optionally activate 2 10-Gbps ports, the Cisco MDS 9134 offers the densities required for top-of-the-rack switch and edge connectivity in enterprise SANs. The Cisco MDS 9134 offers non-blocking architecture, with all 32 4-Gbps ports and the 2 10-Gbps ports operating at line rate concurrently.

The 10-Gbps ports support a range of optics for connection to the Cisco MDS 9000 family core using 10-Gbps Inter-Switch Link (ISL) connectivity. The Cisco MDS 9134 can also be stacked using copper CX4 X2 transceivers to cost effectively offer up to 64-port densities. The Cisco MDS 9134 supports quick configuration and task wizards that allow it to be deployed quickly and easily in networks of any size. Powered by Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS/SAN-OS Software, it includes advanced storage networking features and functions and is compatible with Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors and Cisco MDS 9200 Series Multilayer Fabric Switches, providing transparent, end-to-end service delivery in core-edge deployments.

Figure 1. Cisco MDS 9134 Multilayer Fabric Switch

Highlights

• Exceptional flexibility and scalability: The Cisco MDS 9134 offers up to 32 autosensing Fibre Channel ports capable of speeds of 4, 2, and 1 Gbps and 2 10-Gbps ports in a compact 1RU form-factor chassis with 4 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth for each port and an aggregate platform bandwidth of 352 Gbps. The base configuration has 24 active ports with the flexibility to upgrade onsite to 32 ports in 8-port increments with Cisco MDS 9134 On-Demand Port Activation Licenses.

• High-performance connectivity: The 10-Gbps ports can be activated independently in 24- or 32-port configurations. The Cisco MDS 9134 is an ideal platform for a standalone departmental storage area network (SAN) switch, top-of-the-rack switch, and edge switch in enterprise core-edge SANs. Two Cisco MDS 9134 switches can be stacked together using copper CX4 X2 transceivers to form up to a 64-port switch.

• Intelligent storage networking services at an affordable price: The Cisco MDS 9134, powered by Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS/SAN-OS Software, offers intelligent storage networking capabilities such as virtual SANs (VSANs), PortChannels, quality of service (QoS), and security for cost-effective design, deployment, and management of departmental and enterprise SANs.

• Highly available platform for mission-critical deployments: The Cisco MDS 9134 is designed for environments where downtime is unacceptable. It offers nondisruptive software upgrades, dual hot-swappable power supplies (with integrated fans for redundancy), hot-swappable fans, VSANs for fault isolation, and PortChannels for ISL resiliency.

• Comprehensive security framework: The Cisco MDS 9134 supports RADIUS and TACACS+, port security, fabric binding, Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FC-SP) host-to-switch and switch-to-switch authentication, Secure FTP (SFTP), Secure Shell Version 2 (SSHv2) and Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3) implementing Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), VSANs, hardware-enforced zoning, broadcast zones, and per-VSAN role-based access control (RBAC).

• Simplified storage management: The Cisco MDS 9134 includes built-in storage network management, with all features available through a command-line interface (CLI) or the Cisco Fabric Manager, a centralized management tool with task-based wizards that simplify management of a standalone switch or multiple switches and fabrics.

• IBM Fiber Connection (FICON) protocol integration: FICON Control Unit Port (CUP) management and switch cascading facilitate mainframe connectivity. VSANs allow hardware-based separation of Fibre Channel and FICON traffic switched on a single physical SAN, decreasing overall total cost of ownership (TCO) without compromising scalability, availability, manageability, or network security.

• Sophisticated diagnostics: Industry-leading intelligent diagnostics such as Fibre Channel Ping, Fibre Channel Traceroute, Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), Cisco Fabric Analyzer, and integrated Call Home capability enhance reliability, facilitate faster problem resolution, and reduce service costs.

• Reduced TCO: Common platform architecture and the use of Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS/SAN-OS Software intelligent storage networking services across all Cisco MDS 9000 family switches reduce ongoing operating expenses by providing a consistent set of provisioning, management, and diagnostic capabilities.

Figure 2. Cisco MDS 9134:Two Cisco MDS 9134 Switches Stacked Using 10GBASE Copper CX4

Key Features and Benefits

Exceptional Flexibility and Scalability

The Cisco MDS 9134 offers up to 32 auto-sensing Fibre Channel ports capable of speeds of 4, 2, and 1 Gbps plus 2 10-Gbps ports in a compact 1RU form-factor chassis. With 4 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth for each port, the Cisco MDS 9134 is designed to meet the performance and scalability requirements of the most demanding environments.

The flexibility of the Cisco MDS 9134 is provided by the Cisco MDS 9134 On-Demand Port Activation License, which allows the addition of 4- and 10-Gbps ports. Customers can start with a base configuration of 24 ports and can upgrade onsite to 32 ports and also optionally add the 10-Gbps ports using the appropriate licenses. With advanced storage networking capabilities built into the platform, it is an ideal choice both as a standalone departmental SAN switch and as an edge switch in enterprise core-edge SANs.

The Cisco MDS 9134 includes hot-swappable, Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP), LC interfaces. All SFP interfaces are 4, 2, and 1 Gbps, with autosensing capabilities. Individual ports can be configured with either short- or long-wavelength SFP optics for connectivity up to 860 meters (m) and 10 kilometers (km), respectively. The 10-Gbps ports support X2 form-factor optics, copper or optical.

VSANs for Segmentation and Isolation

VSAN, an industry standard for fabric virtualization capabilities, enables more efficient storage network use by creating hardware-based isolated environments within a single physical SAN fabric or switch. Up to 16 VSANs are supported per switch. Each VSAN can be zoned as a typical SAN and maintains its own fabric services and management domains for added scalability and resilience. VSANs allow the cost of SAN infrastructure to be shared among more users, while helping ensure segregation of traffic and retaining independent control of configuration on a VSAN-by-VSAN basis.

FICON Support

The Cisco MDS 9134 supports IBM zSeries FICON and Linux environments. Qualified by IBM for attachment to all FICON-enabled devices in an IBM zSeries operating environment, the switch 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, enabling 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 that a misconfiguration or component failure in one VSAN will affect 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 CLI; or IBM CUP-enabled management tools, including IBM SA/390, Resource Measurement Facility (RMF), and Dynamic Channel Path Management (DCM).