CCIE DATA CENTER V1.0 Official Exam Certification Guide

First Edition

ALOK RASTOGI, CCIE NO 42872 ( DC)

DEEPAK SHARMA, CCIE NO 37340 (R&S

Contents

Part 1: Cisco Data Center Architecture

� Chapter 1 Cisco data center architecture

1.1 Data center architecture

1.2 Cisco Unified Data center architecture Products

1.3 Platform use in the different data center layers

Part 2: Cisco Data Center Infrastructure—Cisco NX-OS

� Chapter 1 Cisco NX-OS Features

1.1 Hardware Architecture of Cisco NX-OS

1.1.1 Cisco Unified Fabric Family

1.1.2 Nexus 7000/5000/2000 Platform

1.1.3 Data Center NXOS Feature set

1.1.4 NXOS Kernel

1.1.5 NXOS Control Plane Data Plane Separation

1.1.6 NXOS License Requirement

1.1.7 NXOS Software Package

1.1.8 Nexus 5500 Hardware Overview

1.1.9 Nexus 5500 Hardware Component

1.1.10 Nexus 5500 L3 support

1.1.11 Nexus 2000 Fex Overview

1.1.12 Nexus 2000 Interface Types

1.1.13 Nexus 2000 Association with 7/5 K

1.1.14 Fex connection with 5k and 7K types

1.2 Cisco NX-OS supervisor Description

1.2.1 Nexus Supervisor Versions

1.3 Cisco NX-OS 7000 I/O Modules families

1.3.1 Nexus I/O Modules Types

1.3.2 Nexus I/O Modules Examples and Architecture

1.3.3 Nexus L2/L3 Packet Flow

1.3.4 Shared & Dedicated Mode Port Group

1.3.5 Nexus Product Identification Scheme

1.4 Virtual Output Queuing (VOQ)

1.4.1 HOL Blocking

1.4.2 Central Arbitrator Function

1.4.3 VOQ Operations

1.5 Nexus fabric Module family

1.5.1 Nexus Fabric Module Family

1.5.2 Nexus System BW performance math

1.5.3 Fabric Capacity and redundancy

� Chapter 2 Virtual device contexts (VDCs)

