Avatar

singleconnect1

When customers talk about why they like UCS they often sum it up in very concise terms. “It makes things a lot easier,” is a common refrain. But if you ask a Cisco technologist what’s good about UCS you’ll get a much more lengthy reply, probably more than you wanted to hear. 🙂 That’s because when anyone fully describes all of the innovations in the solution, “under the covers,” so to speak, which conspire to bring about UCS benefits, they quickly find themselves reciting a rather long list of complex advancements. As I spend time in our booth at VMworld this week I hear both of these accounts of UCS. The long (how it rocks) and the short (why it rocks.)  As luck would have it, some intrepid UCS product marketers have taken it upon themselves to bridge this yawning gap in the UCS lexicon.

First, remember that UCS is an outcome of starting with a clean sheet of paper and designing a system to rectify all the random acts of system architecture that had come before it. It’s also an outcome of a completely revolutionary way of approaching computing: not from the perspective of the constituent technologies but from the perspective of fusing them all together. UCS was expressly designed to eliminate the DIY integration that customers have been faced with for years. It was designed for a world of virtualization, automation and cloud. Fundamentally, UCS was designed to connect all the dots.

With the connections in mind, we’re introducing a technology ingredient brand into the UCS lexicon: Cisco SingleConnect Technology.

SingleConnect is a term intended to encapsulate the aggregated benefits of several key UCS technology components as they relate to server connectivity: Cisco Fabric Interconnects, Fabric Extenders, Virtual Interface Cards and Virtual Machine Fabric Extender Technology (VM-FEX.) Related technologies like the Nexus 1000v suite and Cisco’s virtualized network services also come into view when we talk about connecting physical and virtual servers in the data center.

Each of these deeply sophisticated products plays a specific role, but taken altogether they create an elegant result: a simplified, uniform and extremely powerful connectivity model for servers and virtual machines. SingleConnect is way for us to describe how all of these together result in one connection for:

• LAN, SAN, and systems management

• Rack servers and blade servers

• Physical servers and virtual machines

SingleConnect, very simply, is the easiest, most intelligent and efficient way to connect and manage computing in the data center.

SingleConnect is Easy: UCS is a “wire once and walk away” solution that eliminates many of the traditional time-consuming, manual and error-prone tasks required to connect servers and virtual machines in the data center. UCS with SingleConnect is self-integrating, with automated and dynamic configuration of server I/O and networking components over a common connection. UCS centralizes administration, eliminating dozens of switching and server management points found in traditional environments while radically reducing cable management complexity.

SingleConnect is Efficient: SingleConnect Technology combines three network layers into one: top of rack, blade chassis and hypervisor switching. It also combines LAN, SAN and server systems management networks on a single fabric. Modular fabric extenders deliver capacity from a centralized fabric interconnect (single point of management) to as many as 160 servers, replacing all the Ethernet and FibreChannel switches typically deployed in much smaller server increments. Server I/O adapters (NICs, and HBA’s) are consolidated onto a single Virtual Interface Card, eliminating cost and simplifying administration.

SingleConnect is Intelligent: SingleConnect technology creates a virtualization-aware system, providing seamless VM mobility and advanced security capabilities for multi-tenant environments. I/O capacity is dynamically allocated across physical and virtual machines in the system in accordance with QOS policies, eliminating the need for manual administrator intervention and simplifying troubleshooting. Deterministic, low latency switching delivers industry leading bare metal and virtualized performance for traditional multi-tier application environments and cloud workloads alike.

singleconnect2

Cisco SingleConnect Technology is not a specific product or feature, it is a way to describe how a deliberate roadmap of innovation solves against one of the oldest computing problems in the data center: “how do I connect all this stuff together?”

With SingleConnect!

If you’re at VMworld in San Francisco this week, stop by the Cisco booth and we can give you demo of how SingleConnect brings it all together.



Authors

Todd Brannon

Senior Director, Cloud Infrastructure Marketing

Cisco Cloud Infrastructure and Software Group

Avatar

Let’s start with how well do you know your mobile worker?  Understanding the mobile worker’s perceptions and behaviors will offer a better view on the potential security implications your organization must manage.  Cisco just released new global research (white paper) , Cisco Connected  World International Mobile Security study, that explores the mobile worker’s view points on working remotely, connecting to corporate and their sense of security.  Some of the findings are worth reflecting on to help you set the course for your mobile security efforts.

