vce vblock series 700 architecture overview
TRANSCRIPT
Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms
Series 700
Architecture Overview
Version 1.3
May 2012
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Revision history Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Revision history
Date Version Author Description of changes
November 2011 1.0 Sandy Guardiani Release for 700MX
February 2012 1.1 Sandy Guardiani First Customer Ship for 700LX
March 2012 1.2 Sandy Guardiani General Availability release
May 2012 1.3 Sandy Guardiani For the 700MX, added the Cisco UCS 6248UP Fabric Interconnects and the Cisco UCS 2208XP Series Fabric Extenders
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 6
Accessing VCE documentation ................................................................................................................. 7
Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 overview ......................................................................... 8
700MX .............................................................................................................................................. 8
700LX ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Base configurations and scaling ........................................................................................................... 12
Connectivity overview ........................................................................................................................... 14
Block storage configuration .................................................................................................................. 15
700MX block configuration ............................................................................................................. 15
700LX block configuration .............................................................................................................. 16
SAN boot storage configuration ............................................................................................................ 17
Unified storage configuration ................................................................................................................ 18
Aggregating multiple Vblock platforms ................................................................................................. 19
Aggregation common services ....................................................................................................... 20
Compute layer hardware .......................................................................................................................... 21
Compute overview ................................................................................................................................ 21
Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) .............................................................................................. 22
Cisco UCS fabric interconnects ............................................................................................................ 23
Scaling up compute resources ............................................................................................................. 23
Blade packs .................................................................................................................................... 23
Chassis activation kits (CAK) ......................................................................................................... 24
Bare-metal support ............................................................................................................................... 24
Storage layer hardware ............................................................................................................................ 25
Storage overview .................................................................................................................................. 25
EMC Symmetrix VMAX Series storage arrays ..................................................................................... 27
EMC Data at Rest Encryption (700MX only).................................................................................. 27
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe Series storage arrays ................................................................................... 29
EMC RecoverPoint (700LX) ........................................................................................................... 30
EMC VNX VG2 Gateway and EMC VNX VG8 Gateway ...................................................................... 31
Scaling up storage resources ............................................................................................................... 32
RAID packs .................................................................................................................................... 32
Storage cabinet expansion ............................................................................................................ 33
Disk array enclosure (DAE) packs (700LX) ................................................................................... 34
Adding engines .............................................................................................................................. 34
Network layer hardware ............................................................................................................................ 35
Network overview ................................................................................................................................. 35
700MX network components ................................................................................................................ 35
Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric switch ...................................................................................... 35
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Table of Contents Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Cisco MDS 9506 Multilayer Director .............................................................................................. 36
Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director .............................................................................................. 36
Optional network layer components ............................................................................................... 37
700LX network components ................................................................................................................. 38
IP networking components ............................................................................................................. 38
Storage switching components ...................................................................................................... 39
Virtualization components ....................................................................................................................... 40
Virtualization overview .......................................................................................................................... 40
VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi ....................................................................................................... 40
Cluster configuration ...................................................................................................................... 40
Datastores ...................................................................................................................................... 40
Virtual networks .............................................................................................................................. 40
VMware vCenter Server ....................................................................................................................... 41
Databases ...................................................................................................................................... 41
Authentication ................................................................................................................................ 41
VCE supported features ................................................................................................................. 42
Management components ........................................................................................................................ 43
Management hardware components .................................................................................................... 43
Management software tools ................................................................................................................. 44
AMP software tools ........................................................................................................................ 44
Storage features support ...................................................................................................................... 44
vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI).................................................................................... 44
File deduplication ........................................................................................................................... 45
Vblock Series 700 cabinets ...................................................................................................................... 46
Cabinets overview ................................................................................................................................ 46
700MX cabinet types ............................................................................................................................ 46
CB compute base cabinet .............................................................................................................. 47
CE compute expansion (CE) cabinet ............................................................................................. 47
Storage cabinets ............................................................................................................................ 47
Network cabinets ............................................................................................................................ 47
Maximum number of cabinets ........................................................................................................ 48
700LX cabinet types ............................................................................................................................. 49
Compute and network (CNB A and CNB B) base configuration cabinets ..................................... 49
Compute and network (CNB A and CNB B) maximum configuration cabinets ............................. 52
Compute and network expansion (CNE) cabinet ........................................................................... 54
Storage cabinets ............................................................................................................................ 55
Maximum number of cabinets ........................................................................................................ 55
Vblock Series 700 models ........................................................................................................................ 56
Vblock Series 700 model overview ....................................................................................................... 56
Power options for 700MX ..................................................................................................................... 57
North America power options for Vblock platform cabinets ........................................................... 57
Power options outside of North America for Vblock platform cabinets .......................................... 57
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Table of Contents
North America power options for EMC Symmetrix VMAX ............................................................. 57
Power options outside of North America for EMC Symmetrix VMAX ............................................ 57
Power options for 700LX ...................................................................................................................... 58
North America power options for Vblock platform cabinets ........................................................... 58
Power options outside of North America for Vblock platform cabinets .......................................... 58
North America power options for EMC Symmetrix VMAXe ........................................................... 58
Power options outside of North America for EMC Symmetrix VMAXe .......................................... 58
Vblock Series 700 model MX ............................................................................................................... 59
700MX compute and storage configuration ................................................................................... 59
700MX compute and network configuration .................................................................................. 60
Vblock Series 700 model LX ................................................................................................................ 61
700LX base configuration .............................................................................................................. 61
700LX maximum configuration ...................................................................................................... 62
Additional references ............................................................................................................................... 63
References overview ............................................................................................................................ 63
Virtualization components .................................................................................................................... 63
Compute components .......................................................................................................................... 63
Network components ............................................................................................................................ 64
Storage components ............................................................................................................................ 65
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Introduction Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Introduction
Growing business challenges demand an IT infrastructure that is swift, agile, and economical—enabling
enterprises to adapt to change quickly and cost-effectively. The Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 is
the market-leading converged infrastructure platform that combines compute, network, storage, virtualization,
and management technologies from VMware, Cisco, and EMC into trusted, proven units of infrastructure.
The Vblock Series 700 is tailored to the needs of the largest enterprises running thousands of virtual machines
and is designed to meet the most demanding requirements for business-critical enterprise resource planning
(ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), database, messaging, and collaboration services—
providing a high-performance, always-on infrastructure that accelerates time to service and reduces operations
costs.
The Vblock Series 700 platform is available in two models: Vblock 700MX and Vblock 700LX. Vblock 700MX
is the most powerful and robust, massively scalable, converged infrastructure platform capable of meeting
virtually any data center performance, capacity, or storage requirements. The Vblock 700LX is an easy to
deploy and manage, highly efficient platform that includes time-saving storage automation, local/remote
replication for business continuity applications, and enterprise-level capacity.
This document describes the high-level design of the Vblock Series 700. It describes the hardware and
software components that VCE includes in each Vblock Series 700 model.
The target audience for this document includes sales engineers, field consultants, advanced services
specialists, and customers who want to deploy a virtualized infrastructure by using a Vblock 700 model.
The VCE Glossary provides terms, definitions, and acronyms that are related to Vblock platforms. Refer to
Accessing VCE documentation.
To suggest documentation changes and provide feedback on this book, send an e-mail to
[email protected]. Include the name of the topic to which your feedback applies.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Accessing VCE documentation
Accessing VCE documentation
Select the documentation resource that applies to your role.
Role Resource
Customer VCE Customer Support Portal > Documents
support.vce.com
A valid username and password are required.
VCE Partner VCE Partner Resource Center > Resource Library > Category > Technical
www.vcepartnerportal.com/resourcelib-vce.asp?loc=331
A valid username and password are required.
Cisco, EMC, VCE, or VMware employee
VCE Portal > Vblock Infrastructure Platforms
www.vceportal.com/solutions/68580567.html
VCE employee VCEview > Products and Solutions > Vblock Platforms
www.vceview.com/solutions/products/
VCE Technical Documentation website
vblockproductdocs.ent.vce.com
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 overview
The Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 is designed for deployments involving large numbers of
virtual machines and users. The Vblock Series 700 is available in two models:
Vblock Series 700 model MX (700MX)
Vblock Series 700 model LX (700LX)
700MX
The 700MX utilizes a SAN storage medium or a NAS (File) storage medium. UCS local book disks are
optional. The 700MX contains the following key hardware and software components:
Resource Components
Compute Cisco UCS 5108 Blade Server Chassis
Cisco UCS B-Series blades
Cisco M81KR Virtual Interface Card converged network adapter
Cisco UCS 2104XP Series Fabric Extenders or Cisco UCS 2208XP Series Fabric Extenders
Cisco UCS 6248UP Series Fabric Interconnects or Cisco UCS 6140XP Fabric Interconnects
Network The default configuration does not include a Cisco Nexus switch.