2.1 VDC requirements and Benefits

2.2 VDC Architecture

2.3 VDC resources

2.4 VDC License requirement and VDC creation

2.5 CPU shares

2.6 VDC Types

2.7 Default VDC

2.8 Admin VDC

2.9 Creating Admin VDC

2.10 Guidelines and limitation of Creating Admin VDC

2.11 Storage VDC

2.12 Limiting Module Types in VDC

2.13 Resource allocation

2.14 L2 Resource Utilization in VDC

2.15 L3 resource Utilization in VDC

2.16 VDC Role Based Access Control

2.17 VDC High Availability

2.18 VDC Configuration and Validation

� Chapter 2 Design and implement Cisco NX-OS Layer 2 functionality

2.1 VLANs

2.2 PVLANs and Implementation

2.3 Spanning Tree protocols and Implementation

2.4 Implement jumbo frames end-to-end in a data center

2.5 Bridge Assurance

� Chapter 3 Design and implement Cisco NX-OS VPC

3.1 Port channels and virtual port channels Implementation

3.2 Compare and contrast vPC options

3.3 VPC Scenarios

� Chapter 4 Design and implement Cisco NX-OS Layer 3 functionality

4.1 Basic features of routing protocols in a data center environment

4.2 Design Implement basic EIGRP in a data center environment

4.3 Design Implement basic OSPF in a data center environment

4.4 Design Implement basic BGP in a data center environment

4.5 Implement BFD for dynamic routing protocols

4.6 Implement ECMP

� Chapter 5 Design and implement Fabric Path

5.1 Cisco Fabric Path

5.2 Implement Fabric Path

� Chapter 6 Basic Cisco NX-OS security features

6.1 AAA services

6.2 RBAC, SSH, and SNMPv3

6.3 Control plane protection and hardware rate limiting

6.4 IP ACLs, MAC ACLs, and VLAN ACLs

6.5 Port security

6.6 DHCP snooping,

6.7 Dynamic ARP inspection

6.8 IP source guard and Cisco TrustSec

� Chapter 7 Cisco NX-OS high-availability features

7.1 Describe first-hop routing protocols

7.2 Describe graceful restart and nonstop forwarding

7.3 Describe the ISSU process

� Chapter 8 Cisco NX-OS OTV

8.1 Implement Overlay Transport Protocol (OTV)

� Chapter 9 Cisco NX-OS Multicast

9.1 Multicast operation in a data center environment

9.2 Basic PIM configuration

9.3 IGMP operation and configuration on the Cisco Nexus platform

9.4 Troubleshooting Multicast

� Chapter 10 Cisco NX-OS management

9.1 Describe Cisco DCNM LAN features

9.2 Implement SPAN and ERSPAN

9.3 Implement embedded Ethernet analyzer and Net Flow

9.4 Describe SNMP for network management and monitoring

9.5 Describe and implement EEM

9.6 Describe configuration management in Cisco Data Center Network Manager

9.7 Describe Smart Call Home

Part 3: Cisco Data Center Storage Networking

� Chapter 11 Storage Introduction

11.1 What is Storage?

11.2 Legacy Storage Architecture and improvements

11.3 I/O connection from CPU to Storage systems

11.4 Data Center Storage Systems

11.5 Storage Networks Types.

� Chapter 12 Standard-based SAN protocols

12.1 Describe SCSI standards and protocols

12.2 Describe Fibre Channel standards and protocols

� Chapter 12 Implement the features of Fibre Channel protocols

12.1 Describe port channel, ISL, trunking, and VSANs

12.2 Design basic and enhanced zoning

12.3 Describe Cisco Fabric services and benefits

Chapter 13 IP storage-based solution

13.1 Implement FCIP standard and Protocols

13.2 iSCSI and its features

13.3 Validate proper configuration of IP storage-based solutions

Chapter 14 Design and describe Cisco NX-OS Unified Fabric features

14.1 Fibre Channel features in the Cisco NX-OS environment

14.2 Fibre Channel over Ethernet protocol and technology

14.3 Data center bridging protocol and lossless Ethernet

14.4 NPV and NPIV features in a Cisco Unified Fabric environment

14.5 FCoE NPV features

14.6 Different Cisco Unified Fabric Switch modes of operations

14.8 Multihop FCoE

14.9 Converged network adapter in FCoE topologies

Part 4: Cisco Unified Computing System

� Chapter 15 Cisco UCS components and architecture

15.1 Cisco UCS components and architecture

15.2 Cisco UCS server deployment and implementation model

15.3 Cisco UCS management features

15.4 Cisco UCS connectivity from both LAN and SAN perspectives

15.5 Cisco UCS high availability

15.6 Describe Cisco UCS C-Series integration

15.7 Describe the functional differences between physical and virtual adapters

� Chapter 16 Cisco UCS environment LAN connection

16.1 Fabric interconnect for LAN connectivity

16.2 Implement server and uplink ports

16.3 End-host mode

16.4 Ethernet switching mode

16.5 VLANs and port channels

16.6 Pinning and PIN groups

16.7 Disjoint Layer 2 and design considerations

16.8 QoS options and configuration restrictions

� Chapter 17 Cisco UCS environment SAN connection

17.1 Fabric interconnect for SAN connectivity

17.2 NPV & NPIV

17.3 Fibre Channel ports for SAN connectivity

17.4 Implement vHBA

17.5 Implement VSANs

17.6 Implement SAN port channels

17.7 Direct-attach storage connectivity options

17.8 Fibre Channel trunking and SAN pinning

� Chapter 18 Cisco UCS resources

18.1 Service profiles in Cisco UCS, including templates and contrast with cloning

18.2 Server resource pools

18.3 Implement updating and initial templates

18.4 Describe boot from remote storage

18.5 Cisco UCS KVM with VMedia and session management

18.6 Local disk options and configuration protection

18.7 Power control policies and their effects

� Chapter 19 Cisco role-based access control management groups

