The flagship of the Cisco® MDS 9500 Series, the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director (Figure 1) elevates the standard for director-class switches. Providing industry-leading availability, scalability, security, and management, the Cisco MDS 9513 allows you to deploy high-performance storage area networks (SANs) with an extremely low total cost of ownership (TCO). Layering a rich set of intelligent features onto a high-performance, protocol-independent switch fabric, the Cisco MDS 9513 addresses the stringent requirements of large data center storage environments: uncompromising high availability, security, scalability, ease of management, and transparent integration of new technologies for extremely flexible data center SAN solutions. Compatible with first and second generation Cisco MDS 9000 Family switching modules, the Cisco MDS 9513 provides advanced functionality and unparalleled investment protection, allowing the use of any Cisco MDS 9000 Family switching module in this highly scalable system.
Figure 1. Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director
Key Features and Benefits
The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director offers the following features:
• Industry leading scalability and availability: The Cisco MDS 9513 combines nondisruptive software upgrades, stateful process restart and failover, and full redundancy of all major components for best-in-class availability. Supporting up to 528 Fibre Channel ports in a single chassis, 1584 Fibre Channel ports in a single rack, and 2.2 Tbps of system bandwidth, the Cisco MDS 9513 leads the industry in scalability and is designed to meet the requirements of the largest data center storage environments.
• 1/2/4-Gbps and 10-Gbps Fibre Channel switching with full bandwidth redundancy: Delivers highest available Fibre Channel performance with fully redundant bandwidth. Each crossbar module offers full system bandwidth such that the loss or removal of a single crossbar module does not affect system performance. Ensures 100 percent system throughput even in the event of a crossbar failure.
• Flexibility and investment protection: The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director supports any mix of first and/or second generation Cisco MDS 9000 Family switching modules, providing backward compatibility and unparalleled investment protection.
• TCO driven design: Offers advanced management tools for overall lowest TCO. It supports Cisco virtual SAN (VSAN) technology for hardware-enforced, isolated environments within a single physical fabric for secure sharing of physical infrastructure, further decreasing TCO.
• Multiprotocol and multitransport architecture: The multilayer architecture of the Cisco MDS 9000 Family enables a consistent feature set over a protocol-independent switch fabric. The Cisco MDS 9513 transparently integrates Fibre Channel, IBM Fiber Connection (FICON), Small Computer System Interface over IP (iSCSI), and Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) in one system.
• Intelligent network services: Provides integrated support for VSAN technology, access control lists (ACLs) for hardware-based intelligent frame processing, and advanced traffic management features such as Fibre Channel Congestion Control (FCC) and fabric-wide quality of service (QoS) to enable migration from SAN islands to enterprise-wide storage networks.
• Open platform for intelligent storage applications: Provides the intelligent services necessary for hosting and/or accelerating storage applications such as network-hosted volume management, data migration and backup.
• Integrated hardware-based VSANs and Inter-VSAN Routing (IVR): Enables deployment of large-scale multisite and heterogeneous SAN topologies. Integration into port-level hardware allows any port within a system or fabric to be partitioned into any VSAN. Integrated hardware-based inter-VSAN routing provides line-rate routing between any ports within a system or fabric without the need for external routing appliances.
• Advanced FICON services: Supports 1/2/4-Gbps and 10-Gbps FICON environments, including cascaded FICON fabrics, VSAN-enabled intermix of mainframe and open systems environments, and N_Port ID virtualization for mainframe Linux partitions. CUP (Control Unit Port) support enables in-band management of Cisco MDS 9000 Family switches from the mainframe management console.
• Comprehensive security framework: Supports RADIUS and TACACS+, Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FC-SP), Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol, and Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3) implementing Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), VSANs, hardware-enforced zoning, ACLs, and per-VSAN role-based access control.
• Sophisticated diagnostics: Provides intelligent diagnostics, protocol decoding, network analysis tools as well as integrated call-home capability for added reliability, faster problem resolution, and reduced service costs.
• Unified SAN management: The Cisco MDS 9000 Family includes built-in storage network management with all features available through a command-line interface (CLI) or Cisco Fabric Manager, a centralized management tool that simplifies management of multiple switches and fabrics. Integration with third party storage management platforms allows seamless interaction with existing management tools.