(Optional) Cisco Nexus 5548UP Series Ethernet switches required for two compute cabinets unless a Cisco Nexus 7010 switch is selected
(Optional) Cisco Nexus 7010 switch (requires two or more compute cabinets)
Cisco Nexus 1000V VSM and VEM virtual switch
Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch
(Optional) Cisco MDS 9506 Multilayer Director
(Optional) Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director
Storage EMC Symmetrix VMAX
(Optional) EMC VNX VG2 Gateway or EMC VNX VG8 Gateway
(Optional) EMC Symmetrix Data at Rest Encryption (DARE)
Virtualization VMware ESX and VMware ESXi, VMware vCenter Server
Management EMC PowerPath/VE
Cisco UCS Manager
Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS)
EMC Ionix Unified Infrastructure Manager (UIM)
EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS) on Windows
EMC Symmetrix Management Console (SMC) on Windows
EMC Symmetrix Performance Analyzer (SPA) on Windows
VMware vSphere Server Enterprise Plus
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
The following illustration provides a high-level overview of the components in the 700MX architecture:
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Release Certification Matrix provides a list of the certified versions of
components for Vblock 700. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
700LX
The 700LX delivers a multi-controller, scale-out storage architecture with consolidation and efficiency for the
enterprise. It allows scaling of storage resources through common and fully redundant building blocks called
VMAXe series engines. The 700LX is designed for deployments of large numbers of virtual machines and
users. It meets the higher performance and availability requirements of an enterprise's business-critical
applications.
The 700LX contains the following key hardware and software components:
Resource Components
Compute Cisco UCS 5108 Blade Server Chassis
Cisco UCS B-Series Blades
Cisco M81KR Virtual Interface Card converged network adapter
Cisco UCS 2104XP Series Fabric Extenders or Cisco UCS 2208XP Series Fabric Extenders
Cisco UCS 6248UP Series Fabric Interconnects
Network Cisco Nexus 5548UP Series Ethernet switches
Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch
Cisco Nexus 1000V Series virtual switch
Storage EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
(Optional) EMC VNX VG2 Gateway or EMC VNX VG8 Gateway
(Optional) EMC RecoverPoint
Virtualization VMware ESXi, VMware vCenter Server
Management EMC PowerPath/VE
Cisco UCS Manager
Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS)
EMC Ionix Unified Infrastructure Manager (UIM)
EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS) on Windows
EMC Symmetrix Management Console (SMC) on Windows
EMC Symmetrix Performance Analyzer (SPA) on Windows
VMware vSphere Server Enterprise Plus
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
The following illustration provides a high-level overview of the components in the 700LX architecture:
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Release Certification Matrix provides a list of the certified versions of
components for Vblock 700. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Base configurations and scaling
For each Vblock platform model, there is a base configuration, which is a minimum set of compute and storage
components as well as fixed network resources. These components are integrated within one or more
28-inch 42U cabinets. Within the base configuration, the following hardware aspects can be customized:
Hardware How it can be customized
Compute blades B-series blade type including all supported VCE blade configurations
Compute chassis 700MX Four to eight Cisco UCS Blade Server Chassis per Cisco UCS domain (pair of fabric interconnects)
Up to five Cisco UCS domains supported (five pair of fabric interconnects) yielding support for up to 40 Cisco UCS Blade Server chassis
700LX
Six to eight Cisco UCS Blade Server Chassis
Storage hardware Drive types for up to three tiers of storage, the number of drives in each tier, the RAID protection for all tiers, and the number of disk array enclosures (DAEs)
Storage 700MX EMC VMAX storage. Contains two to eight engines and 88 - 1920 drives in up to nine cabinets including one system cabinet and one to nine storage cabinets including the system storage bay. Refer to EMC Symmetrix VMAX Series storage arrays.
700LX EMC VMAXe storage. Contains one to four engines and 24 - 1080 drives in up to seven cabinets. Refer to EMC Symmetrix VMAXe Series storage arrays.
Supported disk drives 700MX 200/400 GB EFD, 300/450/600 GB 15K FC, 1/2 TB 7.2K SATA
700LX 100/200 GB EFD, 300/600 GB 10K SAS, 300/450 GB 15K FC, 2 TB 7.2K SATA
Supported RAID types
Tier 1: RAID 1, RAID 5
Tier 2: RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6
Tier 3: RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6
RAID 10 striping is accomplished through striped meta volumes and striped virtual pools.
Refer to Scaling up storage resources.
Management hardware options
An Advanced Management Pod (AMP) centralizes management of Vblock platform components. Optionally, a high-availability version of the AMP can be substituted. Refer to Management hardware components.
EMC RecoverPoint appliances (RPAs)
700LX Two to eight clustered appliances that facilitate storage replication and rapid disaster recovery. Refer to EMC RecoverPoint.
Data Mover Enclosure (DME) packs
Base configuration has two control stations configured with one DME and one pair of X-Blades. Upgrades are available on the EMC VNX VG8 Gateway with two X-Blades in a DME. Refer to EMC VNX VG2 Gateway and EMC VNX VG8 Gateway .
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
Together, the components offer balanced CPU, I/O bandwidth, and storage capacity relative to the compute
and storage arrays in the system. All components have N+N or N+1 redundancy.
These resources can be scaled up as necessary to meet increasingly stringent requirements. The maximum
supported configuration differs from model to model. To scale up compute resources, add blade packs and
chassis activation kits. Refer to Scaling up compute resources. To scale up storage resources, add engines,
cache, RAID packs, and DME packs. Optionally, add expansion cabinets with additional resources. Refer to
Scaling up storage resources.
Vblock platforms are designed to keep hardware changes to a minimum should the customer decide to
change the storage protocol after installation (for example, from block storage to unified storage).
For the 700LX, cabinet space is reserved for all components that are needed for each storage configuration
(MDS switches, X-Blades, etc.). All network and power cabling for these components are in place.
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Connectivity overview
Components and interconnectivity within Vblock platforms are conceptually subdivided into three layers:
Layer Description
Compute Contains the components that provide the computing power within the Vblock platform. The Cisco UCS blade servers, chassis, and fabric interconnects belong in this layer. Refer to Compute overview.
Storage Contains the storage components for both block and file storage types. In the 700MX, the EMC VMAX array components belong in this layer. In the 700LX, the EMC VMAXe array components belong in this layer. Both Vblock 700 models offer the VG NAS gateway components for file storage. Refer to Storage overview.
Network Contains the components that provide switching and routing between the compute and storage layers within a Vblock platform, and between the Vblock platform and the customer network. The Cisco Nexus switches and the Cisco MDS switches belong in this layer. Refer to Network overview.
All components incorporate redundancy into the design.
The following topics present connectivity configurations for the Vblock Series 700:
Block storage configuration
SAN boot storage configuration
Unified storage configuration
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Model LX Port Assignments Reference provides information
about the assigned use for each port in the Vblock platform. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
Block storage configuration
This topic shows a block-only storage configuration for a 700MX and a 700LX.
700MX block configuration
The following illustration shows a block (and file) storage configuration for a 700MX. The compute layer within
a 700MX connects to both the Ethernet and Fibre Channel (FC) components of the network layer. The UCS
connects to the Nexus switches in the Ethernet network through 10 GbE port channels and to the MDS
switches through 8 Gb Fibre Channel (FC) links. The storage layer consists of an EMC VMAX storage array.
The front-end expansion cards connect to the Cisco MDS switches within the network layer over 8 Gb Fibre
Channel (FC).