19.1 Understand Cisco UCS management hierarchy using ORG (Organization)

19.2 RBAC (Role Based Access Control)

19.3 Roles and privileges

19.4 Implement integrated authentication

Part 5: Cisco Data Center Virtualization

� Chapter 20 Implement data center virtualization with Cisco Nexus 1000V

20.1 Cisco Nexus 1000V and its role in a virtual server network environment

20.2 VEM on Cisco Nexus 1000V

20.3 VSM

20.4 Cisco Nexus 1010 physical appliance and components

20.5 Port profiles and use cases in Cisco Nexus 1000V

20.6 Network monitoring on Cisco Nexus 1000V

20.7 Intercept traffic using Cisco vPath and its benefits

20.8 Implement Cisco Nexus 1000V port channels

20.9 Describe Virtual Service Domain

� Chapter 21 Cisco Nexus 1000V security features

21.1 DHCP snooping

21.2 Dynamic ARP inspection

21.3 IP source guard

21.4 Port security

21.5 ACLs

Part 1: Data Center Architecture

This Module includes Cisco Datacenter Architecture overview which provides the

datacenter architecture design in Enterprise Networks. This Module also provides

the detailed overview of the datacenter architecture Models, Datacenter

Products and platform used on different layers of the Datacenter.

This Module describe the placements of the Cisco Nexus and MDS families of

Switches, Cisco Unified Computing Systems (UCS) in different layers of the Cisco

Data Center Network Architecture

This part Include the Following topics:-

• Cisco Data center architecture and Models

• Cisco Data center architecture Products

• Platform use in the different data center layers

Data center architecture

Data Center is the centralized group of Network Infrastructure, Storage Infrastructure,

Computational Power, Applications, and End User Computing, Management Systems,

Operating system and server virtualization technologies, Security Infrastructure,

Desktop virtualization solutions and access clients.

Datacenter Design Aspect

An Important aspect of the Data center design is based on Layered Approach. A

layered Approach consists of the three layers in the Data Center Design.

• Core layer

• Aggregation layer

• Access Layer

Following are the benefits of the layered approach:-

• Redundancy:- No single point of failure , Redundant devices and links

• Alternate path and also support load sharing via alternate path

• Easier fault identification and troubleshooting

• Extendibility of the individual component without downtime.

• Disaster recovery

• Disaster tolerance

A brief description of the layers of the Data center Architecture is explained below

Core Layer

1. High Speed backbone and aggregation point for other layers in Data Center

Architecture.

2. The core layer is responsible for fast and reliable transportation of data across a

network

3. Core Layers provides full redundancy to all other layers having no single point

of failure which helps in fast convergence when a link failure occurs.

4. Core layers runs IGP and load balance traffic between campus Core and

aggregation layers.

5. Core layers are reliable and Scalable for Future Growth

6. Core layer don’t perform any CPU-intensive packet manipulation caused by

security, inspection, quality of service (QoS) classification, or other processes

filtering which would slow down the packet switching.

Distribution Layer

1. The layer serves the aggregation point for the Access layer and core layers

2. Processes packets and regulates the transmission of packets based on its source

and destination information to create network borders.

3. This layer serves as the boundary for broadcast and multicast domains.

4. QOS, Policy-based security in the form of access control lists (ACLs) and filtering

is applied on this layer.

5. Routing services between LANs and VLANs and between routing domains (e.g.,

EIGRP to OSPF) is applied in this layer.

6. This layer acts as a boundary for route aggregation and summarization toward

the core layer.

7. This layer uses a combination of L2 and Multilayer Switches to isolate network

problem so that they don’t affect the core layer

8. This layer provides the default gateway redundancy by FHRP, HSRP, VRRP, and

GLBP.

Access Layer

1. The access layer contains devices that allow workgroups and users, to use the

services provided by the distribution and core layers.

2. Access layer Layer2 switching

3. Access layers provides the High availability feature as it is formed by many

Hardware and software component , like dual Supervisor systems , redundant

power supply , Dual and redundant connection between distribution layers

switches , Software component like HSRP, VRRP etc. .

4. Access layers support Port security to prevent unwanted access to network.

5. Access layers support the QoS classification and marking and trust boundaries

6. Access layer support the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) inspection and

Virtual access control lists, STP.

7. Access layers support IP multicast traffic for efficient Network use.

Cisco Unified Data center architecture Products

To Build the Data Center centralized point of Network Infrastructure, Storage

Infrastructure, Computational Power, Management Systems server virtualization

technologies, Security Infrastructure, Cisco is providing the variety of Data Center

product to build cost-effective, centralized solution, Finance-Efficient, Unified Data

Center Architecture.

