Chapter 1 Cisco Sf 3504 Server Switch Overview; System Features; Ib Connectivity; Performance - Cisco SFS 3504 Hardware Installation Manual

System Features

System Features
This section describes the Cisco SFS 3504 Server Switch features and includes the following topics:
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IB Connectivity

The Cisco SFS 3504 Server Switch enables a typical deployment of IB products that include a set of
computer servers with PCIe IB HCAs, switches, and core IB switches. The server switch enables IB
networks to connect to Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks.

Performance

Expressly designed to apply networking principles to computing problems, the Cisco SFS 3504 Server
Switch uses a switched IB fabric to interconnect server resources at 20 Gbps. The combination of high
bandwidth and low latency allows resources to be disaggregated and dynamically reassembled without
the limits of the shared PCI bus.

Unified Fabric

The Cisco SFS 3504 Server Switch integrates storage, server, and networking I/O into one unified fabric.
With one interface module in each host, it manages all resources on one fabric and eliminates the need
to install and manage multiple Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and inter-process communications modules. The
Cisco SFS 3504 Server Switch aggregates and load balances all types of I/O, significantly reducing the
number of managed ports in your environment and increasing availability.

Transparent Topology

Based on the Transparent Topology architecture, the Cisco SFS 3504 Server Switch creates virtual IP
and Fibre Channel interfaces on every server, allowing existing IP and SAN resources to seamlessly
extend to server clusters. Using Fibre Channel gateways, SAN management technologies can access
each individual node, enabling critical storage management and security models, such as Fibre Channel
fabric zoning and storage-based LUN zoning. By adding Ethernet gateways, IT managers can also enable
full IP connectivity, extending the value of server clusters to the rest of the enterprise.
Cisco SFS 3504 Multifabric Server Switch Hardware Installation Guide
1-2
IB Connectivity, page 1-2
Performance, page 1-2
Unified Fabric, page 1-2
Transparent Topology, page 1-2
Redundancy and High-Availability, page 1-3
Scalability, page 1-3
Chapter 1 Cisco SFS 3504 Server Switch Overview
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