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
700LX block configuration
The following illustration shows a block-only storage configuration for a 700LX. The X-Blades and control
stations are absent from the cabinets. However, space can be reserved in the cabinets for these components
(including EMC RecoverPoint), and all power and network cabling is present. This design makes it easier to
add the components later if the customer upgrades to unified storage.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
SAN boot storage configuration
The ESXi hosts always boot over the FC SAN. The remainder of the storage can be presented either as NFS
or as VMFS datastores. Storage can also be presented directly to the virtual machines as CIFS shares. The
following illustration shows the components (highlighted in a red, dashed line) that are leveraged to support
SAN booting in Vblock Series 700 platforms:
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Unified storage configuration
In a unified storage configuration for Vblock Series 700, the compute layer accesses the storage layer through
both file and block methods in the network layer using NFS/CIFS and Fibre Channel (FC) respectively. The
engines within the array connect to NAS gateway X-Blades through the fibre channel SAN. The X-Blades also
connect to the Cisco Nexus switches within the network layer over 10 GbE to provide NFS access to the
compute layer in addition to the block access described in Block storage configuration. The unified topology is
shown in the following illustration:
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Overview
Aggregating multiple Vblock platforms
Multiple Vblock platforms can be connected into a common network at a high level. The following illustration
shows a configuration in which two Vblock platforms are aggregated. The UCS domain and SAN on each
Vblock platform are separately maintained. The SANs within the Vblock platforms share common services,
such as migration and backup/data recovery, within an aggregated Cisco MDS 9500 Series Director.
However, no resources are shared between the Vblock platform SANs.
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Overview Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Aggregation common services
The VCE aggregation solution supports the connection of multiple Vblock platforms in a single physical
environment to shared disaster recovery, replication, and backup services. It also provides cross-Vblock
platform IP connectivity and facilitates data movement both into and out of the Vblock platform from the
customer environment. The aggregation solution also delivers a standardization of connections into the Vblock
platform which provides clarity for support personnel, and expansion flexibility.
The following aggregation topologies are available:
SAN only
Ethernet only
Mixed SAN and Ethernet
These topologies have various scaling points using different Cisco MDS and Cisco Nexus solutions to provide
the required connectivity among the Vblock platform, customer network, and external common services
appliances.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Compute layer hardware
Compute layer hardware
Compute overview
Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) B-series blades provide the computing power within a Vblock
platform. The blades are installed in Cisco UCS chassis.
For the 700MX and the 700LX, fabric extenders within the Cisco UCS chassis connect to Cisco fabric
interconnects over converged Ethernet. Up to four 10 GbE ports on each fabric extender connect northbound
to the fabric interconnects regardless of the number of blades in the chassis. These connections carry IP and
storage traffic. The universal ports on the Cisco UCS 6248UP Series Fabric Interconnects can handle
Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and Fibre Channel (FC) transports eliminating the need for
special-purpose expansion cards that are needed for the Cisco UCS 6140XP Fabric Interconnects.
The 700MX has an additional option of the Cisco UCS 6140XP Fabric Interconnects. Fabric extenders within
the Cisco UCS chassis connect to Cisco fabric interconnects over converged Ethernet. Four 10 GbE ports on
each fabric extender connect northbound to the fabric interconnects regardless of the number of blades in the
chassis. These connections carry IP and storage traffic.
For the 700MX and the 700LX, each fabric interconnect has multiple ports reserved by VCE for 10 GbE ports.
VCE has reserved these ports for southbound connections to the Cisco UCS 5108 chassis or for northbound
connections to the network connectivity layer. The northbound ports connect to upstream access/aggregation
switches. These connections carry IP traffic to and from the customer network. In a unified storage
configuration, these ports also carry IP traffic to the X-Blades within the storage layer.
Each fabric interconnect also has multiple ports reserved by VCE for 8 Gb Fibre Channel. These ports connect
to Cisco MDS storage switches. These connections carry FC traffic between the compute layer and the
storage layer. In a unified storage configuration, these connections also enable storage area network (SAN)
booting of the UCS blades.
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Compute layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS)
The Cisco UCS data center platform unites compute, network, and storage access. Optimized for
virtualization, the Cisco UCS integrates a low-latency, lossless 10 GB Ethernet unified network fabric with
enterprise-class, x86-based servers (the Cisco B series).
Vblock platforms contain a number of Cisco UCS 5100 Series Blade Server Chassis. Each chassis can
contain up to eight half-width Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers or four full-width blades. In Vblock platforms,
each chassis also includes Cisco UCS fabric extenders and Cisco UCS B-Series Converged Network
Adapters.
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Model LX Port Assignments Reference provides information
about the assigned use for each port in the Vblock platform. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
Vblock platforms powered by Cisco UCS feature:
Built-in redundancy for high availability
Hot-swappable components for serviceability, upgrade, or expansion
Fewer physical components than in a comparable platform built piece-by-piece
Reduced cabling
Improved energy efficiency over traditional blade server chassis
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Blade Pack Reference provides a list of supported Cisco UCS blades in
Vblock Series 700 models. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Compute layer hardware
Cisco UCS fabric interconnects
The Cisco UCS fabric interconnects provide network connectivity and management capabilities to the Cisco
UCS blades and chassis. The Cisco UCS fabric interconnects offer line-rate, low-latency, lossless 10 Gigabit
Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) functions.
The interconnects provide the management and communication backbone for the blades and chassis. The
interconnects provide both the LAN and SAN connectivity for all blades within their domain.
The Vblock Series 700 models use Cisco UCS 6248UP Series Fabric Interconnects. Optionally, the 700MX
uses the Cisco UCS 6140XP Fabric Interconnects.
Scaling up compute resources
To scale up compute resources, you can add blade packs and chassis activation kits. You can add packs and
kits either when Vblock platforms are built or after they are deployed.
Blade packs
Cisco UCS blades are sold in packs of two. Each blade pack includes:
Two identical Cisco UCS blades
Two fabric interconnect port licenses
The base configuration of each Vblock platform model includes two blade packs. The maximum number of
blade packs depends on the model.
Each blade type must have a minimum of two blade packs as a base configuration and can then be increased
in single blade pack increments thereafter.
Each blade pack is added along with license packs for the following software:
Cisco UCS Manager (UCSM)
VMware ESXi
Cisco Nexus 1000V virtual switch
EMC Ionix Unified Infrastructure Manager (UIM)
EMC PowerPath
Note: License packs for VMware ESXi, Cisco Nexus 1000v virtual switch, and EMC PowerPath are not
available for bare-metal blades.
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Blade Pack Reference provides a list of supported Cisco UCS blades in
Vblock Series 700 models. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Compute layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Chassis activation kits (CAK)
The power supplies and fabric extenders for all chassis are pre-populated and cabled, and all required Twinax
cables and transceivers are populated. However, in a base Vblock platform configuration only two of the Cisco
UCS 5100 series blade server chassis are licensed for fabric interconnect ports. This limited licensing reduces
the entry cost for Vblock platforms.
As more blades are added and additional chassis are required, chassis activation kits are automatically added
by the VCE configuration tool. The kit contains software licenses to enable additional fabric interconnect ports.
The VCE configuration tool enables only enough port licenses for the minimum number of chassis to contain
the blades ordered. At the customer's discretion, chassis activation kits can be added up-front to allow for
flexibility in the field or to spread the blades initially across a larger number of chassis.
Bare-metal support
If applications cannot be virtualized due to technical or commercial reasons, Vblock platform blades can be
deployed bare-metal; that is, with non-virtualized operating system and application configurations. Bare-metal
workloads always require separate physical spindles, disk groups, and pools to ensure that bare-metal
workloads do not adversely impact Vblock platform workloads.
VCE can provide reasonable-effort support for bare-metal blades only if the bare-metal deployment complies
with the following requirements:
The base Vblock platform contains only VCE published, tested, and validated hardware and software
components. The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Release Certification Matrix provides a list of the
certified versions of components for Vblock Series 700. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
The applications and operating systems for tested Vblock platforms software for both compute and
storage components are included in published support matrices from EMC and Cisco.
For bare-metal deployments that include other hypervisor technologies (Hyper-V, KVM, etc.), those hypervisor
technologies are not supported by VCE.
VCE reasonable effort support means that VCE determines that the base Vblock platform is operating
correctly, and assists in problem resolution to a reasonable extent. VCE is unable to reproduce problems or
provide support on the operating systems installed for bare-metal deployments. VCE cannot provide updates
to those operating systems or test them. Customers must work directly with their support vendors for issues
and patches for those operating systems.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Storage layer hardware
Storage layer hardware
Storage overview
The EMC Symmetrix VMAX series and the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe series are high-end storage systems built
for the virtual data center. Built for reliability, availability, and scalability, EMC Symmetrix VMAX and EMC
Symmetrix VMAXe use specialized engines, each of which includes two redundant director modules providing
parallel access and replicated copies of all critical data.
