You're reading from Implementing Cisco UCS Solutions Cisco Unified Computer System is a powerful solution for data centers that can raise efficiency and lower costs. This tutorial helps professionals realize its full potential through a practical, hands-on approach written by two Cisco experts.

Product type Paperback

Published in Dec 2013

Publisher Packt

ISBN-13 9781782170662

Length 370 pages

Edition 1st Edition

Tools

Cisco UCS

Concepts

Servers

Table of Contents (14) Chapters

Preface

1. Cisco UCS Physical Architecture and Installing UCS Hardware FREE CHAPTER

2. Setting Up Lab Using Cisco UCS Emulator

3. Configuring Cisco UCS Using UCS Manager

4. Configuring LAN Connectivity

5. Configuring SAN Connectivity

6. Creating Identity and Resource Pools

7. Creating and Managing Service Profiles

8. Managing UCS through Routine and Advanced Management

9. Virtual Networking in Cisco UCS

10. Configuring Backup, Restore, and High Availability

11. Cisco UCS Failure Scenarios Testing

12. Third-party Application Integration

Index

Getting started with mezzanine adapters

A huge variety of mezzanine adapters, also known as Virtual Interface Cards (VICs), is available from Cisco for both B-series blade servers and C-series rack servers. Older adapters are of the fixed port type and are not optimized for contemporary virtualized server environments. There are some older third-party network cards also available as an option. Newer adapters are optimized for virtualization and can provide 128 or 256 dynamic virtual adapters. The number of virtual adapters is dependent on the VIC model. These virtual adapters can be configured as Ethernet (vNIC) or fiber channel (vHBA) devices. All virtualization-optimized VICs also support the VM-FEX technology. Our focus will be on those mezzanine adapters that are virtualization optimized.

VICs for blade servers

VICs are available in the form of a mezzanine card. All new VICs provide dynamic vNIC or vHBA interfaces for server-side connectivity.

VIC 1280

The specifications of VIC 1280 are as follows:

256 dynamic vNIC (Ethernet) or vHBA (FC) interfaces
VM-FEX support for virtualized environments
Hardware failover without driver need
80 Gbps network throughput
Mezzanine form factor
Compatible with UCS M2 (B230 and B440) and all M3 blade servers

VIC 1240

The specifications of VIC 1240 are as follows:

256 dynamic vNIC (Ethernet) or vHBA (FC) interfaces
VM-FEX support for virtualized environments
Hardware failover without driver need
40 Gbps network throughput with optional 80 GB throughput using optional port expander in the mezzanine slot
LoM form factor
Compatible with all M3 blade servers