IBM Systems and Technology Data Sheet

System Storage

Cisco MDS 9148 for IBM System Storage

Designed for ease of use in high-performance SAN environments

Highlights

Cisco MDS 9148 for small, midrange and large enterprise customers
The Cisco MDS 9148 for IBM System Storage Multilayer Fabric Switch (2417-C48) is designed to provide an affordable, highly capable and scalable storage networking solution for small, midrange and large enterprise customers. The switch provides line rate 8-Gbps ports with high-performance, high-density, and enterprise-class availability. The switch is designed to offer outstanding value by providing exibility, high availability, security, and ease of use at an affordable price in a compact one-rack-unit (1RU) form factor. With the ability to expand from 16 to 48 ports in eight-port increments, the Cisco MDS 9148 can be used as the foundation for small, stand-alone SANs, as a top-of-rack switch, or as an edge switch in larger core-edge SAN infrastructures. The Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch is designed to support quick conguration with zero-touch plug-and-play features and task wizards that allow it to be deployed quickly and easily in networks of any size. Powered by Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS Software, it includes advanced storage networking features and functions and is compatible with Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Directors and Switches, providing transparent, end-to-end service delivery in core-edge deployments.

Extraordinary price/performance with 8 Gbps line rate ports in a compact 1RU platform. Scales from 16 ports to 48 ports in eight-port increments. Redundant power supplies and fans and other availability features help minimize downtime and improve business resiliency. Built-in management, operational and conguration tools and plug-and-play features support quick deployment and easy end-to-end SAN management. All-in-one licensing with no hidden charges.

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System Storage

Fabric connectivity capabilities can be the basis for infrastructure simplication solutions for IBM System i, System p and System x servers and storage consolidation and high-availability server clustering with IBM System Storage disk storage arrays. Business continuity capabilities can help businesses protect valuable data with IBM System Storage tape subsystems and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager data protection software.
High-density design that scales from 16 to 48 ports in a 1RU height can help save rack space

Features of the high-performance Cisco MDS 9148

High-performance connectivity: Is an ideal platform for a standalone departmental storage area network (SAN) switch, a top-of-the-rack switch or an edge switch in an enterprise core-edge SAN. Flexibility and scalability: Up to 48 autosensing Fibre Channel ports capable of speeds of 1/2/4/8 Gbps in a compact 1RU form-factor chassis with 8 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth for each port and an aggregate platform bandwidth of 384 Gbps. The switch comes with three precongured models for 16, 32, or 48 ports. The 16-port models may be upgraded on site to enable additional ports by adding one or more eight-port Cisco MDS 9148 On-Demand Port Activation licenses. Intelligent storage networking services at an affordable price: powered by Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS Software, offers intelligent storage networking capabilities such as virtual SANs (VSANs), Inter-VSAN Routing (IVR) readiness, PortChannels, quality of service (QoS), and security for cost-effective design, deployment, and management of departmental and enterprise SANs.

Support for virtualized environments and infrastructure: Consolidation of servers due to server virtualization technologies has increased the number of fabric logins needed on a SAN. The Cisco MDS 9148 uses NX-OS software intelligence to provide storage access for virtual machine server environments. With full N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) support and Cisco N_Port Virtualization (NPV) technologies, the MDS 9148 is designed to scale easily. Together with Ciscos Virtual SAN (VSAN) technology, Cisco MDS 9148 is the only entrylevel SAN switch that has the capability to extend server virtualization. NPV and Cisco FlexAttach technology on the MDS 9148 also makes it possible for seamless server deployments and movement without reconguring the SAN. High-availability platform for mission-critical deployments: The Cisco MDS 9148 is designed for environments in which downtime is unacceptable. It offers nondisruptive software upgrades, dual-hot-swappable power supplies (with integrated fans for redundancy), hot-swappable fans, VSANs that could be used for fault isolation and PortChannels for Inter-Switch Link (ISL) resiliency.

