This IBM® Redbooks® Product Guide introduces Cisco MDS 9710 Multilayer Director for IBM System Networking (9710-E08). It is a director-class storage area network (SAN) switch that is designed for deployment in large-scale storage networks to enable enterprise clouds and business transformation. By adding enterprise connectivity options that support IBM FICON® connectivity,

MDS 9710 delivers a high performing and reliable FICON infrastructure that is designed to support fast and scalable IBM z Systems™ servers.

With the Cisco MDS 9700 48-Port 10-Gbps Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) Module and the Cisco MDS 9700 24-port 40-Gbps FCoE Module, the MDS 9700 platforms provide multiprotocol flexibility for SANs that delivers 16 Gbps FC and 10/40 Gbps FCoE capability and 1/10 FCIP capabilities.

Layering a comprehensive set of intelligent features onto a high-performance, protocol-independent switch fabric, the MDS 9710 addresses the stringent requirements of large virtualized data center storage environments: high availability, security, scalability, ease of management, and transparent integration of new technologies for flexible data center SAN solutions. Sharing the operating system and management interface with other Cisco data center switches, the MDS 9710 enables seamless deployment of fabrics with high-performance Fibre Channel, IBM Fibre Connection (IBM FICON®), Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) connectivity to achieve low total cost of ownership (TCO).

The Cisco MDS 9000 24/10-Port SAN Extension Module provides a high-performance, flexible, unified platform for deploying enterprise-class disaster-recovery and business-continuance SAN extension solutions.