The Cisco Catalyst® Blade Switch 3120 for HP represents the next-generation I/O solution for blade server environments. Built from the ground up on the purpose-built Cisco® hardware and market-leading Cisco IOS® Software, the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120 (Figure 1) is engineered with innovative technologies specifically designed to meet the rigors of blade server-based application infrastructure. Specifically, the switch is designed to deliver scaleable, high-performance, highly resilient blade server connectivity while supporting ongoing IT initiatives to reduce server infrastructure complexity and total cost of ownership (TCO).
Figure 1. Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120 for HP
Configurations
The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120 for HP has two configurations and SKUs.
Configuration 1: Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120G for HP
• 8 Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports: 4 10/100/1000BASE-T ports and 4 Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) Gigabit Ethernet ports
Configuration 2: Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120X for HP
• The Cisco TwinGig Converter Module can be used in place of X2 modules. The Cisco TwinGig module converts a single 10 Gigabit Ethernet X2 interface into two Gigabit Ethernet SFP ports.
Virtual Blade Switch (VBS) Technology
With the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120, Cisco introduces a unique technology called the virtual blade switch (VBS). This switch virtualization technology treats the interconnected physical switches within a rack as one logical switch.
Main Benefits of VBS Technology
• VBS reduces infrastructure complexity, improves network resiliency, and increases the operational manageability of the blade-switching environment.
• VBS offers exceptional scalability by providing up to160 Gbps of upstream bandwidth.
• VBS can increase the bandwidth available to a server eightfold.
• Because the VBS appears as a single node, both the Layer 2 and Layer 3 topologies are greatly simplified, increasing fabric stability and reducing convergence times after a topology change.
• The capability to mix-and-match 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches provides customers with a cost-effective migration path. In addition, the advanced operations and troubleshooting tools reduce operating expenses.
Figure 2. Switches interconnected in a rack are treated as a single logical switch
Cisco blade switches provide an easy, smart, and flexible blade server I/O solution that allows customers to reap the full benefits offered by the blade server architecture:
• Easy: Easy to operate and deploy
– Because there are fewer switches to manage with VBS technology, helps solve the problem of switch sprawl
– Provides consistent management interface and tools throughout the Cisco data center and blade switch portfolio, accelerating service provisioning and simplifying troubleshooting
– Through VBS technology, provides operational transparency and efficiency during replacement and addition of switches
– Provides highly resilient LAN uplinks to increase blade server and virtual machine availability using innovations such as trunk failover and EtherChannel
– Helps secure application servers and virtual machines using private VLANs and access control lists (ACLs)
– Provides intelligent congestion management mechanisms to optimize network bandwidth using quality of service (QoS)
– Provides advanced Layer 2 and 3, IPv4 and IPv6, and multicast capabilities to facilitate smart end-to-end server networking in the data center
• Flexible: Flexible solution to scale resources and facilitate data center virtualization
– Through VBS, provides flexibility to configure network topology based on application needs such as performance, scalability, and resiliency
– Through VBS, provides investment protection and a flexible transition path with the capability to mix and match Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches
– Provides flexible options for configuration and management such as a command-line interface (CLI) and a GUI
Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120 Software
The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3120 ships with the IP Base feature set. The IP Base feature set includes advanced QoS, a suite of security features, rate-limiting, ACLs, and basic static and Routing Information Protocol (RIP) routing capability.
Customers can upgrade the software to the IP Services feature set. The IP Services feature set provides a richer set of enterprise-class features, including advanced hardware-based IP unicast and multicast routing: Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM), and IPv6 routing.
Features and Benefits
Table 1 summarizes product features and benefits.
Table 1. Features and Benefits
Features
Benefits
Ease of use
• Capability to virtualize 8 switches into 1
• Automatic software version checking
• Automatic configuration synchronization
• Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP)
• Reduces network complexity and simplifies configuration and maintenance
• Provides automatic configuration and versioning that enables true immediate availability (plug-and-play) capabilities during scheduled maintenance
Availability
• Multiswitch EtherChannel
• Trunk failover
• FlexLeink
• Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RTSP)
• Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) Protocol
• Increases resiliency and availability during switch failures
• Quickly reroutes traffic during uplink failures
• Achieves convergence within 100 milliseconds (ms) during link failures
• Provides fast convergence to reduce downtime during spanning-tree failures
QoS
• Wire-rate QoS performance
• Policing and rate limiting
• Traffic shaping
• Queuing
• Provides industry-leading mechanisms for marking, classification, and scheduling to deliver superior performance for data, voice, and video traffic, all at wire speed
• Can prioritize traffic based on application criticality
• Can tightly control the amount of traffic a particular server or application can send or receive
Cisco SMARTnet with 8x5 next business day (NBD) hardware advance replacement
CON-SNTE-CBS3120G
Cisco SMARTnet with 8x5 4-hour hardware advance replacement
CON-SNTP-CBS3120G
Cisco SMARTnet with 24x7 4-hour hardware advance replacement
CON-S2P-CBS3120G
Cisco SMARTnet with 24x7 2-hour hardware advance replacement
CON-SNT-CBS3120X
Cisco SMARTnet with 8x5 next business day (NBD) hardware advance replacement
CON-SNTE-CBS3120X
Cisco SMARTnet with 8x5 4-hour hardware advance replacement
CON-SNTP-CBS3120X
Cisco SMARTnet with 24x7 4-hour hardware advance replacement
CON-S2P-CBS3120X
Cisco SMARTnet with 24x7 2-hour hardware advance replacement
Note: There are two additional switch part numbers: WS-CBS3125G-S and WS-CBS3125X-S. WS-CBS3125G-S is the same product as WS-CBS3120G-S, and WS-CBS3125X-S is the same product as WS-CBS3120X-S. These switches also have corresponding upgrade licenses and Cisco SMARTnet options.
Service and Support
Cisco is committed to reducing TCO and offers technical support services to help ensure that Cisco products operate efficiently, remain highly available, and benefit from the most up-to-date system software. Table 6 describes service and support that is available directly from Cisco and through resellers.
Table 6. Service and Support
Technical Support Service
Features
Benefits
Cisco SMARTnet Service
• Access to Cisco IOS Software updates
• Web access to technical support tools and repositories
• 24-hour telephone support through the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC)
• Advance replacement of hardware
• Minimizes network downtime through reliable day-to-day support and prompt resolution of critical network issues
• Lowers TCO by using Cisco networking expertise and knowledge
• Protects your network investment through Cisco IOS Software updates that provide patches and new functions
For More Information
For more information about Cisco products, contact:
• United States and Canada: (toll free) 800 553-6387
