Cisco Cisco UCS B440 M2 High-Performance Blade Server Libro bianco
© 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public.
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Executive Summary
The document describes the Microsoft SQL Server 2012 failover cluster deployment in a virtual computing
environment using the Small Computer System Interface over IP (iSCSI) protocol to communicate with storage
devices. The document describes how to deploy Microsoft SQL Server on iSCSI using Cisco
environment using the Small Computer System Interface over IP (iSCSI) protocol to communicate with storage
devices. The document describes how to deploy Microsoft SQL Server on iSCSI using Cisco
®
Data Center Virtual
Machine Fabric Extender (VM-FEX) technology in the Cisco Unified Computing System
™
(Cisco UCS
™
). The
deployment scenarios discussed in this document follow Cisco UCS best practices and recommendations to help
ensure that the systems are highly available and scalable and can be efficiently consolidated and centrally
managed.
ensure that the systems are highly available and scalable and can be efficiently consolidated and centrally
managed.
Introduction
A Microsoft SQL Server 2012 database on iSCSI storage offers a cost-effective solution for enterprise-level
database deployments. An inexpensive yet reliable and robust storage solution, iSCSI-based storage appliances
provide an easy adaption of existing networking infrastructure to access the storage enclosures. Cisco UCS can
exploit the bandwidth available to provide scalable, enterprise-class storage access through the iSCSI protocol.
Cisco UCS provides up to 80 Gbps of unified bandwidth for disk and network access for a single Cisco UCS 5108
Blade Server Chassis.
database deployments. An inexpensive yet reliable and robust storage solution, iSCSI-based storage appliances
provide an easy adaption of existing networking infrastructure to access the storage enclosures. Cisco UCS can
exploit the bandwidth available to provide scalable, enterprise-class storage access through the iSCSI protocol.
Cisco UCS provides up to 80 Gbps of unified bandwidth for disk and network access for a single Cisco UCS 5108
Blade Server Chassis.
To reduce the system infrastructure cost, IT departments are trying to virtualize their computing, storage, and
networking infrastructure. Database server consolidation enables many companies to achieve considerable cost
savings, reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO). Database server consolidation can also help companies
achieve the infrastructure agility they need to stay competitive and to market their solutions. A Microsoft SQL
Server database on iSCSI storage can be easily consolidated on a virtualized platform such as VMware, and with
the help of Cisco Data Center VM-FEX technology, each guest virtual machine can have direct access to the iSCSI
device. Cisco Data Center VM-FEX technology eliminates the software switch in the hypervisor layer. Such a
deployment exactly mimics the bare-metal deployment and provides an easy migration path for Microsoft SQL
Server from bare metal to a VMware virtual machine deployment.
networking infrastructure. Database server consolidation enables many companies to achieve considerable cost
savings, reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO). Database server consolidation can also help companies
achieve the infrastructure agility they need to stay competitive and to market their solutions. A Microsoft SQL
Server database on iSCSI storage can be easily consolidated on a virtualized platform such as VMware, and with
the help of Cisco Data Center VM-FEX technology, each guest virtual machine can have direct access to the iSCSI
device. Cisco Data Center VM-FEX technology eliminates the software switch in the hypervisor layer. Such a
deployment exactly mimics the bare-metal deployment and provides an easy migration path for Microsoft SQL
Server from bare metal to a VMware virtual machine deployment.
High availability is one of the primary requirements for enterprise-level database platforms because mission-critical
applications cannot afford to any downtime caused by unavailable databases at the network back end. Microsoft
SQL Server 2012 integrates with the new Microsoft Windows 2008 failover cluster service to offer failover
clustering, providing high availability for database applications. Coupled with iSCSI storage at the virtual machine
level, a clustering-enabled Microsoft SQL Server deployed on the Cisco UCS platform provides a complete back-
end solution with optimal TCO and high return on investment (ROI).
applications cannot afford to any downtime caused by unavailable databases at the network back end. Microsoft
SQL Server 2012 integrates with the new Microsoft Windows 2008 failover cluster service to offer failover
clustering, providing high availability for database applications. Coupled with iSCSI storage at the virtual machine
level, a clustering-enabled Microsoft SQL Server deployed on the Cisco UCS platform provides a complete back-
end solution with optimal TCO and high return on investment (ROI).
iSCSI
Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) is a standard client-server protocol that is used to enable computers to
communicate with storage devices. The iSCSI protocol transfers the SCSI packets over a TCP/IP (Ethernet)
network. The most common implementation of iSCSI is over 1 or 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The iSCSI protocol provides
an interoperable solution that uses the existing TCP/IP infrastructure to transport block-level storage requests.
Using the iSCSI protocol, systems can connect to remote storage and use it as a physical disk even if the remote
storage provider or target actually uses virtual physical disks.
communicate with storage devices. The iSCSI protocol transfers the SCSI packets over a TCP/IP (Ethernet)
network. The most common implementation of iSCSI is over 1 or 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The iSCSI protocol provides
an interoperable solution that uses the existing TCP/IP infrastructure to transport block-level storage requests.
Using the iSCSI protocol, systems can connect to remote storage and use it as a physical disk even if the remote
storage provider or target actually uses virtual physical disks.
An iSCSI SAN typically consists of software or hardware initiators on the host connected to an isolated Ethernet
network and storage resources. Storage resources are referred to as targets. The SCSI block commands are
encapsulated into Ethernet packets for transmission over IP networks at both the ends of the network by the
iSCSI stack.
network and storage resources. Storage resources are referred to as targets. The SCSI block commands are
encapsulated into Ethernet packets for transmission over IP networks at both the ends of the network by the
iSCSI stack.