High Availability
The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director was designed from the beginning for high availability. Beyond meeting the basic requirements of nondisruptive software upgrades and redundancy of all critical hardware components, the Cisco MDS 9513 software architecture offers an unparalleled level of availability. The Cisco MDS 9500 Series Supervisor-2 Module has the ability to automatically restart failed processes, making it exceptionally robust. In the rare event that a supervisor module is reset, complete synchronization between the active and standby supervisor modules ensures stateful failover with no disruption to traffic.
The Cisco MDS 9513 chassis includes 1+1 redundant crossbar modules. Each crossbar module provides the necessary bandwidth to deliver full system performance, ensuring that loss or removal of a single crossbar module has no impact on system performance. Cisco MDS 9500 Series directors deliver maximum system performance, even in the event of a crossbar failure.
High availability is implemented at the fabric level using robust and high-performance Inter-Switch Links (ISLs). PortChannel capability allows users to aggregate up to 16 physical links into one logical bundle. The bundle can consist of any speed-matched ports in the chassis, ensures that the bundle can remain active in the event of a port, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or module failure. The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director takes high availability to a new level, ensuring solutions that exceed the 99.999 percent uptime requirements of today's most demanding environments.
Scalable Expansion with Maximum Investment Protection
Using Cisco MDS 9000 Family switching modules, the Cisco MDS 9513 supports from 12 to 528 1/2/4-Gbps autosensing Fibre Channel ports, from 4 to 44 10-Gbps Fibre Channel ports, and from 4 to 60 1-Gbps Ethernet ports (user configurable for iSCSI and/or FCIP) in a 13-slot modular chassis. The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director provides up to 1584 Fibre Channel ports in a single rack. With 2.2 Tbps of internal switching capacity, the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director supports link speeds up to 10 Gbps and 96 Gbps of front-panel bandwidth per slot.
The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director provides a very high level of system commonality. All Cisco MDS 9000 Family switching modules are compatible with each Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Director. Designed to grow with your storage environment, the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director provides smooth migration, common sparing, and outstanding investment protection.
Virtual SANs
Ideal for efficient, secure SAN consolidation, VSANs allow more efficient storage network utilization by creating hardware-based isolated environments within a single physical SAN fabric or switch. Each VSAN can be zoned as a typical SAN and maintains its own fabric services for added scalability and resilience. VSANs allow the cost of SAN infrastructure to be shared among more users, while ensuring absolute segregation of traffic and retaining independent control of configuration on a VSAN-by-VSAN basis.
Integrated SAN Routing
In another step toward deploying efficient, cost-effective, consolidated storage networks, the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director supports IVR, the industry's first routing functionality for Fibre Channel. IVR allows selective transfer of data traffic between specific initiators and targets on different VSANs while maintaining isolation of control traffic within each VSAN. With IVR, data can transit VSAN boundaries while maintaining control plane isolation, thereby maintaining fabric stability and availability. Integrated IVR eliminates the need for external routing appliances, greatly increasing routing scalability while delivering line-rate routing performance, simplifying management, and eliminating the challenges associated with maintaining separate systems. Integrated IVR means lower total cost of SAN ownership.
Multiprotocol Intelligence
As with all Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors, the MDS 9513 architecture enables multilayer and multiprotocol functionality, allowing it to transparently integrate multiple transport technologies for maximum flexibility. Beginning with Fibre Channel, FICON, iSCSI, and FCIP, the Cisco MDS 9513 is a robust, multiprotocol platform designed for deployment of cost-optimized storage networks. Users can implement up to 10-Gbps Fibre Channel or FICON for high-performance applications, iSCSI over Ethernet for cost-effective connectivity to shared storage pools, and FCIP for long-distance connectivity between data centers.
