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Deploying 10 Gigabit Ethernet with Cisco Nexus 5000 Series
Switches

Introduction

Today’s data centers are being transformed as the most recent server technologies are deployed in them.

Multisocket servers with multicore processors deliver immense amounts of computing power in rack-mount servers

and blade systems. This vast computing power has stimulated deployment of virtualization software that can more

effectively put today’s server capacity to use. The raw computing power of today’s servers, combined with the higher

utilization enabled by virtualization technology, places greater demands on IP networks than ever before.

The alignment of these two trends is encouraging the rapid adoption of 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Today, IT departments

deploy 10 Gigabit Ethernet through the use of third-party adapter cards installed in server expansion slots. As server

manufacturers respond to the demand for this level of bandwidth, an increasing number of rack-mount and blade

systems will have multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports integrated on the motherboard. Some blade systems now

accommodate 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches integrated into the chassis. Other blade systems are likely to offer 10

Gigabit pass-through connections that make each blade’s 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports available to access-layer

switches, eliminating oversubscription within the blade chassis.

Regardless of the mechanism by which 10 Gigabit Ethernet enters the data center, IT departments must consider a

new set of trade-offs when deploying it in data center racks. 10 Gigabit Ethernet is more than just a means to Gigabit

Ethernet; planning is needed to use it as effectively and efficiently as possible. Factors to consider include the

following:

●

As server density increases, so does I/O bandwidth. 10 Gigabit Ethernet provides the bandwidth needed by

servers with powerful multicore processors.

●

Gigabit Ethernet is often supported by access-layer switches in intermediate distribution frames (IDFs)

integrated into rows of server racks. With Gigabit Ethernet, the low cost of copper cabling made end-of-row

switch configurations practical. With 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the cost of fiber transceivers and cabling is

substantial. The alternative, 10GBASE-T, uses more expensive cabling, imposes higher latencies, and uses

considerably more power. These constraints suggest use of a top-of-rack configuration with a better cabling

solution.

●

10 Gigabit Ethernet may be accompanied with an increased demand for uplink capacity from the access to

the aggregation layer. Indeed, as virtualization software simplifies the movement of virtual machines from

server to server, IP networking requirements become more fluid and less predictable, requiring top-of-rack

switching technology that can scale.

The Cisco Nexus™ 5000 Series is a family of line-rate, low-latency, low-cost-per-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet/Fibre

Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) switches for data center access-layer applications. The Cisco

Nexus 5000 Series

supports a cost-effective top-of-rack deployment model that delivers both the port density and the bandwidth needed

by servers in both top-of-rack and pod-style environments. This document presents several scenarios that illustrate

the effectiveness of these switches in supporting both rack-mount and blade systems in high-density configurations.