Cisco MDS 9000 Family 8-port IP Storage Services Module

Enables SAN Expansion

Supports interconnection of remote SAN islands

Using open-standard IP-based technology, the Cisco IP Storage Services Module eliminates the barriers to SAN expansion, enabling you to extend the reach of your Fibre Channel SANs throughout local and remote datacenters.

The dual functionality of the Cisco IP Storage Services Module supports interconnection of remote SAN islands and extends SAN connectivity to Ethernet-attached servers using FCIP and iSCSI protocols.

Breaks the distance barrier

The Cisco IP Storage Services Module uses the open-standard FCIP protocol to break the distance barrier of current Fibre Channel solutions and enable interconnection of SAN islands over extended distances.

Simplifies data protection

FCIP for remote SAN extension simplifies data protection and business continuance strategies by enabling backup, remote replication, and other disaster recovery services over SAN distances using open-standard FCIP tunneling.

Optimizes utilization

Replicating critical data on a global scale not only ensures a higher level of data protection for valuable corporate information, but also increases utilization of backup resources and lowers total cost of storage ownership.

Maximizes SAN bandwidth and utilization

The Cisco MDS IP Storage Services Module supports FCIP compression to maximize the effective WAN bandwidth of SAN Extension solutions. The module achieves up to a 30:1 compression ratio, with typical ratios of 2:1 over a wide variety of data sources. And it provides optimal levels of compressed throughput for implementations across low to intermediate-bandwidth links.

FCIP optimizes utilization of SAN resources for backup and replication by tunneling up to three virtual Inter Switch Links (ISLs) on a single Gigabit Ethernet port, and enabling compression FCIP Write Acceleration, and FCIP Tape Acceleration.

Improves throughput

FCIP Write Acceleration significantly improves application performance when storage traffic is extended across distance. It reduces the latency of command acknowledgements, optimizing WAN throughput. Similarly, FCIP Tape Acceleration improves throughput over WAN links for remote tape backup operations.

Together, FCIP Compression, FCIP Write Acceleration, and FCIP Tape Acceleration enable optimal performance of business continuance services.

Reduces SAN complexity

What's more FCIP for remote SAN extension reduces SAN complexity by eliminating the need to deploy and manage a separate remote connectivity platform.

iSCSI extends SAN benefits to Ethernet-attached servers

With the Cisco IP Storage Services Module, you can extend the benefits of Fibre Channel SAN-based storage to Ethernet-attached servers at a lower cost than possible using Fibre Channel alone.

This increases storage utilization and availability by consolidating IP and Fibre Channel block storage, and preserves the functionality of existing management storage applications.

Ethernet-attached servers enjoy the same SAN scalability, availability, manageability, and intelligent services as servers using Fibre Channel, while maintaining the cost and ease-of-use benefits of Ethernet and IP.

Flexibility

Choice of storage services

The Cisco 4-port and 8-port IP Storage Services Modules support four and eight hot-swappable, Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP), LC Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, respectively.

Choose your connectivity

You can configure the modules with shortwave, long-wave, or extended-reach SFPs for connectivity up to 100 kilometers. Additionally, all ports are configurable for FCIP and iSCSI. FCIP-configured ports can be further configured to support up t three virtual ISL connections.

Enhanced Security

More efficient networks

VSANs allow more efficient storage network utilization by creating hardware-based isolated environments within a single physical SAN fabric or switch. 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 SAN infrastructure to be shared among more users, while ensuring absolute segregation of traffic and retaining independent control of configuration on a VSAN-by-VSAN basis. With its integrated FCIP capability, the Cisco IP Storage Services Module enables the extension of VSANs over IP infrastructure.

Mainframe-Ready

Integrated mainframe support

The Cisco MDS 9000 IP Storage Services Module is mainframe-ready, with full support for IBM zSeries FICON and Linux environments. Qualified by IBM for attachment to all FICON-enabled devices in an IBM zSeries operating environment, the modules support transport of the FICON protocol in both cascaded and non-cascaded fabrics, as well as an intermix of FICON and open systems Fibre Channel Protocol traffic on the same switch.

Simplifies intermix of resources

VSANs simplify intermix of SAN resources between z/OS, mainframe Linux, and open systems environments, allowing for increased SAN utilization and simplified SAN management. The VSAN-based intermix mode eliminates the uncertainty and instability often associated with zoning-based intermix techniques.

Improved security

VSANs also eliminate the possibility of a misconfiguration or a component failure in one VSAN affecting operation in other VSANs. VSAN-based management access control simplifies partitioning of SAN management responsibilities between mainframe and open systems environments, enhancing security.

You can also manage FICON VSANs using the integrated Cisco Fabric Manager, Cisco CLI, or IBM CUP-enabled management tools including SA/390 Resource Measurement Facility (RMF), or Dynamic Channel Path Management (DCM).