There is no question; the movement for mobile personal devices in the workforce has been well recognized.  A recent response to this trend includes employers (almost half) offering to fund workers buying their own devices.  Allowing “chose your own” device will attract and retain talent and reduce costs (see recent IBSG BYOD research)—but what are the security implications?

There were a couple striking data points to call out:

  • 63% download sensitive data on their device …and the frequency significantly increases in some countries—
  • Most believe remote access is a privilege—yet in some countries they believe it’s a right as a worker—
  • Most are diligent when a pop up appears and read through the details on what it really means. Yet, some workers from select countries tend to be generally less careful.
  • 60% admit to engaging in risky behavior on a device  (personal or company-owned), connected to corporate resources,

So, who really owns the mobile security issue—mobile workers do not take full responsibility for a safe device–as expressed in their high confidence in their IT with over 84% believing that IT will protect them from threats no matter what device.  Read more on http://blogs.cisco.com/security/how-secure-is-your-mobile-worker-2/



Authors

Kathy Trahan

Senior Security Solutions Marketing Manager

Global Marketing Corporate Communications

Avatar

It’s clear that the number of connected devices is growing exponentially.  We’ve already passed the 10 billion mark earlier this year and will most likely reach 50 billion by 2020. The opportunities and challenges of all these devices coming online have tremendous implications for how we live and work.

As devices are proliferating in the Internet of Things (IoT), complexity is growing. IoT-based connections tend to be in silos, independent systems with analytics that are focused on a single purpose.  So it’s important to look at the landscape holistically, to apply a systems approach and address the challenges of building an infrastructure that can meet and interact with an IoT world. That means integrating intelligence, convergence, visibility, and security into the infrastructure.

I’m always interested in hearing or reading points of view on the evolving Internet of Things. Case in point, “A Blueprint to the Internet of Things,” which was a great discussion between ReadWrite’s Taylor Hatmaker and Bump’s David Lieb about how devices need to talk to each other better to make the user experience simple and seamless.  Device interface is an important part of the Internet of Things (IoT), but it’s just the starting point.

Continue reading “Internet of Things: The Bigger Picture”



Avatar

Much has been made of the “Internet of Things” and a growing array of “smart” things that will soon change nearly every aspect of our lives — from Google’s driverless car and iRobot’s Ava 500 video collaboration robot to “smart” pill bottles that will automatically renew a prescription and remind you when to take it.

While we often think that it’s all about the things, it’s not actually the “things” that create the value, it’s the connections among people, process, data, and things — or the Internet of Everything—that creates value.

You can see the power of connections by adding a sensor and an Internet connection to any “dumb” thing. Consider, for example, your front door lock. It has no “intelligence” of its own — it’s simply a mechanical device that allows you to open and close the front door of your house. But if you add a sensor with a connection to the cloud, that “dumb” device can take an image of your face, send it to the cloud for analysis, and determine whether or not to let you into the house, based on facial-recognition technology. The lock itself doesn’t have the intelligence or compute power to make this decision, but the cloud does. It’s the connection that makes this “dumb” thing “intelligent.”

Continue reading “Why Connections (not Things) Will Change the World”



Authors

Avatar

carlos-corderoBy Carlos Cordero, Cisco Consulting Services, Service Provider

Cloud consumption models are gaining traction across all company sizes and industries.  Whether software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), or platform as a service (PaaS), the value propositions of virtualization are being sought by IT decision makers.

Cisco Consulting Services sees an opportunity for network service providers (SPs) to deliver a similar experience through a new solution architecture that we call network as a service (NaaS). NaaS does for the network what SaaS and IaaS have done for the data center —  offering many of the same value proposition components, such as lower OpEx and increased agility, as well as new business model levers and distribution benefits.

