Description
For many large IT organizations, today's greatest challenge is to drive more value, efficiency, and utilization from data centers. Virtualization is the best way to meet this challenge. This means thousands of Cisco professionals need and want deeper knowledge of how virtualization can be applied in the data center environment. Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals thoroughly introduces the sophisticated virtualization features available throughout Cisco's Data Center portfolio of products. Rather than focusing on a single product or technology, it explores these features as interoperable design tools that can be combined -- without silo boundaries, and together with other solutions such as VMware vSphere -- into a highly efficient architecture for new, expanded, or retrofit data center projects. The authors introduce, define, and thoroughly explore virtualization opportunities made possible by Cisco's Unified Computing System, Nexus switches, MDS 9000 storage switches and directors, Catalyst 6500 switches, and ACE application delivery controllers. They address features including VLAN, VRF, VDC, ACE contexts, vPC, VSS, Fabric Extenders, OTV, VSAN, NPV, NPIV, Unified Fabric (FCoE and DCB), VN-link, virtual services and UCS service profiles. You'll find valuable guidance for: Virtualizing data center networks, storage, and servers Building an end-to-end virtualized data center Smoothly migrating an existing data center towards greater virtualization "Bursting" the silos that have traditionally made data centers inefficient Each key concept is illuminated and simplified through realistic use cases, engaging discussions, diagrams, topologies, configuration examples, and verification outputs.
