Technology Overview; Cisco Unified Computing System; Cisco Ucs Manager - Cisco UCS S3260 M5 Design Manual

Technology Overview

Technology Overview

Cisco Unified Computing System

Cisco Unified Computing System is a state-of-the-art data center platform that unites computing, network,
storage access, and virtualization into a single cohesive system.
The main components of Cisco Unified Computing System are:
 Computing - The system is based on an entirely new class of computing system that incorporates rack-
mount and blade servers based on Intel Xeon Processor scalable family. The Cisco UCS servers offer the
patented Cisco Extended Memory Technology to support applications with large datasets and allow more
virtual machines per server.
 Network - The system is integrated onto a low-latency, lossless, 40-Gbps unified network fabric. This
network foundation consolidates LANs, SANs, and high-performance computing networks which are
separate networks today. The unified fabric lowers costs by reducing the number of network adapters,
switches, and cables, and by decreasing the power and cooling requirements.
 Virtualization - The system unleashes the full potential of virtualization by enhancing the scalability,
performance, and operational control of virtual environments. Cisco security, policy enforcement, and
diagnostic features are now extended into virtualized environments to better support changing business
and IT requirements.
 Storage access - The system provides consolidated access to both SAN storage and Network Attached
Storage (NAS) over the unified fabric. By unifying the storage access, Cisco Unified Computing System can
access storage over Ethernet (NFS or iSCSI), Fibre Channel, and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). This
provides customers with choice for storage access and investment protection. In addition, the server
administrators can pre-assign storage-access policies for system connectivity to storage resources,
simplifying storage connectivity, and management for increased productivity.
Cisco Unified Computing System is designed to deliver:
 A reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increased business agility.
 Increased IT staff productivity through just-in-time provisioning and mobility support.
 A cohesive, integrated system, which unifies the technology in the data center.
 Industry standards supported by a partner ecosystem of industry leaders.

Cisco UCS Manager

Cisco UCS Manager (UCSM) provides a unified, embedded management of all software and hardware
components of the Cisco Unified Computing System across multiple chassis, rack servers, and thousands of
virtual machines. It supports all Cisco UCS product models, including Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers, Cisco
UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Servers, and Cisco UCS Mini, as well as the associated storage resources and
networks. Cisco UCS Manager is embedded on a pair of Cisco UCS 6300 or 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects
using a clustered, active-standby configuration for high availability. The manager participates in server
provisioning, device discovery, inventory, configuration, diagnostics, monitoring, fault detection, auditing, and
statistics collection.
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