A Simple NaaS Architecture Delivers Broad Benefits

To illustrate the value, this paper focuses on NaaS for mobile operators, although similar value could be articulated across all SP segments. Today, the various engineering and operational functions required to enable new customers, new services, and repairs are buried behind monolithic and independent network elements. The goal of NaaS is to simplify the architecture through virtualization, bringing disparate software solutions onto common hardware.

At the heart of mobile NaaS is an intelligent core with the service elements needed to deploy mobile data services (Figure 1). Traditionally, each software element runs on dedicated hardware, but under NaaS, these elements are separated so the software can run on shared virtual machines. The model also includes a common storage and compute infrastructure that can be delivered to the intelligent core as needed through a virtual machine approach. The intelligent core should work across a variety of licensed and unlicensed access technologies, shown at right. The active service catalog represents the SP’s ability to create unique service environments by combining service elements in an automated and simplified way. Finally, the secure portal enables consumers and business customers to access and manage their own network instances.

Figure 1.                  Mobile NaaS Is Anchored in a Flexible and Extensible Set of Service Elements. Continue reading ““Network as a Service” Brings the Benefits of Virtualization to Network Operators”



Authors

Chris Osika

Senior Director, Global Lead

Service Provider Practice Internet Business Solutions Group

Avatar

IT and Alexander the GreatAre you an IT manager feeling the pressure to be “innovative” while still responsible for keeping the lights on? And what does it actually mean to be “innovative” in Enterprise IT?  Isn’t it just about the technology?

Today’s IT managers are not only responsible for making technology decisions, they are becoming increasingly responsible for using the network to deliver on business priorities, help solve business problems, and accelerate growth.

Whether it is headlines such as, “Today’s CIO Needs to Be the Chief Innovation Officer“ from an HBR blog, or the continued threat of Shadow IT, the pressure is on IT organizations to demonstrate their value beyond just “keeping the lights on”. Continue reading “Solve My Business Problems, Accelerate Growth, and Oh yeah, Keep the Lights On?”



Authors

Dee Dee Pare

Senior Marketing Manager

Borderless Networks now Enterprise Networks

Avatar

In my previous 3-part blog series I discussed the challenges in the Enterprise WAN and relevancy of SDN in overcoming these challenges and how Cisco ONE Enterprise Networks Architecture addresses these WAN challenges. In this blog post I will discuss how Cisco ONE (Open Network Environment) and ONE Enterprise Networks Architecture fit together. In a following blog, I will discuss how Cisco ONE Enterprise Networks Architecture provides six significant benefits to enterprises through programmability. ONE + ONE = 6 is the new math for Enterprise programmability!

Cisco ONE

Cisco ONE (Open Network Environment)

Cisco ONE is a comprehensive, Cisco wide solution (not just data center) approach to making networks more open, programmable, and application-aware. There are numerous blogs, and videos about Cisco ONE that can be found here. As a brief summary, Cisco ONE comprises of 3 pillars that provide a programmable approach to both physical and virtual infrastructure: Continue reading “ONE + ONE = 6: New Math for Enterprise Programmability”



Authors

Satish Katpally

Senior Marketing Manager

Application Centric Infrastructure, SDN, ONE Software Suites

Avatar

With students and teachers heading back to school, I’ve been thinking about when attended high school and college. For me, collaboration meant getting together with study groups, phone calls for homework help and office hours with teachers. For my two children – one a college junior and one college freshman – I have seen streaming video, text messages and online sessions with educators thousands of miles away turn our kitchen table into a classroom with a simple click of a button.Back to School

Beyond convenience and the overwhelming coolness factor of being able to connect virtually with teachers and classmates, I often wonder how technology will impact education and careers in the long run. Collaboration software is pervasive on many campuses, transforming the learning process, academic research and the relationship between students and instructors. With the advent of BYOD and mobile technology, collaboration is even becoming more accessible.  Will the integration of collaboration in their education translate into career skills?

Continue reading “Back to School: Transforming the Classroom with IoE”



Avatar

vmw

This has been an exciting year for the Cisco Data Center and Cloud Management team – and we’ll be featuring several recent data center software innovations at VMworld this week. You won’t want to miss our new demos of Cisco UCS Director (formerly Cloupia), Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud (Cisco IAC), and Cisco Prime Network Services Controller (formerly Virtual Network Management Center) in the Cisco booth!

