Home > Store

Implementing Cisco HyperFlex Solutions

Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.

Implementing Cisco HyperFlex Solutions

Best Value Purchase

Book + eBook Bundle

  • Your Price: $68.29
  • List Price: $117.98
  • Includes EPUB and PDF
  • About eBook Formats
  • This eBook includes the following formats, accessible from your Account page after purchase:

    ePub EPUB The open industry format known for its reflowable content and usability on supported mobile devices.

    Adobe Reader PDF The popular standard, used most often with the free Acrobat® Reader® software.

    This eBook requires no passwords or activation to read. We customize your eBook by discreetly watermarking it with your name, making it uniquely yours.

More Purchase Options

Book

  • Your Price: $47.99
  • List Price: $59.99
  • Usually ships in 24 hours.

eBook

  • Your Price: $46.39
  • List Price: $57.99
  • Includes EPUB and PDF
  • About eBook Formats
  • This eBook includes the following formats, accessible from your Account page after purchase:

    ePub EPUB The open industry format known for its reflowable content and usability on supported mobile devices.

    Adobe Reader PDF The popular standard, used most often with the free Acrobat® Reader® software.

    This eBook requires no passwords or activation to read. We customize your eBook by discreetly watermarking it with your name, making it uniquely yours.

About

Features

  • Thoroughly covers HyperFlex Edge, HyperFlex Standard, HyperFlex stretched clusters, and Intersight integration
  • Explains key concepts with extensive configuration examples, topologies, verification steps, and best-practice guidelines and recommendations
  • Presents straight-from-the-trenches “do’s and don’ts” for designing complex solutions and achieving maximum efficiency
  • Shows how to deploy HyperFlex technologies quickly across a wide variety of datacenter environments

Description

  • Copyright 2021
  • Dimensions: 7-3/8" x 9-1/8"
  • Pages: 368
  • Edition: 1st
  • Book
  • ISBN-10: 0-13-660191-X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-13-660191-3

Cisco HyperFlex solutions enhance data center efficiency, agility, and resiliency by tightly integrating core infrastructure (compute, storage, networking, and system management), increasing automation, and simplifying lifecycle management. This authoritative, comprehensive guide brings together knowledge, detailed configuration options, and real-world case studies for successfully deploying Cisco HyperFlex technologies in environments of all types.

Three expert authors present easy-to-understand overviews of key Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) concepts, show how HyperFlex technologies apply them, and present detailed reference examples with topologies, configurations, and verifications for each major feature. Drawing on extensive experience helping Cisco customers adopt HyperFlex, they present best practices for optimizing design, streamlining deployment, avoiding pitfalls, and maximizing value.

This guide will be indispensable to every IT and network professional, manager, or consultant involved in planning, deploying, or operating Cisco HyperFlex or evaluating any HCI solution. Reflecting current trends in HCI deployment, it will be valuable in both small-scale environments and large-scale data centers.

  • Explore how and why data centers have evolved from traditional to converged and hyperconverged infrastructure
  • Review the essentials of HyperFlex hyperconverged infrastructure connectivity
  • Understand HyperFlex Data Platform architecture, components, topologies, and supported hardware
  • Compare HyperFlex standard, stretch, and edge clusters, and understand their respective roles
  • Install and deploy each type of Cisco HyperFlex cluster, including preparation, prerequisites, and components
  • Manage HyperFlex via HyperFlex Connect: HX storage cluster status, components, encryption, replication, and more
  • Maintain HyperFlex: clustering, virtual machine management, native snapshots, ReadyClones, and more
  • Scale HyperFlex clusters, replace hardware, and upgrade software
  • Configure and manage advanced HyperFlex Data Platform disaster recovery features
  • Integrate supported third-party data protection solutions, including Veeam Availability Suite, Cohesity, and Commvault
  • Utilize the cloud-based Cisco Intersight platform to deploy HyperFlexAnywhere, including edge and standard clusters

Sample Content

Table of Contents

Preface xix

Introduction 1

Introduction to HCI 3

Cisco's HCI Solution: HyperFlex Overview 4

Deployment Options of Cisco HyperFlex 6

Cisco HyperFlex Advantages 7

Chapter 1 Overview of Data Center Products 15

Cisco Unified Computing System 15

UCS-B Series Products 16

Cisco UCS Manager (UCSM) 20

UCS-C Series Products 22

UCS-S Series Products 23

Cisco Intersight Cloud-Based Management (SaaS Solution) 23

HyperFlex Data Platform 24

HyperFlex Hybrid Nodes 25

HyperFlex All Flash Nodes 26

HyperFlex Edge for Remote and Branch Offices 27

Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series System Management Components 28

Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Director SAN Switches 29

Cisco MDS 9700 Series Multilayer Director 30

Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Director 31

Network Switches 31

Nexus 5000 Series Products 31

Nexus 9000 Series Products 33

Hypervisors 36

VMWare vSphere Hypervisor 37

Microsoft Hyper-V 38

Summary 39

Chapter 2 HyperFlex Architecture 41

HyperFlex Architecture Components 42

Storage Controller Virtual Machine 42

HX Services 43

IO Visor 44

Log Structure File System 44

Data Optimization 45

HyperFlex Cleaner 45

Cluster Resource Manager (CRM) 46

Zookeeper 46

HyperFlex HX-Series Node Overview 47

HX220 M5/M4 Series 47

HX240 M5/M4 Series 49

HXAF220c-M5N All-NVMe 51

All Flash, Hybrid, and All-NVMe 51

Cisco HyperFlex Compute-Only Nodes 52

Physical Installation 52

Supported Media 54

Physical Topology 58

HyperFlex Standard Cluster/HyperFlex Extended Cluster Topology 58

HyperFlex Stretch Cluster Topology 63

HyperFlex Edge Cluster Topology 64

Summary 73

Chapter 3 Installing HyperFlex 75

Installation Prerequisites 76

Cisco HyperFlex HX-Series System Components 77

Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnects (FIs) 78

Cisco Nexus Switches 78

HyperFlex Software Versions 78

Host Requirements 79

Disk Requirements 79

Browser Recommendations 81

Port Requirements 81

HyperFlex External Connections 87

UCS/Fabric Interconnect Network Provisioning 88

Configuration for HyperFlex 3.5 88

Network Settings 91

VLAN and vSwitch Requirements 91

Cisco UCS Requirements 92

Hypervisor Requirements 93

Storage Cluster Requirements 94

vCenter Configuration Requirements 95

System Services Requirements 96

CPU Resource Reservation for Controller VMs 96

Memory Resource Reservation for Controller Virtual Machines 97

Controller VM Locations 97

Auto-Support Requirements 100

Single Sign-On Requirements 101

Installing Cisco HyperFlex System Servers 101

Physical Connectivity Illustrations for Direct Connect Mode Cluster Setup 101

Installation Workflow 103

Deploy the HX Data Platform Installer OVA by Using the vSphere Web Client 104

Configuring and Deploying a Standard HyperFlex Cluster 107

Installing HyperFlex Edge/Robo Cluster (ESXi, 3 Node) 120

HyperFlex Edge Deployment Options 121

Installation Overview 121

Configuring and Deploying a HyperFlex Edge Cluster (Gigabit Ethernet Only) 123

Configuring and Deploying a HyperFlex Edge Cluster (10 Gigabit Ethernet Only) 128

HyperFlex Edge Postinstallation Tasks 129

Installing a HyperFlex Stretch Cluster (ESXi) 130

Preinstallation Checklist 130

Deploying the Witness Node 134

HyperFlex Stretch Cluster Network IP Addressing 136

HyperFlex Stretch Cluster Guidelines 138

HyperFlex Stretch Cluster Limitations 138

HyperFlex Stretch Cluster Installation 139

HyperFlex Stretch Cluster Postinstallation 150

Summary 150

Chapter 4 Managing HyperFlex 151

Logging in to HyperFlex Connect 151

Local Access 151

Role-Based Access Control 152

Dashboard Page 154

Settings Page 155

Alarms Page 160

Events Page 162

Activity Page 163

Performance Page 164

System Information Page 165

Datastores Page 169

Virtual Machines Page 171

Upgrade Page 172

Web CLI Page 174

Replication 175

Replication Pairing 176

Encryption 177

Summary 181

Chapter 5 Maintaining HyperFlex 183

HyperFlex Licensing 184

Registering a Cluster with Smart Licensing 184

Registering a Cluster with Smart Software Licensing Through a Controller VM 188

Virtual Machine Management 189

HX Data Platform Native Snapshots Overview 190

ReadyClones 199

Datastores 205

Scaling HyperFlex Clusters 207

Node Expansion 207

Expanding a Stretch Cluster 213

Removing Nodes 217

Increasing Storage Capacity by Adding Drives 225

Hardware (Disk) Replacement 225

Replacing SSDs 225

Replacing or Adding HDDs 229

Upgrading HyperFlex Software 230

Upgrading HyperFlex 230

Pre-Upgrade Workflow 231

Downloading UCS Infra, B-Series, C-Series, and Storfs Bundles 232

Verifying the Pre-Upgrade UCS Server Firmware (C-Bundle) Version 234

Pre-Upgrade Validation 235

Hypercheck Utility 242

Upgrading UCS Infrastructure Firmware 248

Upgrade Procedure 252

Post-Upgrade Check 261

Summary 261

Chapter 6 Advanced Features 263

Data Protection 263

Replication Overview 265

Port Requirements for Replication 265

Replication Considerations 266

Recovery Considerations 267

Replication Networking Overview 267

Replication Network Considerations 269

M*N Connectivity Between Clusters 269

Configuring a Replication Network in HX Connect 270

Replication Pair Overview 273

Procedure for Creating Replication Pair 274

Protecting Virtual Machines 276

Creating Protection Groups 277

Protecting Virtual Machines 279

Disaster Recovery Overview 281

Compatibility Matrix for Disaster Recovery Operations 281

Testing Virtual Machine Recovery 282

Recovering Virtual Machines 284

Plan Migration 285

HyperFlex Backup 286

Veeam Availability Suite 286

Changed Block Tracking 288

Cohesity 289

Cohesity Protection 289

Cohesity Recovery 290

Commvault 290

Summary 291

Chapter 7 Deploying HyperFlex Anywhere with Cisco Intersight 293

Cloud-Based Management 293

HyperFlex Cluster Policies in Intersight 296

Cisco HyperFlex Edge Cluster Deployment 297

Intersight Arbitrator Overview for 2-Node 298

Physical Topology 299

Cisco HyperFlex Edge Single-Switch Configuration 299

Cisco HyperFlex Edge Dual-Switch Configuration 300

Logical Topology 301

Installing Cisco HyperFlex Edge with the Cisco Intersight Platform 304

Standard UCSM Managed HyperFlex Cluster Deployment 321

Summary 322

Index 323

Updates

Submit Errata

More Information

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020