Open Platform for Intelligent Storage Applications
The Cisco MDS 9513 multilayer director provides an open platform that delivers the intelligence and advanced features required to make multilayer intelligent SANs a reality, including hardware-enabled innovations to host or accelerate applications for data migration, data replication, serverless backup, network-hosted volume management and more. Hosting and/or accelerating these applications in the network can dramatically improve scalability, availability, security and manageability of the storage environment-resulting in increased utility and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
Integrated Mainframe Support
The Cisco MDS 9513 multilayer director is mainframe-ready, with full support for IBM zSeries FICON and Linux environments. Qualified by IBM for attachment to all FICON-enabled devices in an IBM zSeries operating environment, the Cisco MDS 9513 multilayer director supports transport of the FICON protocol in both cascaded and noncascaded fabrics, as well as an intermix of FICON and open systems Fibre Channel Protocol traffic on the same switch. VSANs simplify an intermix of SAN resources between z/OS, mainframe Linux, and open systems environments, allowing for increased SAN utilization and simplified SAN management. VSAN-based intermix mode eliminates the uncertainty and instability often associated with zoning-based intermix techniques. VSANs also eliminate the possibility of a misconfiguration or component failure in one VSAN affecting operation in other VSANs. VSAN-based management access control simplifies partitioning of SAN management responsibilities between mainframe and open systems environments, enhancing security. FICON VSANs can be managed using the integrated Cisco Fabric Manager; the Cisco CLI; or IBM CUP-enabled management tools, including SA/390, Resource Measurement Facility (RMF), or Dynamic Channel Path Management (DCM).
Advanced Traffic Management
Advanced traffic management capabilities integrated into the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director simplify deployment and optimization of large-scale fabrics:
• Virtual output queuing: Helps ensure line-rate performance on each port, independent of traffic pattern, by eliminating head-of-line blocking.
• Up to 4095 buffer-to-buffer credits: Can be assigned to an individual port for optimal bandwidth utilization across distance.
• PortChannels: Allow users to aggregate up to 16 physical ISLs into a single logical bundle, providing optimized bandwidth utilization across all links. The bundle can consist of any speed-matched ports from any module in the chassis, ensuring that the bundle can remain active even in the event of a module failure.
• FSPF-based multipathing: Provides the intelligence to load balance across up to 16 equal cost paths and, in the event of a switch failure, dynamically reroute traffic.
• QoS: Can be used to manage bandwidth and control latency to prioritize critical traffic.
• Fibre Channel Congestion Control (FCC): An end-to-end feedback-based congestion control mechanism that augments the Fibre Channel buffer-to-buffer credit mechanism to provide enhanced traffic management.
• Port Bandwidth Reservation: Allows users to define dedicated bandwidth on a per port basis.
Advanced Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Tools
Management of large-scale storage networks requires proactive diagnostics, tools to verify connectivity and route latency, and mechanisms for capturing and analyzing traffic. The Cisco MDS 9513 integrates advanced analysis and debug tools. Power-on self test (POST) and online diagnostics provide proactive health monitoring. The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director provides the integrated functionality required to implement diagnostic capabilities such as Fibre Channel Traceroute for detailing the exact path and timing of flows and Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) and Remote Switched Port Analyzer (RSPAN) to intelligently capture network traffic. After traffic has been captured, it can then be analyzed with the Cisco Fabric Analyzer, an embedded Fibre Channel analyzer. Comprehensive port-based and flow-based statistics enable sophisticated performance analysis and service-level agreement (SLA) accounting. With the Cisco MDS 9513, Cisco Systems® delivers a comprehensive toolset for troubleshooting and analysis of storage networks.
Comprehensive Solution for Robust Security
Addressing the need for failproof security in storage networks, the Cisco MDS 9513 offers an extensive security framework to protect the highly sensitive data crossing today's enterprise networks. The MDS 9513 employs intelligent packet inspection at the port level, including the application of ACLs for hardware enforcement of zones, VSANs, and advanced Port Security features.
Extended zoning capabilities are enabled to ensure that logical unit numbers (LUNs) are accessible only by specific hosts (LUN zoning), to limit SCSI read commands for a certain zone (read-only zoning), and to restrict broadcasts to only the selected zones (broadcast zones). VSANs are used to achieve higher security and greater stability by providing complete isolation among devices that are connected to the same physical SAN. IVR enables controlled sharing of resources between VSANs. In addition, FC-SP provides switch-switch and host-switch Diffie Hellman Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (DH-CHAP) authentication supporting RADIUS or TACACS+, to help ensure that only authorized devices access protected storage networks.
Ease of Management
To meet the needs of all users, the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director provides three principal modes of management: the Cisco MDS 9000 Family CLI, Cisco Fabric Manager, and integration with third-party storage management tools.