You can also stop by the VCE booth to learn about unified infrastructure and cloud management for Vblock, with UCS Director and Cisco IAC – we’ll have presentations in both the Cisco and VCE theaters. And in either the Cisco booth or the NetApp booth, you can learn about UCS Director for managing your FlexPod.

As you’ll see below, Cisco Prime Network Services Controller is a key component in several demos in the Cisco booth, including the new Nexus 1000V InterCloud and Dynamic Fabric Automation. You can read more about Prime Network Services Controller at VMworld in this blog post.

Schedule 1:1 meetings with Cisco executives or ping @CiscoUM (Cisco Unified Management) on twitter for an informal meet up. We’d be happy to connect you with one of our management software experts.

DEMOS:

  • Cisco UCS Director for Converged Infrastructure Management. See the latest version of the powerful Cisco UCS Director solution for managing both physical and virtual infrastructure in your FlexPod, Vblock, or VSPEX environments.  You can also see a demo of UCS Director integrated with Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud (IAC).  Showcasing: UCS Director and IAC. New demo!
  • Cloud Management for Multi-Cloud and DevOps Solutions.  Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud now provides solution accelerator kits that enable you to integrate with multiple cloud environments (e.g. VMware vCloud, OpenStack, Amazon Web Services), and with Puppet and Chef for configuration management. Showcasing: Intelligent Automation for Cloud. New demo!
  • Cloud Networking Services with the Nexus 1000V. Demonstrates vPath integration with Citrix VPX and Imperva WAF, with Prime Network Services Controller. Showcasing: Nexus 1000V and Prime Network Services Controller. New demo!
  • Hybrid Cloud Networking with Nexus 1000V InterCloud. See how to build a highly secure hybrid cloud environment, providing Layer 2 networking connectivity from your  enterprise data center to a public cloud environment, with Nexus 1000V InterCloud. Showcasing: Nexus 1000V InterCloud and Prime Network Services Controller. New demo!
  • Simplify, Optimize and Automate with Dynamic Fabric Automation. Find out how Dynamic Fabric Automation simplifies both physical server and virtual machine deployments in your data center, with automated network provisioning. Showcasing: Prime Data Center Network Manager and Prime Network Services Controller. New demo!

And make sure you join us for our theater presentations to learn from the Cisco Unified Management product experts – every day this week at VMworld. See below for the schedule.

THEATER PRESENTATIONS:

SUNDAY

Go Beyond IaaS with Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud

5:00 – 5:20pm, Location: Cisco booth

Cisco Dynamic Fabric Automation: Simplified DC Network Operations

6:00 – 6:20pm, Location: Cisco booth

MONDAY

Cisco IAC Provides Cloud Management on Vblock Systems

1:45 – 2:05pm, Location: VCE booth

Transform Cloud Automation with VCE, Cisco, and EMC

4:00 – 4:20pm, Location: Cisco booth

Cisco Unified Cloud Management

4:40 – 5:10pm, Location: VMworld Solutions Theater

Go Beyond IaaS with Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud

5:30 – 5:50pm, Location: Cisco booth

TUESDAY

UCS Director for Vblock Systems Management

1:45 – 2:05pm, Location: VCE booth

FlexPod Infrastructure Management and UCS Director

3:30 – 3:50pm, Location: Cisco booth

Enabling ITaaS through Cisco Domain Ten

4:30 – 4:50pm Location: Cisco booth

Prime Network Services Controller: Deploying Cloud Network Services

5:00 – 5:20pm, Location: Cisco booth

Transform Cloud Automation with VCE, Cisco and EMC

4:00 – 4:20pm, Location: Cisco booth

WEDNESDAY

Unified Infrastructure Management with Cisco UCS Director

11:30 – 11:50pm, Location: Cisco booth

Cisco Dynamic Fabric Automation: Simplified DC Network Operations

12:00 – 12:20pm, Location: Cisco booth

Cisco IAC and UCS Director Provide Unified Management for Vblock 

1:45 – 2:05pm, Location: VCE booth

Make sure you follow us on twitter at @CiscoUM – and feel free to reach me at @Carolinamfdz if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you at the show!