Cisco Unified Data Center Products are classified as following:-

1. Data Center Switching

Increase business agility; simplify operations, cost-effective with the architectural

flexibility provided by data center switching.

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches

• Provide the switching platform for Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)

• Per slot Switching capacity Support up to 1.92 terabits

• Deliver high-density 1GE ,10GE , and 40GE and 100 GE in the future

• Operate in following mode standard Cisco NX-OS and in ACI mode

• Full virtual extensible LAN (VXLAN) bridging, routing, and gateway

support

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches

• Used for Data Center access, aggregation, and core deployments

• switching capacity up to 1.3 Tb per slot and more than 83 Tb per chassis

• Provides advanced services, high availability, hitless In-Service Software

Upgrade (ISSU), vPC, Fabric path, OTV.

• Provide high 1,10, 40, and 100 GE scalability

Cisco Nexus 6000 Series Switches

• Best Suited for access- and space-constrained aggregation deployments

• Provide line-rate and low-latency support for up to 96 ports of 40 GE or

384 ports of 10 GE and up to 160 unified ports

• Support hardware VXLAN (Layer 2 and 3, gateway) and are Network

Virtualization Using Generic Routing Encapsulation (NVGRE)-capable

• Support Cisco Fabric Extender architecture and true 40 GE Fiber Channel

over Ethernet (FCoE) for LAN and SAN convergence

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches

• Suited for 10 GE top-of-rack access deployments

• Provides connectivity support which includes GE, 10 GE, 10GBASE-T, 40

GE, unified ports, Fibre Channel, and FCoE.

• Support of Layer 2 and 3 features for LAN and SAN traffic

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches

• Used for Python scripting, Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEM), and XML

management tools

• A comprehensive SDN solution, including Open Flow and Cisco One PK

• Flexible, high density, and provide high performance for top-of-rack

deployments

• Mobility Support and tenant isolation with VXLAN

Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders

• 100 MB, and 1/10/40 Gigabit Ethernet server connectivity with 10/40 GE

uplinks

• Used for fabric extensibility with single point of management

• Reduce data center cabling costs and footprint; optimize inter-rack

cabling, Top of the rack Solution.

• Supports LAN and SAN deployments and Cisco Nexus and MDS switching

families

• Offers high availability, virtualization services, and convergence

2. Data Center Storage Switching

Cisco MDS 9700 Series Multilayer Directors

• High Switching capacity to provide future physical, virtual, and cloud

environments

• Capability Up to 384 line rate 16-Gbps Fibre Channel or 10-Gbps FCoE

ports

• Fully redundant components and fault tolerant design

• Multi-protocol support for architectural flexibility

Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors

• It is used for large virtualized data center storage environments

• Supports up to 528 1/2/4/8-Gbps Fibre Channel ports

• Platform for intelligent storage applications

Cisco MDS 9200 Series Multilayer Fabric Switches

• Support of multiprotocol and multiservice convergence

• It is used for High-performance SAN extension

• It is used for Intelligent storage services

• Compact form-factor

Cisco MDS 9100 Multilayer Fabric Switches

• Support of Enterprise-level capabilities, such as virtualization and security

• Reliable and provides the high available performance

• Cost-effective incremental scalability

• Optimized storage solutions for virtual server environments

• It has Simple configuration and easy management

Cisco NX-OS Software for MDS 9000

• Enterprise-class operating software based on SAN-OS

• Unified operating environments for SAN and LAN

• VM-aware SAN can be enabled

• Support for advanced storage services within the fabric

3. Data Center Unified Computing Systems

Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers

• Provides Increase performance, very flexible, and used for virtualized and

non-virtualized applications

• Provides faster applications deployment and manage connectivity as

needed

• Provides memory and I/O capacity for each requirement.

