Cisco MDS 9000 Caching Services Module

The Cisco MDS 9000 Caching Services Module integrates two high-performance processing nodes that, when combined with SAN Volume Controller Storage Software, deliver network-hosted virtualization and replication services. Each Caching Services Module includes 8 GB of local cache used to hold recently accessed data blocks. On-board dual batteries and hard disk drives protect cached data in the event of a power failure. To further ensure data availability and integrity, nodes are paired with nodes on other caching services modules in high-availability clusters. Up to four nodes can be added to a cluster today. Larger clusters can be supported in the future via a simple software upgrade.

Application Scalability Through Distributed Cache-Based Virtualization

The Cisco MDS 9000 Caching Services Module virtualization architecture provides performance benefits of lower latency, high aggregate throughput, and the ability to use lower cost disk arrays for greater flexibility. The architecture is designed so that virtualization performance can be easily scaled to the level required by even the largest organizations, scaling up to 4 nodes today with support for larger SAN Volume Controller Storage Solution cluster sizes in the future. Simply adding caching services modules adds virtualization performance. Application I/O response time is improved through the use of local caching of disk blocks. By moving the virtualization into the network, any host can access any virtual volume from anywhere in the fabric, independent of the host's attachment point in the SAN. In addition to virtualization and replication services, the Cisco MDS 9000 Caching Services Module takes advantage of all of the advanced Cisco SAN-OS Software features available on the Cisco MDS 9000 platform, simplifying security, diagnostics, and management.