The EMC Symmetrix VMAX and the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe offer the following software components:
Component Description
EMC Symmetrix Fully Automated Storage Tiering (FAST)
Puts the right data in the right place at the right time to improve performance and reduce costs of tiered environments. FAST uses simplified policies to manage storage resources based on built-in automation and intelligence. FAST can optimize placement of data at either the volume/LUN or sub-LUN level.
Supported on the 700MX.
EMC Symmetrix Fully Automated Storage Tiering for Virtual Pools (FAST VP)
Enables your business to optimize system performance while reducing cost. This optimizes array performance across drive types (Flash, SATA, and fibre channel) and across all engines in the array. Tiering is automatically optimized by dynamically allocating and relocating application workloads based on defined policies. FAST VP non-disruptively moves workloads across storage types, optimizing the overall system performance.
Supported on the 700MX and the 700LX.
EMC Symmetrix Virtual Provisioning
Virtual Provisioning, based on thin provisioning, is the ability to present an application with more capacity than is physically allocated in the storage array. The physical storage is then allocated to the application on demand as it is needed from the shared pool of capacity. This lowers cost of ownership by reducing initial over-allocation of storage capacity and reducing labor costs by simplifying data layout and eliminating the steps required to accommodate capacity growth.
700MX allows for either traditional thick provisioning, virtual provisioning, or a combination of both provisioning methodologies.
700LX storage is designed for a 100% virtual provisioned environment.
EMC Enginuity Storage operating environment for the EMC Symmetrix VMAX and the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe. Delivers performance, array tiering, availability, and data integrity.
EMC Symmetrix Management Console (SMC) and EMC Symmetrix Performance Analyzer (SPA)
These applications simplify management and provide advanced monitoring capabilities for Symmetrix environments.
EMC SMC is a browser-based graphical interface for device creation and management on Symmetrix arrays.
EMC SPA is an automated monitoring and trending tool launched through EMC SMC to assist in long-term planning, diagnostic drill-down to identify performance issues, root cause, and real-time monitoring.
EMC RecoverPoint EX IO Splitter
Provides an array-based IO splitter for use with EMC RecoverPoint EX replication software to eliminate the need for an expensive SAN-based IO splitter.
Supported on the 700LX.
For an overview of the EMC Symmetrix VMAX series used in the 700MX, refer to EMC Symmetrix VMAX
Series storage arrays.
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Storage layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
For an overview of the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe series used in the 700LX, refer to EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
Series storage arrays.
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Model LX Port Assignments Reference provides information
about the assigned use for each port in the 700LX. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Storage layer hardware
EMC Symmetrix VMAX Series storage arrays
The following illustration shows the interconnection of the EMC Symmetrix VMAX in the 700MX:
This illustration shows one UCS domain. With the 700MX, you can have a maximum of five UCS domains and
four EMC VMAX engine pairs in a maximum configuration.
A 700MX enabled by SAN storage can support NAS with the provision that primary boot services are provided
across the SAN. Mission-critical applications are hosted that require fibre channel access to maintain
performance. It is recommended that one or more NAS gateways are deployed for VMware vSphere, the
exact number required being determined during the planning phase.
EMC PowerPath/VE (PP/VE) provides several benefits for block-based IOs in terms of performance,
availability, and operations. The base PP/VE license is mandatory for the 700MX.
EMC Data at Rest Encryption (700MX only)
EMC Data at Rest Encryption (DARE) protects data on hard drives that are members of EMC Symmetrix
VMAX arrays, by adding back-end encryption to the entire array. While the mechanics of DARE deal with
keeping encryption in running systems, the objective is to minimize data-exposure risks for drives outside of
operational arrays, such as failed or retired drives, or drives in EMC Symmetrix VMAX arrays being moved
between facilities.
The following list summarizes the main features of EMC DARE that are supported on a Vblock 700MX:
Hardware-based XTS-AES 256 bit encryption at the disk level.
Leverages EMC RSA key management to provide secure encryption keys for each drive.
EMC RSA Data Protection Manager is the default setting. It requires no user interaction.
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Storage layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Functionality is provided by encryption-capable EMC Symmetrix engines.
System-wide setting. It is not possible to have a mix of encryption engines and non-encryption
engines.
All disks, regardless of type, are encrypted.
Supported on 4 Gb/s FC I/O Module with Encryption (backend module).
Configurable when the storage array is installed. Cannot be enabled at a later time.
Once enabled, it cannot be disabled.
Provides Embedded Key Management and External Key Management. However, Vblock platforms
currently support only Embedded Key Management. Embedded Key Management resides on the
EMC Symmetrix Service Processor. The key is obtained for the DPM when the EMC Symmetrix array
is initially installed or when a drive, director, or SP is added or replaced.
The Data at Rest Encryption on Vblock Infrastructure Platforms with Symmetrix VMAX Overview provides
detailed information about EMC DARE on a 700MX. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Storage layer hardware
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe Series storage arrays
The following illustration shows the interconnection of the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe in the 700LX:
A Vblock 700LX enabled by SAN storage can support NAS with the provision that primary boot services are
provided across the SAN. Mission-critical applications are hosted that require fibre channel access to maintain
performance. It is recommended that one or more NAS gateways are deployed for VMware vSphere, the
exact number required being determined during the planning phase.
EMC PowerPath/VE (PP/VE) provides several benefits in terms of performance, availability, and operations.
The base PP/VE license is mandatory for the 700LX.
The 700LX base configuration for storage is a single engine with 96 GB or 128 GB of cache and 16 8 Gb fibre
channel front-end ports (per engine). There are three available tiers of storage (EFD, FC, and SATA). In a
base configuration, one storage cabinet and Tier 2 storage drives are populated with a minimum of 24 drives
or 36 drives depending upon the RAID configuration. The base configuration can be expanded to four engines
with up to 512 GB of cache and 64 fibre channel front-end ports. The storage drives can be increased to a
maximum of 1080 drives which can be configured within the three storage tiers.
The maximum configuration requires seven storage cabinets. Some of the front-end fibre channel ports are
reserved for replication, external SAN access, and X-Blades. The EMC Symmetrix VMAXe chassis has two
power supplies for full redundancy. Refer to Vblock Series 700 model LX for more information.
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Storage layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
EMC RecoverPoint (700LX)
For block storage configurations, 700LX can be upgraded to include EMC RecoverPoint. This replication
technology provides continuous data protection and continuous remote replication for on-demand protection
and recovery to any point in time. EMC RecoverPoint advanced capabilities include policy-based
management, application integration, and bandwidth reduction. RecoverPoint is included in the EMC Local
Protection Suite and EMC Remote Protection Suite.
To implement EMC RecoverPoint within a 700LX, add two or more EMC RecoverPoint Appliances (RPA) in a
cluster to the 700LX. This cluster can accommodate approximately 80 MB/s sustained throughput through
each RPA.
To ensure proper sizing and performance of an EMC RecoverPoint solution, VCE works with an EMC
Technical Consultant and the customer. They collect information about the data to be replicated, as well as
data change rates, data growth rates, network speeds, and other information that is needed to ensure that all
business requirements are met.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Storage layer hardware
EMC VNX VG2 Gateway and EMC VNX VG8 Gateway
The 700MX and the 700LX configurations can be upgraded to include file-based storage by adding the
optional EMC VNX VG2 Gateway or the EMC VNX VG8 Gateway. The EMC gateways provide NAS storage
in a centrally managed information storage system. The gateways allow you to grow, share, and cost-
effectively manage the Vblock platform with multiprotocol file access.
The EMC VNX VG2 Gateway is an entry-level SAN and NAS storage platform.
The EMC VNX VG8 Gateway is a massively scalable, enterprise, SAN, and NAS platform.
The following table compares the EMC VNX Gateways available in Vblock Series 700:
EMC VNX VG2 Gateway EMC VNX VG8 Gateway
Two X-Blades Two to eight X-Blades
Four core 2.40 GHz Intel Xeon 5600 processors with 6 GB memory
Six core 2.83 GHz Intel Xeon 5600 processors with 24 GB memory
200 TB usable capacity per X-Blade (200 TB per system)
256 TB usable capacity per X-Blade (1792 TB per system)
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Storage layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Scaling up storage resources
To scale up storage resources, you can add RAID packs, engines, cache, and DAE packs. Optionally,
expansion cabinets can be added with additional resources.
