Cisco Validated Design for NetApp FlexPod Shared Infrastructure

As data center virtualization becomes more pervasive, IT functions are increasingly seeking to lower cost of ownership and improve manageability by unifying silos of information with shared IT infrastructures and multi-hypervisor environments.

To meet customer demand for choice and flexibility, Cisco Systems, Inc. and NetApp, Inc. are announcing the availability of a Cisco Validated Design (CVD) for the FlexPod shared infrastructure and Microsoft Corp. private cloud.

The new FlexPod solution validated with Microsoft private cloud builds on a reference architecture that was announced last year and is designed to reduce infrastructure and application deployment time from days to hours while helping achieve greater utilization of physical and virtual resource pools. Part of a series of joint solutions with support from Microsoft, the FlexPod solution is currently available for demonstration in select Microsoft Technology Centers (MTCs) around the world.

To help channel partners further accelerate and simplify customers’ transitions to private clouds, Cisco and NetApp are working with Avnet Technology Solutions, an operating group of Avnet, Inc., to expand its FlexPod Services to provide partners in the United States and Canada with the validated, pretested data center solution for the cloud.

FlexPod solution validated
with Microsoft private cloud

• Validated by Microsoft as part of its Private Cloud Fast Track program, the FlexPod validated shared infrastructure features the Cisco UCS server, Cisco network switches, NetApp unified storage systems running on Data ONTAP software, and the Microsoft Private Cloud Fast Track architecture with Windows Server 2008 R2 and System Center.
• FlexPod is a pretested architectural design guide that combines networking, computing, and storage in a shared infrastructure and supports multiple applications and workloads to help customers accelerate and simplify their transition to the cloud. The flexible, scalable shared infrastructure is pretested to lower deployment risk, increase data center efficiencies, and create a flexible information technology (IT) environment to build a Microsoft private cloud.
• The solution goes beyond virtualization to drive business value through deep insight into applications and to simplify the evolution to IT as a Service (ITaaS). The platform allows customers to orchestrate IT resources so they can deliver applications as services, resolve problems, increase application uptime, and meet SLAs.
• It is deployed at select MTCs worldwide, allowing customers to see the power of Microsoft System Center with Windows Server Hyper-V on the FlexPod shared infrastructure. Partners and customers have direct access to FlexPod deployments and can engage with Cisco, Microsoft, and NetApp technology experts through briefings, architectural design sessions, and proof-of-concept engagements.

Avnet Support

• As part of its FlexPod Services, Avnet will now provide its channel partners with a single source for delivery of the Microsoft private cloud built on FlexPod solution. Avnet will offer multiple configurations to help channel partners meet different customer requirements, especially for those working with customers in the vertical markets of energy, finance, government, healthcare, and retail.
• Avnet’s expanded FlexPod Services are designed to help channel partners deliver the FlexPod solution validated with Microsoft private cloud. They include pre-sales support, consolidated quoting, single order capability, assembly and testing, ship complete, and tracking. Additionally, channel partners will be able to work hand in hand with a dedicated Avnet team to support all of their FlexPod needs, as well as draw upon additional support and expertise from Avnet’s dedicated Cisco and NetApp teams.
• FlexPod Services from Avnet allow channel partners to focus their resources on core business strategies while Avnet handles the complexities of solution development and supply-chain management.

Cisco and NetApp FlexPod Shared Infrastructure

• Since Cisco and NetApp’s FlexPod was announced in November 2010, both channel partners and customers have embraced the benefits of the solution. To date, approximately 500 joint channel partners worldwide are certified to sell FlexPod and more than 600 customers have deployed FlexPod in their data center infrastructure, representing more than 400% growth in customer adoption since May 2011.
• To provide flexibility and customer choice, FlexPod currently offers 13 Cisco Validated Designs supporting multiple hypervisors, business applications and workloads. Cisco and NetApp will sponsor Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2012, where these and other private cloud solutions will be demonstrated.
• NetApp and Cisco offer programs to support FlexPod to give channel partners access to a range of tools and resources to help partners differentiate their services, speed time to market, and grow their revenues. The channel programs include technical trainings and service benefits, as well as marketing and sales support.

Brad Anderson, corporate vice president, Management and Security, Microsoft, said: "Customers find unique value in Microsoft’s private cloud because of our cross-platform approach – you can build one private cloud for your heterogeneous workloads and platforms. The FlexPod solution validated with Microsoft private cloud implements best practices for effectively integrating server, storage, and network elements with Windows Server, Hyper-V, and System Center. By combining Cisco and NetApp solutions with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center, we can give our joint customers an integrated, agile, and efficient data center environment."

Carol Kinney, vice president for FlexPod Services, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, said: "Working collaboratively with Microsoft, Cisco, and NetApp, Avnet focused on streamlining the development and delivery of Microsoft private cloud built on FlexPod solutions for our channel partners. Avnet also created a suite of services to shorten and simplify the sales cycle, making it easier for our channel partners to go to market with this new solution. Avnet’s FlexPod Services and our single-resource capabilities allow us to ensure that our channel partners, and their customers, have a consistent and positive experience."

Satinder Sethi, vice president, Server Access Virtualization Technology Group, Cisco, said: "The FlexPod validated with Microsoft private cloud reinforces Cisco’s commitment to offering a range of data center solutions that enable our channel partners to offer customers more choice and flexibility. Microsoft customers can now use shared infrastructure and integrated management to complement Microsoft’s deep application insights, along with the ability to automatically orchestrate resources from the FlexPod, to enable customers to deliver applications as services and meet demanding business service-level agreements."

Phil Brotherton, vice president of the Enterprise Software Group, NetApp, said: "The strong market demand for Microsoft private cloud solutions built on NetApp and Cisco technologies further reinforces the importance of this strategic three-way partnership. Together, we are bringing compelling, innovative solutions to market that enable our joint partners and customers to build secure private clouds optimized for efficiency, flexibility, and fast time to value. NetApp’s ongoing and proven integrations with Cisco UCS and Windows Server, Hyper-V, System Center, and applications underscore our commitment, and we look forward to much more to come at the Microsoft Management Summit in April."