Cisco MDS 9000 Family Storage Media Encryption Configuration Guide - Release 4.x (OL-18091-01, February 2009)
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Cisco MDS 9000 Family Storage Media Encryption Configuration Guide
OL-18091-01, Cisco MDS NX-OS Release 4.x
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Product Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the Storage Media Encryption (SME) and the hardware and software
requirements for the product. It contains the following sections:
• About Cisco Storage Media Encryption, page 1-1
• Software and Hardware Requirements, page 1-10
• Cisco SME Prerequisites, page 1-12
• Cisco Storage Media Encryption Security Overview, page 1-13
About Cisco Storage Media Encryption
The Cisco SME solution is a comprehensive network-integrated encryption service with enterprise-class
key management that works transparently with existing and new SANs. The innovative Cisco
network-integrated solution has numerous advantages over competitive solutions available today:
• Cisco SME installation and provisioning are both simple and nondisruptive. Unlike other solutions,
Cisco SME does not require rewiring or SAN reconfiguration.
• Encryption engines are integrated on the Cisco MDS 9000 18/4-Port Multiservice Module
(MSM-18/4) and the Cisco MDS 9222i Multiservice Module Switch, eliminating the need to
purchase and manage extra switch ports, cables, and appliances.
• Traffic from any virtual SAN (VSAN) can be encrypted using Cisco SME, enabling flexible,
automated load balancing through network traffic management across multiple SANs.
• No additional software is required for provisioning, key, and user role management; Cisco SME is
integrated into Cisco Fabric Manager, which reduces operating expenses.