RAID packs
Storage capacity can be increased by adding RAID packs. Each pack contains a number of drives of a given
type, speed, and capacity. The number of drives in a pack depends upon the RAID level that it supports.
The number and types of RAID packs to include in a Vblock platform is based upon the following:
The number of storage pools that are needed.
The storage tiers that each pool contains, and the speed and capacity of the drives in each tier. The
following table lists tiers, supported drive types, and supported speeds and capacities.
Note: The speed and capacity of all drives within a given tier in a given pool must be the same.
Tier Drive type 700MX supported speeds and
capacities
700LX supported speeds and
capacities
1 Solid-state Enterprise Flash drives (EFD)
200 GB
400 GB
100 GB
200 GB
2 Fibre Channel (FC) 300 GB 15K RPM
450 GB 15K RPM
600 GB 15K RPM
300 GB 10K RPM
600 GB 10K RPM
300 GB 15K RPM
450 GB 15K RPM
3 SATA 1 TB 7.2K RPM
2 TB 7.2K RPM
2 TB 7.2K RPM
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Storage layer hardware
The RAID protection for the tiers in each pool. The following table describes each supported RAID
protection level.
Note: The RAID protection level for each of the three separate tier-related pools can be different.
More than three pools can exist but only three pools and tiers can exist in a single auto-tiering
FAST policy.
RAID protection
level
Description
RAID 1 A set of mirrored drives.
Offers the best overall performance of the three supported RAID protection levels.
Offers robust protection. Can sustain double drive failures that are not in the same mirror set.
Offers the best write performance since only two IOs are required to perform a single write.
Lowest economy of the three supported RAID levels since usable capacity is only 50% of raw capacity.
Supported on EFD, FC, and SATA drives.
RAID 5 Block-level striping with a single parity block, where the parity data is distributed across all the drives in the set.
Offers the best mix of performance, protection, and economy.
Has a higher write performance penalty than RAID 1 because multiple IOs are required to perform a single write.
With single parity, can sustain a single drive failure with no data loss. Vulnerable to data loss or unrecoverable read errors on a track during a drive rebuild.
Highest economy of the three supported RAID levels. Usable capacity is 80% of raw capacity.
EMC best practice for EFD and FC drives. Supported on SATA drives but not recommended..
RAID 6 Block-level striping with two parity blocks, distributed across all of the drives in the set.
Offers increased protection and read performance comparable to RAID 5.
Has a significant write performance penalty since multiple IOs are required to perform a single write.
Economy is very good. Usable capacity is 75% of raw capacity or better.
EMC best practice for SATA drives. Supported on FC drives but not on EFD drives.
There are RAID packs for each RAID protection level/tier type combination. The RAID levels dictate the
number of drives that are included in the packs. The following table lists RAID protection levels and the
number of drives in the packs for each level:
RAID protection level Number of drives per RAID pack
RAID 1 8 (4 + 4)
RAID 5
Should always be in quantities of 8 drives
4 (3 + 1) * 2
or
8 (7 + 1). Requires a minimum of 8 DAEs.
RAID 6 8 (6 drives + 2 parity)
or
16 (14 drives + 2 parity)
Storage cabinet expansion
Storage for the 700MX and the 700LX can be expanded by adding additional storage cabinets.
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Storage layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage cabinets for 700MX
If the number of RAID packs in a 700MX is expanded, more EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage cabinets might be
required. Each storage cabinet can hold 240 drives, 120 from each engine in a pair. The DAEs are
preconfigured.
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe storage cabinets for 700LX
If the number of RAID packs in a 700LX is expanded, an additional storage expansion cabinet might be
required. Each storage engine cabinet can hold 150 drives. Due to back-end bus structures, storage growth
beyond 120 drives requires a storage expansion cabinet.
Disk array enclosure (DAE) packs (700LX)
If there are not enough drive slots to support additional storage, slots can be added based on the EMC
minimums for the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe. DAEs are added in multiples of four.
Adding engines
For the 700MX, there are two engines in the base configuration with growth up to eight engines. You can
increment engines two engines at a time.
For the 700LX, there is one engine in the base configuration with growth up to four engines. You can
increment engines one engine at a time.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Network layer hardware
Network layer hardware
Network overview
The Cisco Nexus 5000 series switches in the network layer provide 10 GbE IP connectivity between the
components within the Vblock platform and to the outside world. In a unified storage configuration, the
switches also connect the fabric interconnects in the compute layer to the X-Blades in the storage layer. The
switches also provide connectivity to the Advanced Management Pod (AMP) through redundant connections
to the Cisco Catalyst 3560X Ethernet switch or switches in the AMP. Refer to Management hardware
components for information about the AMP. Ports are reserved or identified for special Vblock platform
services such as backup connectivity.
The Cisco MDS 9000 series switches in the aggregation layer provide Fibre Channel links between the Cisco
fabric interconnects and the engines. In a unified storage configuration, this connection also supports SAN
booting of the blades in the compute layer. Ports are also reserved for special Vblock platform services such
as SAN backup connectivity and aggregation uplinks.
700MX network components
Each 700MX model includes either two Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric switches or two Cisco MDS 9506
Multilayer Director switches or two Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director switches. In the Vblock platform, these
switches provide Fibre Channel connectivity between the compute layer components and the storage layer
components. These switches also provide connectivity for backup and business continuity requirements when
configured.
Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric switch
The Cisco MDS 9148 switch provides between 16 and 48 line-rate ports for non-blocking 8 Gbps throughput.
The ports are licensed on an as needed basis.
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Network layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Cisco MDS 9506 Multilayer Director
The Cisco MDS 9506 Multilayer Director switch provides between 48 and 96 line-rate ports for non-blocking
4 Gbps throughput; or between 16 and 32 ports at 8 Gbps. The 24-port line cards are added on an as needed
basis.
Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director
The Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director switch provides between 48 and 240 line-rate ports for non-blocking
4 Gbps throughput; or between 16 and 80 ports at 8 Gbps. The 24-port line cards are added on an as needed
basis.
The Cisco MDS 9506 Multilayer Director switch and the Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director switch can also
provide FCIP and SAN Tap capabilities for advanced SAN services through the 18 / 4 line card that provides
18 4 Gbps ports and 4 GbE ports or the 16-port SSN card that provides 16 GbE ports.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Network layer hardware
Optional network layer components
700MX supports additional network layer components for extremely high-throughput IP networking scenarios.
These additional components must be installed in a separate network cabinet. VCE does not support Vblock
platform configurations where these components are installed within the storage/compute cabinets. Refer to
700MX cabinet types.
Cisco Nexus 5548UP Ethernet switches
Each Vblock 700MX model includes two Cisco Nexus 5548UP Ethernet switches as a base configuration. In
the Vblock platform, these switches provide Ethernet connectivity:
Between the Vblock platform internal components
To the customer site network
To the Advanced Management Pod (AMP) through redundant connections to the Cisco Catalyst 3000
Ethernet switches in the AMP
The Cisco Nexus 5548UP Ethernet switch supports low latency line-rate 10 GB Ethernet and Fibre Channel
over Ethernet (FCoE) connectivity on up to 32 ports or 48 ports including the expansion module. Fibre Channel
on a Cisco Nexus 5548UP is not supported by VCE.
Cisco Nexus 7010 IP switches
For extremely demanding IP networking scenarios for the 700MX, Cisco Nexus 7010 switches can replace the
Cisco Nexus 5548UP Ethernet switches.
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Network layer hardware Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
700LX network components
The 700LX contains components for IP and SAN connectivity. Each 700LX model includes two Cisco Nexus
5548UP IP switches and two Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric switches. These switches provide IP and
Fibre Channel connectivity respectively between the compute layer components and the storage layer
components.
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Model LX Port Assignments Reference provides information
about the assigned use for each port in the Vblock platform. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
IP networking components
Each 700LX includes two Cisco Nexus 5548UP Ethernet switches. In the Vblock platform, these switches
provide Ethernet connectivity:
Between the Vblock platform internal components
To the customer site network
To the Advanced Management Pod (AMP) through redundant connections to the Cisco Catalyst 3000
Ethernet switches in the AMP
For backup and business continuity requirements when configured
The Cisco Nexus 5548UP Ethernet switch supports low latency line-rate 10 GB Ethernet and Fibre Channel
over Ethernet (FCoE) connectivity on up to 32 ports or 48 ports including the expansion module. Fibre Channel
on a Cisco Nexus 5548UP is not supported by VCE.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Network layer hardware
Storage switching components
Each 700LX includes two Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switches. In the Vblock platform, these switches
provide:
Fibre Channel connectivity between the compute layer components and the storage layer
components
Connectivity for backup and business continuity requirements when configured
The Cisco MDS 9148 switch provides 48 line-rate ports for non-blocking 8 Gbps throughput. 16 ports are
licensed. Additional ports can be licensed on an as needed basis.