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System Storage

Comprehensive security framework: The Cisco MDS 9148 supports RADIUS and TACACS+, port security, fabric binding, Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FC-SP) hostto-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). Simplied storage management: The Cisco MDS 9148 supports a SAN plug-and-play capability and includes builtin storage network management, with all features available through a command-line interface (CLI) or the Cisco Fabric Manager, a centralized management tool with taskbased wizards that simplies management of a standalone switch or multiple switches and fabrics. 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 total cost of ownership (TCO): Common platform architecture and the use of Cisco MDS 9000 NX-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.

high-availability external storage offered by IBM System Storage disk storage arrays. Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks (SANs) were developed to provide efficient, highperformance access to many storage devices from many servers. While it is possible in very small environments to directconnect servers to external storage systems using Fibre Channel links, it is more common to congure a SAN switch between the servers and the storage system to enable multiple servers to share the same storage capacity. A simple SAN is depicted in the following diagram.

Simple SAN configuration

The introduction of large capacity, high-availability storage systems offers new opportunities for cost reduction through storage consolidation and infrastructure and management simplication. Storage consolidation is a fundamental objective of infrastructure simplication and is based on the philosophy that it is easiest to share and manage capacity contained in a large-capacity, high-performance and

The Cisco MDS 9148 is designed specically for use as the SAN switch in this type of conguration. It is designed to be easy to install and easy to manage. The tan, green and blue servers represent heterogeneous server types that are members of the same SAN and share capacity of the large disk system. The Cisco MDS 9148 can be upgraded from

IBM Systems and Technology Data Sheet

System Storage

16 to 48 ports and is future ready to support servers and storage devices supporting 8 Gbps Fibre Channel as they are introduced. Its exible design allows participation with other Cisco MDS 9000 family switches in fabrics that evolve as requirements change.

The Cisco MDS 9148 is an excellent switch to use in a clustered server environment. Separate SAN switches enable two separate SAN fabrics as a means to help minimize or avoid single points of failure. The yellow cluster shown above shows one possible implementation that uses redundant components at every level and helps avoid application outages.

High-availability SAN configuration

Many applications are used continuously. A common design approach to support such applications is to run multiple instances of the application across a cluster of servers. When a server fails or must be taken offline for maintenance, a backup server is available to help continue operation with minimal impact. Redundant paths to data are usually congured in a clustered server environment for similar reasonsto help maintain access to data. Each server is congured with redundant Host Bus Adapters and each Host Bus Adapter is connected to a different SAN switch. Each switch is then connected to a different controller in a disk system. Every effort is made to maintain applications with access to data.

Business continuity solution

Many small- and medium-sized companies want to implement a business continuity or remote backup capability to help address the demands of the business. The Cisco MDS 9148 can help provide the SAN connectivity required for these environments. The diagram on the next page is intended to represent two different sites. The blue side represents the production site, and the green side represents the remote or backup site.

Many disk subsystems, including IBM System Storage DS4000, DS5000 and DS6000 Disk Systems and the IBM XIV Storage System, are capable of copying data to a remote location. The data path for the remote copy operation is represented by the red links in the diagram.

IBM Systems and Technology Data Sheet

System Storage

Two Cisco MDS 9148 fabric switches can be connected to other members of the Cisco MDS 9000 Family for connectivity over metro and global distances without merging the local and remote fabrics. The Cisco MDS 9148 with longwave optical SFP transceivers can also be used to connect two locations to enable remote data backup. An Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) application, such as IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM), which runs on a server in the production site, can write data to a tape system at a remote location.

High availability
Small- and medium-sized businesses may require highavailability switch fabric solutions. The redundant power supply feature and hot-swappable power supplies and fans help improve switch availability. The switch is designed to support additional single optical transceiver upgrades without fabric disruption. In addition, the Cisco MDS 9148 is designed to support nondisruptive rmware upgrades to allow rmware to be downloaded and activated while the fabric switch remains operational. Redundant switches can be deployed for high-availability clustering applications.

Easy to install and maintain

The Cisco MDS 9148 includes capabilities designed to make it easy to install and easy to maintain for system administrators who have minimal experience with SAN components. Cisco Fabric Manager, a centralized management tool with task-based wizards, is designed to provide a responsive, easyto-use Java application that helps simplify management of a stand-alone switch or multiple switches and fabrics. For more advanced users, Cisco MDS 9148 presents a consistent, logical command line interface, (CLI). The Cisco MDS 9148 CLI, which adheres to widely known Cisco IOS Software CLI syntax, is easy to learn and delivers broad management capabilities.

