The 3-Tier Platform includes compute, network, storage, management, and virtualization resources.
Compute
The Cisco compute portfolio, designed to optimize production and ensure a stable, worry-free environment, encompasses fabric interconnects (FIs), rackmount servers, and blade servers. The portfolio consists of:
Cisco Intersight provides software as a service (SaaS) delivery and full life cycle management (LCM) of distributed infrastructure and workloads across data centers, remote sites, branch offices, and edge environments. Cisco Intersight enables efficient deployment, configuration, security, maintenance, automation, and scaling of your environment through a cloud-operating model. This enhances your operational consistency and compliance, and strengthens your security posture to accelerate the delivery of IT infrastructure, resources, and applications to support business growth. For more information, see the Cisco Intersight website (access requires Cisco login credentials).
Network
For LAN connectivity, the 3-Tier Platform provides a data plane and a management plane.
- Data plane: The Top of Rack (TOR) switches carry all the production network traffic that flows through the three-tiered architecture. Cisco Nexus 9000 series switches provide an Ethernet switching fabric for the production traffic flow between the Cisco UCS and the customer’s core network. The Cisco 9000 series switches provide high-performance ports (10 GbE, 25 GbE, 40 GbE, 50 GbE, and 100 GbE), density, low latency, and superior power efficiency across a variety of compact form factors. For redundancy and scalability, Dell Technologies recommends configuring data plane network switches in pairs.
- Management plane: Cisco Nexus 9000 series switches provide management plane network connectivity for out of band (OOB) management of the various 3-Tier Platform components. For redundancy and scalability, Dell Technologies recommends configuring management network switches in pairs.
Storage
This solution incorporates the following Dell storage systems: PowerMax, PowerStore, PowerScale, and Unity XT:
- The PowerStore advantage begins with a comprehensive line-up of enterprise capabilities that provide maximum headroom and flexibility for change. The platform’s adaptable architecture and integrated intelligence ensure that it is continuously modern. Consistent and predictable performance ensures lasting value across multiple solution lifecycles to help build long-term business success.
- PowerMax is a powerful, simple, and trusted storage array. Designed uncompromisingly for the mission-critical applications of today and tomorrow, PowerMax incorporates end-to-end NVMe, next-generation storage media (SCM), real-time machine learning (ML), and inline deduplication and compression, while also delivering the essential features and data services that businesses require.
- PowerScale, an exceptionally flexible and secure scale-out NAS solution, is adept at managing demanding, data-intensive projects. Powered by the PowerScale OneFS operating system, PowerScale’s hybrid and archive nodes serve as the ideal platform for efficient storage, management, security, protection, and analysis of unstructured data, while supporting a broad range of applications and workloads.
- Unity XT is the latest family member in Dell Technologies midrange storage. UnityXT is a unified storage solution that provides all-inclusive data storage software, optimized efficiency, multicloud enablement, and all-flash performance. UnityXT is available in two formats: All-Flash Arrays (AFA) and Hybrid Flash Arrays (HFA).
Management
The management solution uses workloads to adapt and respond to evolving management capabilities for one or more 3-Tier Platforms. The solution runs core applications, optional Dell Technologies applications, and ecosystem applications to provide:
- Health monitoring
- Performance and capacity management
- Fault domain isolation
The following management solutions are supported on the 3-Tier Platform:
- Single-system management
- Multisystem management
Virtualization
The 3-Tier Platform uses VMware vSphere for virtualization to manage and orchestrate infrastructure resources such as compute, storage, and networking, providing users with a seamless, versatile, and dynamic experience.
vSphere encompasses the following components and features:
- VMware ESXi: Type 1 hypervisor that abstracts processors, memory, storage, and other resources for use by one or more guest operating systems that are configured as virtual machines (VMs)
- VMware vCenter Server: Central control point for data center management services, providing a single view of all ESXi hosts
- VMware vSphere HA: Services that restart failed VMs on other available servers
- VMware vSphere DRS: Services that perform resource scheduling and load balancing
- VMware vSphere vMotion: Feature that enables live migration for powered-on VMs in the same data center
- VMware vSphere Storage vMotion: Feature that enables the live migration of virtual disks or configuration files to a new datastore while a VM is running
- VMware vSphere Client: HTML5-based management interface that enables users to connect remotely to VMware vCenter Server