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Virtualization components Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Virtualization components
Virtualization overview
VMware vSphere is the virtualization platform that provides the foundation for the private cloud. The core
VMware vSphere components are the VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi and VMware vCenter Server for
management.
The hypervisors are deployed in a cluster configuration and can scale up to 32 nodes per cluster. The cluster
allows dynamic allocation of resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage. The cluster also provides
workload mobility and flexibility with the use of VMware vMotion and Storage vMotion technology.
VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi
The VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi runs in the AMP and in the Vblock platform. This lightweight hypervisor
requires very little space to run (less than 6 GB of storage required to install) and has minimal management
overhead. ESXi does not contain a console operating system. ESXi is booted from a dedicated SAN volume to
provide stateless computing within a Vblock platform. The stateless hypervisor is not currently supported.
Cluster configuration
ESXi hosts and their resources are pooled together into clusters. These clusters contain the CPU, memory,
network, and storage resources available for allocation to virtual machines. Clusters can scale up to a
maximum of 32 hosts. Clusters can support thousands of virtual machines.
The clusters can also support a variety of Cisco UCS blades running inside the same cluster.
Note: Some advanced CPU functionality might be unavailable if more than one blade model is running in a
given cluster.
Datastores
Vblock platforms support a mixture of datastore types: block level storage using VMFS or file level storage
using NFS.
The maximum size per VMFS5 volume is 64 TB (50 TB VMFS3 @ 1 MB). Each host/cluster can support a
maximum of 255 volumes.
VCE optimizes the advanced settings for ESXi hosts that are deployed in Vblock platforms to maximize the
throughput and scalability of NFS datastores. Vblock platforms currently support a maximum of 256 NFS
datastores per host.
Virtual networks
Virtual networking in the AMP uses the VMware standard vSwitch. Virtual networking in Vblock platforms is
managed by the Cisco Nexus 1000v distributed virtual switch.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Virtualization components
VMware vCenter Server
VMware vCenter Server is a central management point for the hypervisors and virtual machines. VMware
vCenter is installed on a 64-bit Windows Server and runs as a service.
The AMP and the Vblock platform each have a unified VMware vCenter Server instance as well as an
accompanying instance of VMware Update Manager to assist with upgrades and host patch management.
VMware Update Manager is installed on a separate Windows Server and also runs as a Windows service.
Each of these systems resides in the AMP.
VMware vCenter Server provides the following functionality:
Cloning of virtual machines
Creating templates
VMware vMotion and VMware Storage vMotion
Initial configuration of DRS and VMware vSphere high availability clusters
VMware vCenter Server also provides monitoring and alerting capabilities for hosts and virtual machines.
Vblock platform administrators can create and apply alarms to all managed objects in VMware vCenter Server.
These alarms include:
Datacenter, cluster, and host health, inventory, and performance
Datastore health and capacity
Virtual machine usage, performance, and health
Virtual network usage and health
Databases
The backend database that supports VMware vCenter Server and VMware Update Manager (VUM) is remote
Microsoft SQL Server 2008. Vblock platforms also support the use of Oracle databases for vCenter and VUM
databases. The SQL Server service requires a dedicated service account.
Authentication
Vblock platforms support the integration of client-side Active Directory for authentication. VMware vCenter
Server and Update Manager run as separate Windows services. Each service is configured to use a dedicated
service account.
A separate Active Directory domain can be provisioned by VCE if required. This domain is configured with the
service accounts, user accounts, and groups required to manage the virtual environment.
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Virtualization components Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
VCE supported features
VCE supports the following VMware vCenter Server features:
vSphere high availability
DRS
Fault Tolerance
VMware vMotion
VMware Storage vMotion
Raw Device Maps
Resource Pools
Storage DRS (capacity only)
VMware vSphere Storage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) (except TP reclaim primitive)
Storage driven profiles (user-defined only)
Distributed power management (up to 50 percent of ESXi hosts/blades)
VMware Syslog Service
VMware Core Dump Collector
VMware vCenter Web Services
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Management components
Management components
Management hardware components
Vblock platforms include an Advanced Management Pod (AMP). The AMP provides a single management
point for Vblock platforms. It enables the following benefits:
Monitors and manages Vblock platform health, performance, and capacity
Provides fault isolation for management
Eliminates resource overhead on the Vblock platform
Provides a clear demarcation point for remote operations
The following table describes the AMPs:
AMP Description
Mini One Cisco UCS C200 server, with 48 GB RAM with 4 TB of storage
Two Cisco Catalyst 3560X Ethernet switches
High-availability (HA) Two Cisco UCS C200 Servers
One EMC VNXe3100
Two Cisco Catalyst 3560X Ethernet switches
In a Vblock platform configuration with a mini-AMP, space is reserved in the rack for the additional HA AMP
components to make it easy to upgrade to the HA AMP later.
Cisco UCS C200 server Cisco Catalyst 3560X Ethernet switch EMC VNXe3100
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Management components Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Management software tools
This topic describes the management software tools available on Vblock Series 700.
AMP software tools
Each AMP is delivered pre-configured with the following software tools:
VMware vCenter, VCDB built on Microsoft Windows SQL Server, and vCenter Update Manager
EMC Ionix UIM/P
Cisco Nexus 1000v virtual switch manager
EMC PowerPath/VE License Management Server
(Optional) EMC VG gateway management software that includes Unisphere Client and Unisphere
Service Manager
(Optional) EMC RecoverPoint management software that includes RecoverPoint Management
Application and RecoverPoint Deployment Manager
EMC Symmetrix Management containing EMC Symmetrix Management Console (SMC) on Windows
and EMC Symmetrix Performance Analyzer (SPA) on Windows
EMC Secure Remote Support (ESRS)
EMC Solutions Enabler with SMIS
Cisco Device Manager and Cisco Fabric Manager
System administration utilities such as PuTTY, TFTP Server, JAVA, etc.
Storage features support
This topic presents additional storage features available on Vblock Series 700.
vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI)
Vblock 700 models support VMware vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI). This technology improves
overall storage performance by offloading various host resource-intensive tasks to the SAN hardware.
VAAI is supported for block protocols only. Within a Vblock platform with VMAXe Enginuity 5875 for
Block 05.31 and VMware ESX(i) 5.0, VAAI is automatically enabled. The following features are supported:
Full copy offload
Block zeroing (Copy Same)
Hardware assisted lock management
Thin provisioning (TP) stun
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Management components
File deduplication
File deduplication is supported on the EMC VNX VG2 Gateway or the EMC VNX VG8 Gateway, but is not
enabled by default. Note that enabling this feature requires thorough knowledge of capacity and storage
requirements. Refer to EMC VNX VG2 Gateway and EMC VNX VG8 Gateway.
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Vblock Series 700 cabinets Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 cabinets
Cabinets overview
Within each Vblock 700 model, the compute and network layer components are distributed within the cabinets.
Distributing the components in this manner balances out the power draw and reduces the size of the power
outlet units (POUs) that are required. Refer to Power options for 700MX or Power options for 700LX for more
information.
Each cabinet conforms to a standard predefined layout. Space is reserved for specific components even if they
are not present or required for the customer configuration. This design makes it easier to upgrade or expand
each Vblock platform as capacity needs increase.
For 700LX, VCE preinstalls all wiring based on the predefined layouts.
Vblock platform cabinets are designed to be installed next to one another within the data center (that is,
contiguously). If a customer requires the base and expansion cabinets to be physically separated, customized
cabling is needed which incurs additional cost and delivery delays.
Note: The cable length is NOT the same as distance between cabinets. The cable must route through the
cabinets and through the cable channels overhead or in the floor.
