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Data Security | Business VoIP | Managed Networks

 
Data Centre 3.0: Part 2

An overview of Data Centre 3.0 was given in the last edition of the e-bulletin, and we talked about Nexus Switches and how they offer a new order of magnitude to network bandwidth. You can read the previous edition here.  Now we will look in a lot more detail at Data Centre 3.0 and virtualisation, and in particular at the integration of Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Local Area Networks (LAN) with Data Centre 3.0.

The Data Centre 3.0 core initiative brings network, storage and virtualisation platforms together to increase flexibility, visibility and policy enforcement. Let’s look at the features Cisco Nexus fabric brings to allow that to happen.

In the Nexus platform, Cisco have integrated a new power of Ethernet switching, and have also integrated their MDS product line of SAN Storage Switches. These means on a Nexus switch you can have interfaces with High Speed Ethernet (1G, 10G and 40G) but that also you can add interfaces for Fibre Channel SAN on the same device.

However Nexus goes much further than this. Cisco in creating a new lossless Data Centre Ethernet format, allow the concept of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). This technology will bring totally SAN and Ethenet switching  together.

In the future Virtual Server hardware will have 40G attachment giving access to Fibre Channel and Ethernet together.
  • With the drivers for higher I/O bandwidth been more and more virtualisation technologies such as VMware, Cisco have extended Nexus to the virtual server. Nexus 1000V is a virtual Nexus switch that runs as software feature within the Hypervisor of VMware. This allows the virtual switch within the virtual environment to have the same feature as Nexus physical switch. This means that you get a consistent per virtual machine visibility and control for SAN, LAN and the unified fabric. Network managers will be able to have full visibility of network communications with the virtual environment.
  • Virtual SAN, virtual device contents, and unified fabric – converge multiple virtual networks, simplifying and reducing data centre infrastructure and total cost of ownership
  • Flexible networking options (supporting all server form factors and vendors, including options for integrated Ethernet and Fibre Channel switches) – provide a consistent set of services reducing operational complexity
  • Network-embedded virtualised application networking services – consolidate remote IT assets into virtualised data centres
  • Cisco Unified Computing System unifies network, computer, and virtualisation resources into a single system delivering optimisation for virtualised environments yet retaining traditional OS and application stack support
To follow in the next edition we’ll look at how Cisco have been entering the server space with Unified Computing Architecture, and also at virtualisation across the network infrastructure including Content Switching, Firewalls, IPS and routers to allow the building of a fully virtual environment.

To learn more about virtualisation please contact us.