The Cisco MDS 9513 presents the user with a consistent, logical CLI. Adhering to the syntax of the widely known Cisco IOS® Software CLI, the Cisco MDS 9000 Family CLI is easy to learn and delivers broad management functionality. The Cisco MDS 9000 Family CLI is an extremely efficient and direct interface designed to provide optimal functionality to administrators in enterprise environments.
Cisco Fabric Manager is a responsive, easy-to-use Java application that simplifies management across multiple switches and fabrics. Cisco Fabric Manager helps administrators to perform vital tasks such as topology discovery, fabric configuration and verification, provisioning, monitoring, and fault resolution. All functions are available through a secure interface, which enables remote management from any location.
Cisco Fabric Manager can be used independently or in conjunction with third-party management applications. Cisco provides an extensive API for integration with third-party and user-developed management tools.
Product Specifications
Table 1 lists the product specifications for the Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4-Gbps Fibre Channel switching modules.
• Input: 100-240V AC nominal (±10% for full range); 16A maximum; 50-60 Hz nominal (±3 Hz for full range)
• Output: 2900W (100V AC at 16A); 6000W (200V AC at 16A)
• MDS 9513 Typical Power Consumption: 697W AC
• Airflow
• 300 linear feet per minute (lfm) through system fan assembly
• Cisco recommends that you maintain a minimum air space of 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) between walls and chassisair vents and a minimum horizontal separation of 6 inches (15.2 cm) between two chassis to preventoverheating.
Environmental
• Temperature, ambient operating: 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)
• Temperature, ambient nonoperating and storage: 40 to 167°F (-40 to 75°C)
• Relative humidity, ambient (noncondensing) operating: 10 to 90%
• Relative humidity, ambient (noncondensing) nonoperating and storage: 10 to 95%
• Altitude, operating: -197 to 6500 ft (-60 to 2000m)
Physical Dimensions
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 24.5 x 17.37 x 28.0 in. (62.3 x 44.1 x 71.1 cm)-14 RU
Weight
• Chassis (includes fans and clock modules): 100.0 pounds (45.4 Kg)
• Power supply (6000W AC): 32.5 pounds (14.7 Kg)
• Fabric module: 5.75 pounds (2.6 Kg)
• Supervisor-2 module: 7.2 pounds (3.3 Kg)
Approvals and Compliance
• Safety compliance
• CE Marking
• UL 60950
• CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950
• EN 60950
• IEC 60950
• TS 001
• AS/NZS 3260
• IEC60825
• EN60825
• 21 CFR 1040
• EMC compliance
• FCC Part 15 (CFR 47) Class A
• ICES-003 Class A
• EN 55022 Class A
• CISPR 22 Class A
• AS/NZS 3548 Class A
• VCCI Class A
• EN 55024
• EN 50082-1
• EN 61000-6-1
• EN 61000-3-2
• EN 61000-3-3
Ordering Information
Table 2 provides ordering information for the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director.
Table 2. Ordering Information
Part Number
Product Description
MDS 9513 Component
DS-C9513
Cisco MDS 9513 chassis
DS-X9530-SF2-K9
Cisco MDS 9500 supervisor/fabric-2
DS-X9016
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 16-port 1/2-Gbps Fibre Channel module
DS-X9032
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 32-port 1/2-Gbps Fibre Channel module
DS-X9032-SSM
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 32-port storage services module
DS-X9112
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 1/2/4-Gbps 12-port Fibre Channel switching module
DS-X9124
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 1/2/4-Gbps 24-port Fibre Channel switching module
DS-X9148
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 1/2/4-Gbps 48-port Fibre Channel switching module
DS-X9304-18K9
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 18/4-Port Multiservice Module
DS-X9302-14K9
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 14+2 multiprotocol services module
DS-X9304-SMIP
Cisco MDS 9500 4-port 1 GE IP storage services module
DS-X9308-SMIP
Cisco MDS 9500 8-port 1 GE IP storage services module
DS-X9704
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 10-Gbps 4-port Fibre Channel switching module
DS-SFP-FC4G-SW
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 1/2/4-Gbps Fibre Channel-Shortwave, SFP, LC
