Cisco Cisco Nexus 5010 Switch Libro bianco
IDC 858
I D C T E C H N O L O G Y S P O T L I G H T
T h e N e x t P h a s e o f D a t a c e n t e r D e ve l o p m e n t
December 2009
Adapted from Datacenter Network Customer Requirements by Lucinda Borovick, IDC #217999
Sponsored by Cisco Systems
As organizations move their datacenters to meet increasing business challenges, they need to evolve
their infrastructure in a way that positions IT to create a dynamic datacenter. Recent IDC research
shows that the datacenter has been a key area for investments in new technologies (including
virtualization for servers, storage, and networks), infrastructure-related investments needed to
support consolidation efforts, and foundational investments to support automation. The key
requirement for IT today is to gain greater utilization from the IT assets it has already deployed as
well as position the datacenter for the future.
their infrastructure in a way that positions IT to create a dynamic datacenter. Recent IDC research
shows that the datacenter has been a key area for investments in new technologies (including
virtualization for servers, storage, and networks), infrastructure-related investments needed to
support consolidation efforts, and foundational investments to support automation. The key
requirement for IT today is to gain greater utilization from the IT assets it has already deployed as
well as position the datacenter for the future.
Innovation in the datacenter network is required to achieve these goals. In effect, organizations that
strive to create a dynamic and agile datacenter can take steps to simplify their network architecture in
order to transition to an energy-efficient, operationally efficient, secure, virtualized datacenter that can
support the changing requirements of the business with agile services and applications.
strive to create a dynamic and agile datacenter can take steps to simplify their network architecture in
order to transition to an energy-efficient, operationally efficient, secure, virtualized datacenter that can
support the changing requirements of the business with agile services and applications.
This Technology Spotlight discusses the steps customers can follow as they evolve their datacenter
network architecture, with virtualization at the core of this evolution. This paper also highlights the role
that Cisco Systems' products can play in the virtualized and dynamic datacenter.
network architecture, with virtualization at the core of this evolution. This paper also highlights the role
that Cisco Systems' products can play in the virtualized and dynamic datacenter.
The New Datacenter
The datacenter is in the midst of unprecedented change and transformation. Changes in the compute
infrastructure such as new dense computing platforms and expanding use cases of server
virtualization are causing the network infrastructure to support higher-density configurations and
virtual machine mobility.
infrastructure such as new dense computing platforms and expanding use cases of server
virtualization are causing the network infrastructure to support higher-density configurations and
virtual machine mobility.
In addition, the expanding use of content such as video and files that are typically accessed and
stored on Ethernet networks is creating an unprecedented opportunity for Ethernet to support
datacenter storage. The demand to reduce ongoing operational costs is highlighting both energy
efficiency and product designs that reduce the burden of managing and operating devices for the IT
staff.
stored on Ethernet networks is creating an unprecedented opportunity for Ethernet to support
datacenter storage. The demand to reduce ongoing operational costs is highlighting both energy
efficiency and product designs that reduce the burden of managing and operating devices for the IT
staff.
Virtualization is at the core of datacenter transformation for the following reasons:
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The consolidation it enables delivers immediate returns on reducing ongoing operational costs
and increasing the efficiency of the server architecture.
and increasing the efficiency of the server architecture.
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It enhances business continuity by maintaining or improving the availability of workloads
(applications and databases) running in the datacenter.
(applications and databases) running in the datacenter.
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It establishes the foundation of an automated dynamic IT environment.