Cisco Fibre Channel switches can now be used to link IBM’s new z17 mainframes to high-speed storage networks.
Cisco said its MDS 9000 Series multilayer switches, including the MDS 9148V switch, have been tested and validated for compatibility with IBM z17 mainframe environments. This latest generation of IBM mainframe features new AI acceleration technologies as well as improved management for hybrid cloud applications, encryption and threat detection, and integrated and simplified programming capabilities.
The z17 qualification means, in an enterprise data center, servers can connect to storage over high-speed Fibre Channel networks, with Cisco’s larger MDS 9000 directors in the core being fed by MDS 9148V devices at the storage area network (SAN) edge. IBM has resold Cisco storage networking gear for years, and this is just the latest iteration. Both vendors support service, licensing, and firmware updates for their individual customers.
“IBM Z systems are mainframes known for their ability to handle massive transaction volumes, support large-scale databases, and provide unmatched levels of security and uptime,” wrote Fausto Vaninetti, a senior solutions engineer for data center technologies at Cisco, in a blog post about the news. “The newest in the IBM Z system family, IBM z17 is the first mainframe fully engineered for the AI age, unlocking expanded capabilities for enterprise-scale AI, such as large language models, generative AI, and accelerated inferencing. However, the performance of mainframe applications depends on the underlying storage infrastructure.”
SANs play a critical role in ensuring fast, reliable, and secure access to data, Vaninetti wrote: “For mainframe environments, which leverage high-speed [Fibre Connection] FICON protocol, having a robust SAN fabric that supports these requirements is non-negotiable. A solution that combines high throughput, low latency, and enterprise-class resilience is vital to ensure seamless operations and meet stringent service-level agreement requirements.”
According to Vaninetti, some standout features of the MDS 9000 Series for mainframe environments include:
- FICON support: Selected MDS 9000 Series directors and switches are FICON 32G and 64G qualified, which helps to ensure integration and easy adoption for mixed FC/FICON environments. FICON Control Unit Port (CUP) and fabric binding are now available in the base code and no license is needed.
- Enterprise-class resilience: Redundant components, fault-tolerant architecture, and advanced diagnostics make the MDS 9000 Series highly reliable, which is critical for mainframe operations that require near-zero downtime.
- Advanced security: Features such as quantum-resistant hardware-based encryption and secure boot and anti-counterfeit technology help ensure that sensitive mainframe data remains protected. Other features such as zoning, VSANs and monitoring work across all models in the series.
- AI/ML-powered management capabilities: When integrated with the MDS 9000 Series, Cisco Nexus Dashboard graphical management tool improves operational efficiency by proactively identifying and predicting issues such as optics failures before they impact production workloads.
Source:: Network World