Advanced security and management

The Cisco MDS 9000 Enterprise Package feature is designed to provide advanced security and management capabilities. The package helps improve management with Quality of Service (QoS) and enhanced network security capabilities including Switch-Switch and Host Authentication, LUN Zoning, Read-only zones and Port lockdown, and VSAN-Based Access Control. This feature helps simplify SAN consolidation for secure infrastructure simplication solutions. The Cisco MDS 9000 Fabric Manager Server Package feature is designed to extend Cisco Fabric Manager by providing historical performance data collection, centralized management services and support for advanced application integration. This feature helps simplify management of large enterprise SAN infrastructures.

High performance
The Cisco MDS 9148 provides 8 Gbps performance on all ports when paired with storage system and server hardware that supports 8 Gbps throughput. Each port autonegotiates to 8, 4 or 2 Gbps, full duplex, depending on the capabilities of the attached device or switch. Up to 384 Gbps aggregate throughput is possible with 48-port congurations.

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System Storage

Capabilities to help reduce TCO

VSAN capability allows more efficient SAN utilization by creating multiple isolated environments within a single SAN fabric. 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 the SAN infrastructure to be shared among more users, while helping to segregate and secure traffic and retain independent control of congurations on a VSAN-by-VSAN basis.

Another example of the cost effectiveness of the Cisco MDS 9148 is its compatibility with other Cisco MDS 9000 switches and with Cisco Nexus 5000 Series. This compatibility enables customers to initially deploy separate Cisco MDS 9148 SAN islands and then to later consolidate these islands into a large enterprise SAN as their requirements change.

Cisco MDS 9148 for IBM System Storage at a glance

Product Number Base fabric switch 2417-C48 Cisco MDS 9148 with 16-port entry conguration and 8 Gb activated bre channel ports, zero shortwave SFP transceivers, two ac power supplies and fans, Cisco Fabric Manager (embedded Web Server) and support for VSANs, ACLs and Fabric Zoning, Cisco Device Manager, Cisco CLI E-Port, F_Port, FL- Port 4 8 4 4 8 Gb Gb Gb Gb Gb SW SFPs* SW SFPs * Longwave 4 Km SFPs* Longwave 10 Km SFPs* Longwave 10 Km SFPs*

Fibre Channel interfaces Optical transceivers (*chargeable)

Fans and power Hot-swap components Rack support Management software* Servers supported*

Redundant fans and power supplies Power supplies, fan trays, SFP and SFP+ optical transceivers 19-inch, 1RU industry-standard rack Cisco Fabric Manager IBM System x servers Other Intel processor-based servers IBM System p servers IBM System i servers Selected Sun and HP servers

IBM Systems and Technology Data Sheet

System Storage

Cisco MDS 9148 for IBM System Storage at a glance

Operating systems supported* Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Red Hat Linux, Red Hat Linux Advanced Server SUSE Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) United Linux Novell NetWare IBM Storage System DS3000, DS4000, DS5000, DS6000, and DS8000. IBM System Storage XIV 2810 and 2812 IBM System Storage TS2900, TS3100, TS3310, TS3400, TS3500, Tape Libraries IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller (SVC) Fiber optic cables are required and available in multi-mode format Redundant power supply On-Demand Port Activation for 24, 32, 40, or 48 ports Shortwave 4, 8 Gbps optical SFP transceivers Longwave 4, 8 Gbps optical SFP transceivers Cisco MDS 9000 Enterprise Package Activation Cisco MDS 9000 Fabric Manager Server Package Activation Fiber optical cables Country specic power cords

Storage products supported*

Fiber optic cable Optional features

Physical characteristics Height Width Depth Weight Operating environment Temperature Humidity Altitude Electrical requirements Power 100 - 240 V ac, 50 - 60 Hz 0 C to 40 C/32 F to 104 F 10% to 90% relative humidity (RH) noncondensing at 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) Up to 2 kilometers/6500 feet 44.70 cm/1.72 in (1RU) 43.59 cm/17.16 in 47.98 cm/18.89 in 10 kg/22.2 lb (dual power supplies)

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To learn more about Cisco MDS 9148 for System Storage, please contact your IBM representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit: ibm.com/systems/storage/san/ctype/9148/ IBM offers tailored nancing solutions to credit-qualied clients that can be customized to address your specic IT needs from great rates to exible payment plans and loans. Our asset management services include certied used equipment, online asset management, buyback, asset disposal and disk overwrite. For more information on IBM Global Financing, visit: ibm.com/nancing
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