Lenovo Flex System Fabric CN4093 Product Manual page 3

Cloud ready, optimized network virtualization with virtual NICs
With most IT organizations implementing virtualization, there is an increased need to reduce the
cost and complexity of their environments. Lenovo is helping to address these requirements by
removing multiple physical I/O ports. Virtual Fabric provides a way for companies to carve up 10
GbE ports into virtual NICs (vNICs) to meet those requirements with Intel processor-based compute
nodes.
To help deliver maximum performance per vNIC and to provide higher availability and security with
isolation between vNICs, the switch uses the capabilities of its Networking Operating System. For
large-scale virtualization, the Flex System solution can support up to 48 vNICs by using a pair of
CN4058S 10Gb Virtual Fabric Adapters in each compute node and four CN4093 10Gb Converged
Scalable Switches in the chassis.
The CN4093 offers the benefits of next-generation vNIC, which is Unified Fabric Port (UFP). UFP is
an advanced, cost-effective solution that provides a flexible way for clients to allocate, reallocate,
and adjust bandwidth to meet their ever-changing data center requirements.
Cloud ready, VM-aware networking
VMready software on the module simplifies configuration and improves security in virtualized
environments. VMready automatically detects virtual machine movement between physical servers
and instantly reconfigures each VM's network policies across VLANs to keep the network up and
running without interrupting traffic or affecting performance. VMready works with all leading VM
providers, such as VMware, Citrix Xen, and Microsoft Hyper-V.
Support for Edge Virtual Bridging (EVB) that is based on the IEEE 802.1Qbg standard enables
scalable, flexible management of networking configuration and policy requirements per VM and
eliminates many of the networking challenges that are introduced with server virtualization.
Simplify network infrastructure
The CN4093 10Gb Converged Scalable Switch simplifies deployment and growth by using its
innovative scalable architecture. This architecture helps increase return on investment by reducing
the qualification cycle while providing investment protection for more I/O bandwidth requirements in
the future. The extreme flexibility of the switch comes from the ability to turn on more ports as
required down to the compute node and for upstream connections (including 40 GbE). Also, as you
consider migrating to a converged LAN and SAN, the CN4093 supports Omni Ports for Ethernet or
FC connectivity. It can operate as an integrated FCF, which can be used in an FCoE converged
environment.
CN4093 hybrid stacking capabilities simplify management for clients by stacking up to eight
switches (two CN4093 and from 2 - 6 EN4093R switches) that share one IP address and one
management interface. Support for Switch Partition (SPAR) allows clients to virtualize the switch
with partitions that isolate communications for multi-tenancy environments.
Transparent networking capability
With a simple configuration change to "easy connect" mode, the CN4093 becomes a transparent
network device that is invisible to the core and eliminates network administration concerns of
Spanning Tree Protocol configuration and interoperability, VLAN assignments, and avoidance of
possible loops.
By emulating a host NIC to the data center core, it accelerates the provisioning of VMs by
eliminating the need to configure the typical access switch parameters.
Advanced network management
System Center application is used for advanced levels of management and control, which can
significantly reduce deployment and day-to-day maintenance times while providing in-depth
visibility into the network performance and operations of Lenovo switches. When tools, such as
VMware vCenter Server or vSphere are used, Switch Center provides added integration for better
optimization.
Lenovo Flex System Fabric CN4093 10Gb Converged Scalable Switch 3