Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors

Highlights

Offers scalability to 192, 336 and 528 maximum Fibre Channel port count at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10 Gbps Fibre Channel speed
Multilayer architecture transparently integrates Fibre Channel, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), IBM FICON, Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI), and Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) in one system
32- and 48-port 8 Gbps Advanced Fibre Channel switching modules designed to allow a port to be configured as either 1, 2, 4, 8 or 10 Gbps, consolidating all ports into the same Fibre Channel switching module
High-performance Inter-Switch Links (ISLs) that provide additional availability at the fabric level; PortChannel capability allows users to aggregate up to 16 physical links into one logical bundle
Supports all generations of Cisco MDS 9000 Family switching modules, providing outstanding investment protection
Delivers comprehensive security and unified SAN management
Includes Virtual SAN (VSAN) capability for SAN consolidation into virtual SAN islands on a single physical fabric

The Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors for IBM® System Storage® are director-class storage area networking (SAN) switches designed for deployment in scalable enterprise and service provider clouds to enable flexibility, resiliency and reliability. Layering a comprehensive set of intelligent features onto a high-performance, protocol-independent switch fabric, the MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors address the critical requirements of large virtualized data center storage environments such as high availability, security, scalability, ease-of- management and simple integration of new technologies for extremely flexible data center SAN solutions.

Sharing the same operating system and management interface with other Cisco data center switches, the MDS 9500 Directors can help enable smooth deployment of unified fabrics with high-performance Fibre Channel and FCoE connectivity for low total cost of ownership (TCO). Compatible with all generations of Cisco MDS 9000 Family Fibre Channel Switching Modules, the MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors can help provide outstanding investment protection.