IP Storage Networking

Trends such as the Internet of Things, cloud, and hyperconverged infrastructure are driving the need for more IP storage networking. A next-generation Cisco network provides the switching foundation and delivers optimal buffers and quality-of-service (QoS) mechanisms to support evolving Ethernet and IP storage networking requirements, including the need for greater bandwidth.

Our agile storage infrastructure is easy to manage, affordable, and flexible to meet the needs of resource-constrained IT storage professionals.

What is IP storage?

IP storage is the use of IP-based technology to access storage devices using TCP/IP networks.

Storage protocols can be classified as file, block, and object storage. No matter which protocol you choose, Cisco IP Storage Networks can transport them efficiently.

Cisco IP Storage Networking Solution

Cisco Nexus technology, along with Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure, provide innovative storage networking solutions to support next-generation requirments, including file, block, and object storage. The new IP Storage Networking solution further provides automation, rapid deployment, pervasive security, and policy-based architecture to scale IP storage envoirments.

Key features of the Cisco solution:

  • Smart buffers that provide an intelligent congestion control mechanism for IP storage
  • Lossless, fabric-wide architecture to support any storage traffic
  • Seamless connectivity for distributed apps through container-based micro-services
  • Software-defined, policy-based storage networking and self-service provisioning
  • Telemetry for better troubleshooting

Cisco NX-OS Software

  • Enterprise-class operating software
  • Provides unified operating environments for SAN and LAN
  • Supports virtual-machine-aware SANs
  • Supports advanced storage services within the fabric

Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)

  • Simplified automation by an application-driven policy model
  • Centralized visibility with real-time, application health monitoring
  • Open software flexibility for DevOps teams and ecosystem partner integration
    Scalable performance and multitenancy in hardware

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches

  • Operate in Cisco NX-OS standalone mode or Application Centric Infrastructure mode
  • Include vast switch-level and fabric-level software-defined networking and programmability features
  • Offer rich traffic-flow telemetry with line-rate data collection
  • Deliver 1,10, 25, 40, 50, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches

  • Ideal for data center access, aggregation, and core deployments
  • Include the industry's most comprehensive data center features and programmability capabilities
  • Offer up to 1.3 Tb per slot of switching capacity, and more than 83 Tb per chassis
  • Provide high 1,10, 40, and 100 GE scalability
  • Deliver advanced services, high availability, hitless In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU)

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches

  • Ideal for access- and space-constrained aggregation deployments
  • Offer line-rate and low-latency support for up to 96 40 GE ports or 384 10 GE and up to 160 unified ports
  • Support hardware VXLAN (Layer 2 and 3, gateway) and are Network Virtualization Using Generic Routing Encapsulation (NVGRE)-capable
  • Include a comprehensive analytics toolkit

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches

  • Deliver flexibility, high density, and performance for top-of-rack deployments
  • Support mobility and tenant isolation with VXLAN
  • Include Python scripting, Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEM), and XML management tools
  • Deliver a comprehensive SDN solution, including OpenFlow and Cisco OnePK

Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders

  • Deliver 100 MB, and 1/10/40 Gigabit Ethernet server connectivity with 10/40 GE uplinks
  • Offer fabric extensibility with single point of management
  • Reduce data center cabling costs and footprint; optimize inter-rack cabling
  • Extend to partner blade servers such as HP, Dell, and Fujitsu

Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager

  • Multiprotocol management of storage and Ethernet networks
  • Troubleshooting of health and performance of Cisco Nexus and MDS switches
  • Simplified wizard and template-based configuration and provisioning
  • Dashboard and report-based resource management

Cisco Nexus 2000 to 9000 Series Switches and Cisco ACI provide flexibility to design and build IP, Ethernet, ROCE storage networking for small businesses to enterprise customers. The following three uses cases exhibit the unique ability of ACI and the Nexus 9000 family to provide innovative storage networking functionality.

Scalable IP Storage Networking Using iSCSI with Nexus 9000 and ACI

  • High-performance block-based storage
  • Compelling total cost of ownership
  • Nearly 100% availability
  • Enhanced network access security
  • Software-defined, policy-based architecture

Hadoop Cluster Data Processing and Storing with the Nexus 92160YC-X Switch

  • High-performance file-based storage
  • Smart nuffers for burst handling and queue management
  • 10G/100G connectivity as required to scale
  • Dynamic load balancing, including dynamic packet prioritization to detect and manage various congestion scenarios

High-Performance, High-Density IP Storage Networking for Scale-Out Storage

  • High-performance 40G/100G fabric for LAN and IP storage traffic
  • Ability to prioritize storage traffic
  • No-drop queues and guaranteed lossless behavior
  • 100M to 100G ports speeds
  • Ideal for hyperconverged environments and scale-out storage

Additional Resources