SAN fabric

The IBM System Storage SAN768B and IBM System Storage SAN384B fabric backbones are highly robust network switching platforms designed for evolving enterprise data centres. Each machine combines breakthrough performance, scalability and energy efficiency with long-term investment protection. Supporting open systems and IBM System z environments, these platforms address data growth and server virtualisation challenges; enable server, Storage Area Network (SAN) and data centre consolidation; minimise disruption and risk; and reduce infrastructure and administrative costs.

Built for large enterprise networks, the SAN768B has eight vertical blade slots to provide up to 512 8-Gigabits per second (Gbps) Fibre Channel (FC) ports. The SAN384B is ideal for midsize core or edge deployments, providing four horizontal blade slots and up to 256 8-Gbps FC ports. The flexible blade architecture also supports FC over Ethernet (FCoE), fabric-based encryption for data-at-rest and SAN extension advanced functionality for high-performance server input/output (I/O) consolidation, data protection and disaster recovery (DR) solutions.

The SAN768B and SAN384B are extremely efficient at reducing power consumption, cooling and the carbon footprint in data centres. While providing exceptional performance and scale, these networking backbones use less than one watt per Gbps – significantly more efficient than alternate offerings.

The SAN768B and SAN384B are build on years of innovation and use the core technology of systems designed to perform at greater than 99.999 percent uptime in some of the world’s most demanding data centres. With its intelligent sixth-generation application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and advanced hardware and software capabilities, the SAN768B and SAN384B provide a reliable foundation for fully connected multiprotocol SAN fabrics capable of supporting thousands of servers, storage and networking devices.

As members of the IBM System Storage family of b-type SAN products, the SAN 768B and the SAN384B are designed to participate in fabrics containing other b-type and m-type devices manufactured by Brocade. This versatile hardware can serve as backbone in a complex fabric and provide connections to other b-type and m-type directors, switches and routers.

• PortsSAN768B: Up to 512 per chassis, up to 1536 when three chassis are connected via inter-chassis links (ICLs); SAN384B: Up to 256 per chassis, up to 768 when three SAN384B chassis are connected via ICLs.

• Link SpeedsFC: 1.063 Gbps line speed, full duplex; 2.125 Gbps line speed, full duplex; 4.25 Gbps line speed, full duplex; 8.50 Gbps line speed, full duplex; auto sensing of 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gbps port speeds; optionally programmable 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gbps ports; 10.5 Gbps line speed, full duplex.
  
  CEE: 10.0 Gbps line speed, full duplex.
  
  FC Internet Protocol (FCIP): 1 Gbps line speed; 10 Gbps line speed.
  
  SAN768B ICL bandwidth: 512 Gbps; four ICLs, 16 × 8 Gbps FC connections; SAN384B ICL bandwidth: 256 Gbps; four ICLs, 8 × 8 Gbps FCconnections.

• Operating SystemsIBM z/OS, IBM AIX, Microsoft® Windows®, UNIX®, Linux®, selected other operating systems

• Optional FeaturesSAN768B:16-port, 32-port, 48-port and 64-port 8 Gbps FC switch blades; 10 Gbps FC switch blades; FCoE 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) 24-port blades; 8 Gbps Extension blades; small form factor pluggables (SFPs) and XFPs; fibre optic cables; Inter-Chassis Cable Kit; Inter-Chassis Licence; Upgrade Power Supplies; FICON w/CUP activation; 8 Gbps Advanced Extension; 8 Gbps Extension Blade 10 GbE Activation; 8 Gbps Advanced FICON Accelerator; and Integrated Routing
  
  SAN384B:16-port, 32-port, 48-port and 64-port 8 Gbps FC switch blades; 10 Gbps FC switch blades; FCoE 10 GbE 24-port blades; 8 Gbps Extension blades; SFPs and XFPs; fibre optic cables; Inter-Chassis Cable Kit; Inter-Chassis Licence; FICON w/CUP activation; 8 Gbps Advanced Extension; 8 Gbps Extension Blade 10 GbE activation; 8 Gbps Advanced FICON Accelerator; Extended Fabric; and Integrated Routing

The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director provides 12 to 524 ports,1,2 and 4Gbps fabric switching for Windows® NT/2000, UNIX® and mainframe FICON® switching for server clustering, infrastructure simplification and business continuity solutions. The base director offers Virtual SAN (VSAN), Cisco® Fabric Manager and 11 feature slots. Features include 12-, 24- and 48-port 4Gbps and 4-port 10Gbps FC Modules; IP and Storage Service Modules; Enterprise, SAN Extension over IP, Fabric Manager Server, Storage Services Enabler and Mainframe Packages

• Ports12 to 528

• Link Speeds1, 2, 4 and 10Gbps

• ServersIBM System z9™, IBM System p5™, IBM eServer ® iSeries™, pSeries®, xSeries® and zSeries®

The Cisco MDS 9509 for IBM® System Storage™ provides 24 to 336 Fibre channel ports - with up to 8 Gigabit per second (Gbps) performance - and 4 to 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports for iSCSI or FCIP connectivity. With a high-availability design, it includes Virtual SAN (VSAN) capability for SAN consolidation into virtual SAN "islands" on a single physical fabric and comprehensive security for large enterprise SANs deployment. The director uses intelligent networking services to help simplify mainframe FICON® and Fibre Channel SAN management and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO).

• PortsUp to 336

• Link Speeds1, 2, 4, 8 and 10Gbps

• ServersAIX®, Linux®, Microsoft® Windows NT® or Microsoft Windows® 2000 and IBM mainframe operating systems

The Cisco MDS 9506 for IBM System Storage™ provides 24 to 192 Fibre channel ports-with up to 8 Gigabits per Second (Gbps) performance-and 4 to 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports for iSCSI or FCIP connectivity. With a high-availability design, it includes Virtual SAN (VSAN) capability for SAN consolidation into virtual SAN "islands" on a single physical fabric and comprehensive security for large enterprise SANs deployment. The director uses intelligent networking services to help simplify mainframe FICON and Fibre Channel SAN management and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO).

• PortsUp to 192

• Link Speeds1, 2, 4, 8 and 10Gbps

• ServersIBM AIX®, Linux®, Microsoft® Windows NT® or Microsoft Windows® 2000 and IBM mainframe operating systems

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. It can be used as part of Storage Area Network (SAN) solutions from simple single-switch configurations to larger multiswitch configurations in support of fabric connectivity and advanced business continuity capabilities.

• Ports16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 ports

• Link Speeds1, 2, 4 and 8 Gigabits per second (Gbps)

• ServersIBM System x servers
  Other Intel® processor-based servers
  IBM System p servers
  IBM System i servers
  Selected Sun and HP servers