700MX cabinet types
The VCE standard cabinet configurations for Vblock 700MX include two standard layouts:
Compute and storage
Compute, storage, and network
The following table describes the cabinet types in each layout:
700MX layout Cabinet types
Compute and storage CB compute base cabinet
Optional CE compute cabinet
EMC Symmetrix VMAX system/storage cabinets
Compute and network CB compute base cabinet
Optional CE compute cabinet
Network cabinets
EMC Symmetrix VMAX system/storage cabinets
The compute, network, and storage cabinets can be physically separated but will require custom cabling to
enable a distributed configuration.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 cabinets
CB compute base cabinet
The CB compute base cabinet contains the following components:
One fibre patch panel
Two Cisco UCS 6248UP Fabric Interconnects or two Cisco UCS 6140XP Fabric Interconnects
Four Cisco UCS 5108 blade chassis, each containing up to four full-width blades or eight half-width
blades.
CE compute expansion (CE) cabinet
The CE compute cabinet consists of four Cisco UCS 5108 chassis each containing up to four full-width blades
or eight half-width blades.
Storage cabinets
700MX can contain one EMC Symmetrix VMAX system cabinet and one storage cabinet and up to seven
optional EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage cabinets.
Network cabinets
If additional space is required for networking or storage switching components, one or more network cabinets
are added.
Network cabinets serve as aggregation points for:
IP networking components for cross-Vblock platform communication and customer access points
The core portion of core-edge block fabrics to support shared replication and fabric services
AMP IP management connectivity consolidation
Use network cabinets to house the following components:
A centralized AMP for large Vblock platform environments
Fibre patch panels
Two Cisco MDS SAN switches
Two Cisco Ethernet switches
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Vblock Series 700 cabinets Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Maximum number of cabinets
The following table lists the maximum number of cabinets allowed in a 700MX configuration:
Cabinet type Maximum number allowed
CB 5
CE 5
Network 4
EMC Symmetrix VMAX 9
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 cabinets
700LX cabinet types
The 700LX is available in a base configuration up to a maximum configuration. The following table describes
the cabinet types in each configuration:
700LX configuration Cabinet types
Base Compute and network base (CNB A and CNB B)
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe storage base (SB 1)
Reserved floor space for one EMC Symmetrix VMAXe disk expansion cabinet (SE 1A).
Maximum Compute and network base (CNB A and CNB B)
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe storage base (SB 1)
Compute and network expansion (CNE)
Up to six EMC Symmetrix VMAXe engine/disk expansion (SE 1A, SB 2, SB 3, SB 4, SE 1B, SE 2B).
Compute and network (CNB A and CNB B) base configuration cabinets
The CNB A and CNB B cabinets each contain the following set of base compute and networking components:
Three Cisco UCS 5108 chassis, each containing up to 4 full-width blades or 8 half-width blades
One Cisco UCS 6248UP Fabric Interconnect
One Cisco Nexus 5548UP switch
One Cisco MDS 9148 switch
Advanced Management Pod (AMP) components
Two interconnect patch panels
One customer/aggregation patch panel
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Vblock Series 700 cabinets Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
CNB A cabinet base configuration
The following illustration shows the components in a CNB A cabinet base configuration:
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 cabinets
CNB B cabinet base configuration
The following illustration shows the components in a CNB B cabinet base configuration:
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Vblock Series 700 cabinets Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Compute and network (CNB A and CNB B) maximum configuration cabinets
In the 700LX maximum configuration, the CNB A and CNB B cabinets each contain the following components:
EMC VG2/VG8 Gateway control station
Two EMC DMEs
Two EMC RecoverPoint Appliances (RPAs)
CNB A cabinet maximum configuration
The following illustration shows the components in a CNB A cabinet maximum configuration:
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 cabinets
CNB B cabinet maximum configuration
The following illustration shows the components in a CNB B cabinet maximum configuration:
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Vblock Series 700 cabinets Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Compute and network expansion (CNE) cabinet
If a 700LX maximum configuration expands beyond its CNB A and CNB B cabinets, a compute and network
expansion (CNE) cabinet can be added for two additional Cisco UCS 5108 chassis. Space is reserved for an
additional chassis. This design makes it easier to add this hardware later if necessary.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 cabinets
Storage cabinets
The 700LX base configuration includes one EMC Symmetrix VMAXe base (SB 1) cabinet and reserved floor
space for one EMC Symmetrix VMAXe disk expansion cabinet (SE 1A).
As shown in the following illustration, the 700LX maximum configuration contains one EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
base (SB 1) cabinet and up to six optional EMC Symmetrix VMAXe engine/disk expansion cabinets
(SE 1A, SB 2, SB 3, SB 4, SE 1B, and SE 2B).
Maximum number of cabinets
The following table lists the maximum number of cabinets allowed in a 700LX configuration:
Cabinet type Maximum number allowed per cabinet
CNB 2
CNE 1
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe 7
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Vblock Series 700 models Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 models
Vblock Series 700 model overview
The following table compares the architecture of the Vblock 700 models:
700MX 700LX
Storage access Block or unified Block or unified
Fabric interconnect model
Up to five pairs of Cisco UCS 6248UP (one pair with UIM support) or
Up to five pairs of Cisco UCS 6140XP (one pair with UIM support)
One pair of Cisco UCS 6248UP
Cisco B-series blade chassis
40 maximum (8 maximum with UIM support) 8 maximum
B-series blades (maximum)
Half-width = 320
Full-width = 160
Half-width = 64
Full-width = 32
IP switches (Optional) Cisco Nexus 5548UP Series IP switches
(Optional) Cisco Nexus 7010 Series IP switches
Cisco Nexus 5548UP Series IP switches
SAN switches Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch
(Optional) Cisco MDS 9506 Multilayer Director
(Optional) Cisco MDS 9513 Multilayer Director
Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch
Array EMC Symmetrix VMAX EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
Back-end FC buses 32 - 128 16 - 64
Storage protocol Block = FC
Unified = FC, CIFS, and NFS
Block = FC
Unified = FC, CIFS, and NFS
Datastore type Block = VMFS
Unified = NFS and VMFS
Block = VMFS
Unified = NFS and VMFS
X-Blades (Unified only) Minimum = 2
Maximum = 8
Minimum = 2
Maximum = 8
Boot path SAN SAN
Disk drives Minimum = 80
Maximum = 1920
Minimum = 24
Maximum = 1080
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 models
Power options for 700MX
Vblock 700MX supports several power outlet unit (POU) options in North America and outside of North
America.
North America power options for Vblock platform cabinets
The following table lists the POUs that are available for 700MX in North America:
POU Power specifications Number per CB/CE cabinet Number per network cabinet
IEC 309 3P+PE 3-phase delta / 60A /208V 2 POUs per cabinet 0 POUs per cabinet
Hubbell CS8365 3-phase delta / 50A /208V 0 POUs per cabinet 2 POUs per cabinet
Power options outside of North America for Vblock platform cabinets
The following table lists the POUs that are available for 700MX outside of North America:
POU Power specifications Number per CB/CE cabinet Number per network cabinet
IEC 309 3P+N+PE 3-phase wye / 32A / 230 / 400V 2 POUs per cabinet 0 POUs per cabinet
IEC 309 2P+E 1-phase / 32A / 230 / 400V 0 POUs per cabinet 2 POUs per cabinet
North America power options for EMC Symmetrix VMAX
The following table lists the POUs that are available for EMC Symmetrix VMAX in North America:
POU Power specifications Number per cabinet
Hubbell CS8365C 3-phase delta / 50A /208V 2 POUs per cabinet
NEMA L6-30P Single phase / 30A / 208V 4 POUs per cabinet
Power options outside of North America for EMC Symmetrix VMAX
The following table lists the POUs that are available for EMC Symmetrix VMAX outside of North America:
POU Power specifications Number per CB/CE cabinet
Flying leads (add own plug) 3-phase wye / 32A / 230/400V 2 POUs per cabinet
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Physical Planning Guide provides more information about
power requirements. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Vblock Series 700 models Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Power options for 700LX
Vblock 700LX supports several power outlet unit (POU) options in North America and outside of North
America.
