Getting Started Guide

At-A-Glance
Cisco MDS 9124 Multilayer Fabric Switch
Compared to Leading Competing SAN Switches
Figure 1. Cisco MDS 9124 Multilayer Fabric Switch
What Is the Cisco MDS 9124 Multilayer
Fabric Switch?
The Cisco
®
MDS 9124 is a 24-port Fibre Channel
4-Gbps full fabric switch that is cost effective, highly
scalable, and easy to install, configure, and manage. It is
ideal for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and
for SAN edge deployments.
Main Messages
• Cisco is the low-price leader in the entry-level fabric
switch market.
• Cisco MDS 9124 fabric switch base units come
standard with many innovative features that other
switch vendors charge license fees to enable. Cisco
MDS 9000 family integrated features include easy
configuration and management wizard, switch-to-
switch connections, extended distance, and secure
management access.
• The Cisco MDS 9124 has high-availability features
built in, such as an optional redundant power supply
and the capability for nondisruptive software and
firmware upgrades.
• Cisco’s SAN virtualization (VSAN) technology
extends server virtualization to the SAN and
storage. VSAN technology is an industry first, and
Cisco is the only vendor to allow multiple logical
fabrics to be built on one physical fabric, providing
a cost-effective way to consolidate resources
while providing high resiliency to potential
fabric disruptions.
• The Cisco MDS 9124 is based on the same technol-
ogy built into the market-leading Cisco director-
class switches. Cisco fabric switches provide end
users with a highly cost-effective SAN platform with
the features that SMBs need, from their first SAN to a
larger SAN as their needs grow.
• The Cisco MDS 9124 fabric switch has an easy-
to-use quick configuration wizard for installing and
configuring your SAN without the need to be a
SAN expert.
The Cisco MDS 9124 is an entry-level SAN switch for the
SMB market. The Cisco MDS 9124 offers outstanding
features and capabilities, providing customers with
lower total cost of ownership (TCO) in comparison to
competing solutions. Competitive switches in this space
artificially lower their list price and require customers
to purchase costly licenses to enable even the most
basic features. Cisco, with years of expertise in the
networking space, offers highly innovative features in its
storage switching products to the SMB customer at no
additional cost.
Figure 2. Feature and Affordability Comparison of Cisco
MDS 9124 with Leading Competing SAN Switches
+
E-Port Connectivity (Required to
Connect to Another Switch)
ISL Trunking
Base
Software
+
+
Extended SAN Fabrics
Competing
Switches
Performance Monitoring
SAN Fault Management
Typical OEM List
Price: US$1600
Typical OEM
List Price
US$14,000
Base Software
VSANs, E-Port, PortChannels,
Extended Distances, AAA Security
Services, Fault Management, NPIV
Support, and Real-Time
Performance Management
Cisco MDS 9124
Availability, Security, and Flexibility Features Are
Bundled with Hardware at No Additional Charge
No Additional
Cost
US$0
“I was surprised when Cisco was really the lowest
cost … and the MDS 9124 provided me with
more features.”
“Another switch vendor didn’t provide us with
what we needed. Cisco VSANs enabled us to
consolidate SAN resources and saved us money.”
“Cisco made it easy to buy because the base
switch had all the features we needed; the
switch vendor would have required us to buy
additional licenses.”
“Cisco made it very easy to install and configure
my new SAN.”
© 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party
trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
“FC SANs have traditionally been beyond the
means of SMBs thanks to their high prices and
complexity. Cisco's new MDS 9124 breaks
the mould as it delivers a wealth of features at
a sensible price, streamlines installation and
configuration and offers a flexible licensing
scheme that allows small businesses not only to
pay for the ports they need but also choose which
ones they want to use.”
Source: ITPRO, Cisco MDS 9124 Fibre Channel Switch, at
http://www.itpro.co.uk/reviews/123016/cisco-mds-9124-
fibre-channel-switch/page2.html.