• Reduce the number of adapters, cables, and access-layer switches needed

for LAN and SAN connectivity

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

• Improve total cost of ownership (TCO) and increase business agility

• High performance, and provides density for production-level

virtualization, web infrastructure, and data center workloads

• Provides benefits of Cisco Unified Computing with Cisco Extended

Memory and Virtual Interface Card technologies

Cisco UCS Manager

• Manages Cisco UCS servers across multiple blade chassis and rack servers

as one logical, highly available entity

• Provides UCS visibility and control to management ecosystem partners

using a comprehensive XML API

• Automates and simplifies infrastructure provisioning and maintenance,

allowing more time for strategic initiatives

• Policy-driven QoS and security compliance is automated with UCS

Manager Service Profiles and templates

Cisco UCS Central

• Management of multiple Cisco UCS domains across data centers and

geographies with global templates and policies

• It provides a centralized fault summary for faster problem resolution and

improved reliability

• Centralized inventory and automated policy-based firmware upgrades

• Uses the same interface as UCS Manager and maintain RBAC at both UCS

Manager and UCS Central levels

Cisco Cloupia

• Unifies management across computing, networking, storage, and

virtualization layers

• Provides comprehensive management of physical and virtual resources

• Increases IT efficiency

• Gives IT the flexibility to adapt to changing business requirements

Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects

• Provides line-rate, lossless 10 GE and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE),

with native Fibre Channel SAN connectivity

• Provides environment to deploying a virtualized environment for data

centers

• Provide single-wire connectivity for LAN, SAN, and unified management,

including rack servers

• Support native storage zoning and direct attached storage

Cisco UCS Fabric Extenders for UCS Blade Server Chassis

• Provide converged LAN, SAN, and management connectivity to blade

servers with the same hardware

• Offer flexible support of LAN Ethernet/FCoE 1/10 GE or SAN Native Fibre

Channel

• Bandwidth utilization via load balancing with Port Channels

• Manage chassis power supply, fans, and blades via the fabric

interconnects

B-Series Blade Server VICs

• Reduce TCO by consolidating NICs, HBAs, cables, switches, and physical

servers

• Collapse networking infrastructure using Virtual Machine Fabric Extender

(VM-FEX)

• Promote hypervisor and Cisco UCS Manager integration

C-Series Rack Server VICs

• Deliver up to 20 Gbps aggregate bandwidth in a rack-server-optimized

form factor

• Reduce TCO by consolidating network interface cards, host bus adapters,

and other devices

• Collapse networking infrastructure using Virtual Machine Fabric Extender

(VM-FEX)

• Enable integration with UCS Manager domains

UCS E-Series Servers

• Single and double- width form factors housed inside the Cisco ISR G2

chassis

• Compact data-center-class servers with Intel® Xeon® E3 and E5-2400

series processors

• Dedicated blade management with Integrated Management Controller;

consistent management with standalone Cisco UCS C-Series

• Virtualization-ready hardware with support for Microsoft Hyper-V,

VMware vSphere, Citrix Xen Server

• Ability to host applications locally, either bare-metal or virtualized,

depending on business needs

Cisco R Series Racks

• Ideal for mission-critical data center environments that require reliability,

structural integrity, and security

• Deliver exceptional power, cooling, and cable management

• Optimized and certified for use with the Cisco Unified Computing System

• Part of a complete infrastructure solution, including computing, network,

rack, power, and services

4. Data Center Security

Cisco ASA 5585-X Adaptive Security Appliance

• Provides threat defense Services and highly secure communications

services

• It protects multimedia, highly transactional, and latency-sensitive

applications

• It is used to Integrates firewalls, unified communications security, and

VPN technology

• Highly scalability and investment protection

Cisco Virtual Security Gateway (VSG)

• Integrates with Cisco Nexus 1000V switches and hypervisors

• Enforces security policy at the virtual-machine level

• Isolates applications in virtual data centers and multitenant environments

• Enforces separation of duties between security and server administrators

• Improves visibility and compliance

ASA 1000V Cloud Firewall

• Provides edge security and default gateway functionality

• Protects against network-based attacks using proven ASA security

platform

• It helps VSG to help secure private and public cloud infrastructure

• It uses Cisco Nexus 1000V for increased flexibility and operational

efficiency

• It is managed by Dynamic Virtual Network Management Center (VNMC)

5. Data Center Management and Automation

Cisco UCS Director

• Increases IT efficiency to better support business strategy.

• It has shared infrastructure policies and resource pools which speedup

deployment time.

