Deploying VMware NSX with Cisco UCS and Nexus 7000

VMware NSX network virtualization software makes it possible for IT organizations to obtain new levels of business agility, allowing you to deploy advanced policy based network services for your applications as quickly as a virtual machine, today, leveraging your existing physical network infrastructure or next generation network hardware from any vendor.

Back in September, I wrote about the value of deploying the VMware NSX network virtualization platform on Cisco UCS and Nexus infrastructure. We had an overwhelming amount of customer response and request for more content about this deployment scenario. As such, we’ve created a new design guide which you can download here that describes a simple and straight forward example of how to deploy VMware NSX for vSphere on an infrastructure consisting of Cisco UCS and Nexus 7000 series switches. This basic guide should serve as a starting point from which to tailor a design for your specific environment.

We want to offer our thanks to the content creation team here at VMware for collaborating on this effort:

• Dmitri Kalintsev
• Bruce Davie
• Ray Budavari
• Venky Deshpande
• Nikhil Kelshikar
• Rod Stuhlmuller
• Scott Lowe
• Marcos Hernandez
• Chris King

Cheers,
Brad

Comments

7 Comments been added so far

Tracy Davis
February 18th, 2014
Hello,

Interesting document regarding NSX and the Nexus VDC platform. If ucs is configured in END-HOST mode and there are 5596 UPs in-between the UCS FIs and the N7Ks does that alter this reference configuration significantly, if at all?

Regards,
-Tracy
- Brad Hedlund
  February 26th, 2014
  Hi Tracy,
  See the response to David.
Shan
February 18th, 2014
Hi Brad,

I’m new to Software Defined Networking ..im closely watching the development when it comes to NSX.
Last 2-3 months i was bit off radar…i’ve got Cisco UCS, Nexus 5000 Series Switches..may i know where to
begin with when it comes to VMware NSX.
Im an instructor..so i need to up to date.Also where can i download NSX?
Again forgive my ignorance…eagerly waiting for reply

Thanks in advance
Shan
David McDorman
February 16th, 2014
Forgive my ignorance of the Nexus 7000 but can this design be implemented with Nexus 5548’s as well? The document doesn’t indicate that the 7700 has special features required but I suspect that is the case (VTEP support or something).
- Brad Hedlund
  February 26th, 2014
  Hi David,
  As it pertains to this design guide, the Cisco Nexus 7700 is interchangeable with what we refer to here as the “Cisco Nexus 7000 series”. If your Cisco UCS is connected to Cisco Nexus 7700, everything described in this design guide referring to the Nexus 7000 is still relevant and applicable.
  
  If your Cisco UCS is connected to Nexus 5500’s, assuming you have the Layer 3 module and are using the Nexus 5500 the Layer 3 boundary for the Edge and Transport VLANs, most of this design guide is still applicable in that situation as well. There are some differences, such as the case where the Nexus 5500 does not have all of the same vPC caveats as the Nexus 7000 discussed in this guide. Given that (in our opinion) a majority of Cisco UCS deployments are connected to Nexus 7000 we wanted to start with this more common design, and not dwell too much in the variables. However, a follow on addendum that covers considerations with the Nexus 5500 is something we could write about in the future.
  
  Thanks,
  Brad
Roie Ben Haim
February 14th, 2014
Hello Brad,
As usual great post, is there any planning for DCI with NSX ?
What about the official performance of the NSX ?
Thanks
- Brad Hedlund
  February 26th, 2014
  Roie,
  Topics on NSX performance, and how NSX solves multi data center are certainly things we will be writing about. Stay tuned.
  
  Thanks,
  Brad