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Figure 13. Sample Unified Access Deployment Scenario Supporting Up to 1152 1 Gigabit Ethernet Servers or Up to 768
10 Gigabit Ethernet Servers with a Single Pair of Access-Layer Switches and a Single Point of Management
Unified Fabric with FCoE: I/O Consolidation
The Cisco Nexus 5500 platform consolidates multiple networks - LAN, SAN, and server cluster - on a single
unified fabric, saving the capital and operating expenses associated with deployment of multiple parallel networks,
switching infrastructure, and cabling. The Cisco Nexus 5500 platform is compatible with third-party I/O CNAs that
present separate Ethernet NICs and Fibre Channel HBAs to the server operating system. This approach allows
existing drivers and Fibre Channel management software to work transparently with FCoE. Upstream, expansion
modules support direct connections from the Cisco Nexus 5500 platform to existing native Fibre Channel SANs
using dedicated native Fibre Channel ports (Figure 14). Cisco Nexus 5500 platform can also be connected to
upstream FCoE-capable switches through industry-standard VE-port Inter-Switch Links (ISLs).
Figure 14. A Pair of Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches in an Active-Active Configuration with Native Fibre Channel
Connections to Two Storage Networks