North America power options for Vblock platform cabinets
The following table lists the POUs that are available for 700LX in North America:
POU Power specifications Number per CNB A and CNB B cabinet Number per CNE cabinet
NEMA L15-30P 3-phase delta / 30A /208V 4 4
IEC 60309 3-phase delta / 60A /208V 2 2
IEC 60309 Single phase / 60A / 208V 4 4
NEMA L6-30P Single phase / 30A / 208V 6 4
Power options outside of North America for Vblock platform cabinets
The following table lists the POUs that are available for 700LX outside of North America:
POU Power specifications Number per CNB A and CNB B
cabinet
Number per CNE
cabinet
IEC 60309 2P+E Single phase / 32A / 230V 6 4
IEC 60309 3-phase wye / 32A / 230 / 400V 2 2
IEC 60309 3-phase wye / 16A / 230 / 400V 4 4
North America power options for EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
The following table lists the POUs that are available for EMC Symmetrix VMAXe in North America:
POU Power specifications Number per cabinet
NEMA L6-30P Single phase / 30A / 208V 2 POUs per cabinet
Power options outside of North America for EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
The following table lists the POUs that are available for EMC Symmetrix VMAXe outside of North America:
POU Power specifications Number per cabinet
IEC 60309 2P+E Single phase / 32A / 230V 2 POUs per cabinet
The Vblock Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Physical Planning Guide provides more information about
power requirements. Refer to Accessing VCE documentation.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 models
Vblock Series 700 model MX
Vblock 700MX is deployed for massive scaling with ERP, CRM, and virtual desktops in configurations that are
extensible to meet the most demanding IT requirements of any enterprises or service providers and utilizes a
SAN storage medium or a NAS (File) storage medium. UCS local boot disks are optional.
Note: When installing 700MX cabinets, it is important to leave sufficient space between the CB cabinet or
network cabinets and the EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage bay to allow for as many storage expansion
bays as the customer plans to grow to. If this space is not pre-allocated, it will require an outage or
exception request to move the cabinets during an upgrade.
The illustrations show the Cisco UCS 6248UP Series Fabric Interconnect. Cisco UCS 6140XP Series Fabric
Interconnect is also a valid option.
700MX compute and storage configuration
The following illustration shows the 700MX base compute and storage configuration: The networking
components are not shown in this illustration.
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Vblock Series 700 models Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
700MX compute and network configuration
The following illustration shows the 700MX base compute and network configuration. The storage cabinets are
not shown in this illustration.
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Vblock Series 700 models
Vblock Series 700 model LX
Vblock 700LX provides high-end virtual storage capabilities to IT organizations and service providers with
demanding storage requirements and limited resources. The EMC Symmetrix VMAXe delivers scalable
performance, simplified management and provisioning, automated tiering, local and remote replication, and the
ability to support numerous virtual machines.
The core element of the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe is the VMAXe engine, which includes the Intel XEON quad-
core processors, cache, and front-end and back-end connectivity. The EMC Symmetrix VMAXe can scale by
aggregating up to four EMC Symmetrix VMAXe engines with a total of eight redundant directors.
700LX base configuration
As shown in the following illustration, the 700LX base configuration has the following cabinets:
Compute and network base cabinets (CNB A and CNB B)
EMX Symmetrix VMAXe storage base (SB 1) cabinet
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Vblock Series 700 models Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
The 700LX base configuration has reserved floor space for an EMC Symmetrix VMAXe disk expansion
cabinet (SE 1A).
The base configuration contains six Cisco UCS 5108 blade chassis, two Cisco UCS 6248UP fabric
interconnects, and blade servers. The base configuration can be expanded to up to eight Cisco UCS 5108
blade chassis with the addition of the EMC Symmetrix VMAXe disk expansion cabinet (SE 1). Each Cisco
UCS 5108 blade chassis has two fabric extenders that have four connectors to each of the fabric
interconnects. Each Cisco UCS 5108 blade chassis also has four power supplies (2500 W each) for full
redundancy. Only two of the six installed Cisco UCS 5108 blade chassis are licensed in the base
configuration. Additional chassis require chassis activation licenses that must be purchased separately. Refer
to Chassis activation kits.
700LX maximum configuration
As shown in the following illustration, the 700LX maximum configuration has the following cabinets:
Compute and network base cabinets (CNB A and CNB B)
Compute network expansion (CNE) cabinet
EMX Symmetrix VMAXe storage base (SB 1) cabinet
Space for up to six EMC Symmetrix VMAXe disk expansion (SE 1A, SB 2, SB 3, SB 4, SE 1B, SE 2B)
cabinets
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Additional references
Additional references
References overview
The following tables provide links to documentation provided by Cisco, EMC, and VMware for each of the
product lines that are discussed in this document.
Virtualization
Compute
Network
Storage
Virtualization components
Product Description Link to documentation
VMware vCenter Server
Provides a scalable and extensible platform that forms the foundation for virtualization management.
www.vmware.com/solutions/virtualization-management/
VMware vSphere ESXi
Virtualized infrastructure for Vblock platforms. Virtualizes all application servers and provides VMware High Availability (HA) and Dynamic Resource Scheduling (DRS).
www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/
Compute components
Product Description Link to documentation
Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects
UCS family of line-rate, low-latency, lossless, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and Fibre Channel functions. Provide network connectivity and management capabilities.
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11544/index.html
Cisco UCS 6100 Series Fabric Interconnects
UCS family of line-rate, low-latency, lossless, 10 Gbps Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet interconnect switches
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10276/index.html
Cisco UCS 5100 Series Blade Server Chassis
Chassis that supports up to eight blade servers and up to two fabric extenders in a six rack unit (RU) enclosure.
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10279/index.html
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Additional references Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Product Description Link to documentation
Cisco UCS 2200 Series Fabric Extenders
Bring unified fabric into the blade-server chassis, providing up to four 10 Gbps connections each between blade servers and the fabric interconnect
www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/ps10265/ps10276/data_sheet_c78-675243.html
Cisco UCS 2100 Series Fabric Extenders
Bring unified fabric into the blade-server chassis, providing up to four 10 Gbps connections each between blade servers and the fabric interconnect
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10278/index.html
Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers
Servers that adapt to application demands, intelligently scale energy use, and offer best-in-class virtualization
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10280/index.html
Cisco UCS Manager
Provides centralized management capabilities for the Cisco Unified Computing System
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10281/index.html
Network components
Product Description Link to documentation
Cisco Nexus 1000V
A software switch on a server that delivers Cisco VN-Link services to virtual machines hosted on that server
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9902/index.html
Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors
Provides industry-leading availability, scalability, security, and management. The Cisco MDS 9000 family allows deployment of high-performance SANs with lowest TCO.
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps5990/index.html
Cisco MDS 9148 Multilayer Fabric Switch
Provides 48 line-rate 8-Gbps ports and offers cost-effective scalability through on-demand activation of ports.
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10703/index.html
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches
Simplifies data center transformation by enabling a standards-based, high-performance unified fabric.
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9670/index.html
Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
A single end-to-end platform designed around infrastructure scalability, operational continuity, and transport flexibility.
www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9402/index.html
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Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
Additional references
Storage components
Product Description Link to documentation
EMC Symmetrix VMAX
EMC high-end storage array that delivers infrastructure services in the next generation data center. Built for reliability, availability, and scalability, EMC Symmetrix VMAX uses specialized engines, each of which includes two redundant director modules providing parallel access and replicated copies of all critical data.
www.emc.com/storage/symmetrix/vmax.htm
EMC Symmetrix VMAXe
Delivers full enterprise-class availability, data integrity, and security.
www.emc.com/storage/symmetrix/vmaxe.htm
EMC VNX VG2 Gateway
EMC VNX VG8 Gateway
Provide NAS storage in a centrally managed information storage system. The Gateways allow you to grow, share, and cost effectively manage the Vblock platform with multi-protocol file access.
www.emc.com/collateral/hardware/data-sheet/c1119-celerra-gateway-storage-ds.pdf
www.emc.com/collateral/hardware/specification-sheet/h7292-celerra-vg2-ss.pdf
www.emc.com/collateral/hardware/specification-sheet/h7293-celerra-vg8-gateway-ss.pdf
EMC RecoverPoint
Provides continuous data protection for operational and disaster recovery of information on the Vblock platform.
www.emc.com/replication/recoverpoint/recoverpoint.htm
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Additional references Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms Series 700 Architecture
Overview
ABOUT VCE
VCE, the Virtual Computing Environment Company formed by Cisco and EMC with investments from VMware and Intel,
accelerates the adoption of converged infrastructure and cloud-based computing models that dramatically reduce the cost of IT
while improving time to market for our customers. VCE, through the Vblock platform, delivers the industry's first completely
integrated IT offering with end-to-end vendor accountability. VCE's prepackaged solutions are available through an extensive
partner network, and cover horizontal applications, vertical industry offerings, and application development environments, allowing
customers to focus on business innovation instead of integrating, validating and managing IT infrastructure.
For more information, go to www.vce.com.
Copyright © 2012 VCE Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Vblock and the VCE logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of VCE Company, LLC. and/or its affiliates in the United States or other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.