• Provides Seamless physical, virtual and bare metal infrastructure support

Cisco Prime Network Services Controller

• Enable hybrid cloud computing with VM workload mobility between

enterprise data centers and public clouds

• Rapid and scalable network services management with dynamic,

template-driven policies and security profiles

Cisco Data Center Network Manager

• It simplifies operations of virtualized and unified next-generation

networks

• Provides single visibility across SAN and LAN technologies

• Deploys NX-OS and SAN technologies quickly and efficiently

Cisco Network Services Manager

• Offers ability to create different levels of service tiers

• Defines the capabilities and resources available in each tier

• Specifies how VLANs, service capabilities, and virtual machines are

defined and deployed

Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud

• Software stack that provides efficient IT management in cloud

environments

• Supports all cloud models, as well as virtual and physical infrastructure

• It helps meeting business demands for speed and adaptability

Cisco Tidal Enterprise Scheduler

• Eliminates errors and delays caused by multiple job scheduling tools

• Establishes single job scheduling standard for the enterprise

• Provides broad platform application coverage

• Automatically executes and tracks scheduled processes

Cisco Process Orchestrator

• Provides a single platform for automating IT processes

• Supports best practices for many popular technologies

• Makes automation easier through a visual workflow development

environment 6. Virtual Networking

Cisco Inter cloud Fabric

• It helps in Extending the enterprise private cloud to the public cloud

• It Provides consistent network policies and services across private and

public clouds

• It offers application transparency with L2 extension

• It has a simple and single pane of management

• It has virtual form factor helps in easy deployment

Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch for Microsoft Hyper-V

• It includes an advanced NX-OS feature set and associated partner

ecosystem

• Provides Network services architecture supports and scalable multitenant

environments

• It offers a consistent operational experience across physical and virtual

environments and hypervisors

• Integrates with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012

SP1 (SCVMM)

Cisco Nexus 1000V for VMware vSphere

• It Integrates directly with VMware vSphere hypervisors

• Delivers services such as VM mobility in cloud environments

• Accelerates server virtualization deployments and simplifies management

• Reduces total cost of ownership and provides consistency and network

visibility

Cisco Nexus 1100 Series Cloud Services Platform

• It has dedicated hardware platform supports for critical virtualization

infrastructure

• It offloads application servers from running virtual service nodes

• It Improves scalability and performance of virtualized data center

• It has Separates security policy management from VMware virtualization

administration

Cisco Virtual Security Gateway

• Integrates with Cisco Nexus 1000V v Path technology and is hypervisor-

agnostic as Cisco Nexus 1000V is available on multiple hypervisors

• Offers best-in-class, efficient, fast, and scale-out, zone-based security

architecture

• Delivers security policy enforcement and visibility at a virtual machine

level that follows VM mobility

• Logically isolates applications in virtual data centers and multitenant

environments

• Provides ease of deployment and consistent operational experience

(separation of duties between security and server

Platform use in the different Data Center layers

This topic identifies about the placement of the Cisco Unified Data Center

Products such as Nexus, Storage, and UCS. As we know that Cisco recommends

the three tier Architecture which comprises of the Core, Distribution, and Access

layer. And As per the requirement of each layer the devices are also categorized

as per layer.

1. Products in Single-Tier Ethernet Architecture

• In single tier architecture all core, aggregation and access layers are

at one layer.

• In single tier architecture Cisco Nexus 7000 could be used for both

access and core layer connection.

• Here Nexus 5500 platform can also be used, but Nexus 5500

platform can support L3 routing but not support advance features

such as MPLS.

• Single tier architecture can be extended by connecting Nexus 2200

platform extender as TOR ( Top-Of-Rack ) design

2. Products in Dual -Tier Ethernet Architecture

• In dual tier architecture all core, aggregation layers are at one layer.

• In dual tier architecture Cisco Nexus 7000 could be used for both

aggregation and core layer connection.

• In dual tier architecture Cisco Nexus 5000 or 5500 could be used for

access layer connection as EoR (End-Of-Row) design.

• Dual tier architecture can be extended by connecting Nexus 2200

platform extender as TOR (Top-Of-Rack) design.

• In this Cisco MDS 9000 series Multilayer switches also provide the

San connection at the access layer and the storage core layer.

3. Products in Three -Tier Ethernet Architecture

• At Access layer Cisco Nexus 5000 or 5500 Platform with the Nexus

2000 series Fex Extender solution.

• Cisco MDS 9000 series Multilayer switches also provide the San

connection at the access layer.

• At core layer Cisco Nexus 7000 Platform is used.

• At distribution layer Cisco Nexus 7000 Platform (VDC) or Cisco

5000/5500 platform is used.