Technical information

ManualsBrandsCisco ManualsComputer equipmentMCS 7800 Series

Ordering Guide

◦ Check server compatibility resources to ensure the target applications (and versions) are supported for the

UCS models you want to quote. For example, Cisco UCM compatibility starts with Version 8.0(2), requires

use of VMware ESXi 4.0, and is detailed at http://www.cisco.com/go/swonly and

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6790/ps5748/ps378/prod_brochure0900aecd8062a4

f9.html.

◦ UC Applications: See http://www.cisco.com/go/uc-virtualized for a list of applications and versions that

support Cisco UCS, and links to product-specific support information.

◦ Other Cisco Applications: For example, Network Management, Security, Wireless, etc. This software may

run on a different blade in the same chassis as UC, but may not be co-resident on the same server with

UC.

◦ Third-party Applications: For example, OEM software, Solutions Plus, Cisco Technology Developer

Program, or customer-provided applications such as Directory, File/Print, Customer Relationship

Management, Human Resources Information System, Enterprise Resource Planning, etc. Check with the

vendor’s server support policy for whether the applications can run on Cisco UCS. This software may run

on a different blade in the same chassis as UC, but may not be co-resident on the same server with UC.

●

Sites that will host the applications, and which servers/applications will live at each site. Most customers either

have everything at a single site or split across a primary and redundant site.

●

Total number of software application instances, and what application and “role”.

◦ E.g., instance count for a Cisco MCS 7800 solution is equal to the number of MCS servers.

◦ E.g., Application and “role” could be Cisco UCM Publisher, Cisco UCM Subscriber, Cisco Unified CCE

Router, Cisco Unified Intelligence Suite Archiver, Nuance server, etc.

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For B-series deployments, identify customer’s “Placement Logic” and business criteria for the design.

◦ Will all servers and software live at a single site or at multiple sites? How are they split?

◦ Does the customer want to minimize server footprint and maximize server usage, or instead spread apps

across multiple servers, chassis, and sites?

◦ Identify “anticonsolidation” business requirements such as high-availability concerns, service-level

agreements, change management effect, IT organization, assessed criticality of the apps, and security

domains. Any of these parameters can limit or prevent server consolidation and application co-residency,

even if Cisco supports it from a technical perspective.

2. Determine Virtual Machine Quantity and Cisco UCS Server Quantity

Wherever you would have deployed one Cisco MCS 7800, you will now deploy one Virtual Machine. For UCS C-

series, one Virtual Machine per server is supported, so the required UCS server count is the same as the MCS server

count. For UCS B-series, multiple Virtual Machines per server are supported, so the required UCS server count,

while design-dependent, will usually be 50-75% less than if you did the design on the Cisco MCS 7800. To determine

the minimum UCS server quantity, do one of the following:

●

Determine your Virtual Machine (VM) quantity based on how many Cisco MCS 7800 you would have

deployed. Translate the Virtual Machine quantity into a UCS server quantity using the supported server specs

at http://www.cisco.com/go/swonly (to get physical CPU cores per server) vs. the supported VM templates and

supported co-residency combinations at http://www.cisco.com/go/uc-virtualized (to determine cores per VM

and VMs per server), following design rules at http://www.cisco.com/go/srnd.

●

Use Solution Expert, which will output required UCS server quantity and configuration.

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For UCS B-series, use “UC Advisor” in Netformx DesignXpert. This uses the identical questionnaire and rules

as Solution Expert, and outputs the same UCS server quantity and configuration. Note: if you do not use