In this NetApp training tutorial, I’ll give you an overview of NetApp’s converged infrastructure solutions, FlexPod, and NFLEX. Scroll down for the video and also text tutorial.
NetApp Converged Infrastructure Overview Video Tutorial – FlexPod and NFLEX
Kashif Ali
I have never seen any training course in Netapp the way Neil conducted this and the way he breaks down every concept is like watching a movie…I am feeling so motivated and pumped up to retain all this knowledge…thank you!
The converged infrastructure solutions from NetApp give you the best practice configurations for various workloads. Storage systems from NetApp are used, such as FAS, AFF, SolidFire, or whatever fits best to the particular workload that you want to deploy. It also uses compute and network components from NetApp's partners.
Converged Infrastructure: FlexPod
FlexPod uses:
- Cisco UCS servers for the compute
- Cisco Nexus switches for the networking
- NetApp storage systems
Validated Design documents detail the hardware and software configuration to put the entire solution together. The documentation tells you exactly what to do and all the different parts to do that with. You can put it together yourself or you can get a local NetApp partner to do it for you.
Converged Infrastructure: NFLEX
NFLEX uses:
- Fujitsu Primergy CX servers for the compute
- Extreme Network switches for the networking
- NetApp AFF storage
NFLEX has been around for a shorter time than FlexPod. NFLEX as an orderable system from NetApp or Fujitsu. As with converged infrastructure solutions, you get a single point of support when you order NFLEX.
Converged Infrastructure Use Cases
There are best practice configurations for different workloads. The use cases are pretty much anything that you would require storage for.
At the Cisco.com website, we’ll see the FlexPod design guide. There are loads of different design guides depending on the type of workload that you want to run. So, there's a design guide for VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, Citrix, SAP, and others.
Initially, the design guide usually gives us a summary of the entire system. It also illustrates a high-level diagram of what the solution looks like. The different hardware parts that make up the solution and the software versions are shown as well.
The cabling was laid out in detailed diagrams and the port connections are listed. You can actually see how to physically put everything together. Moreover, it contains the actual configurations to enter on all of the different components.
The guide gives you the complete solution of your compute, your networking, and the storage. It is also guaranteed to be best practice and it saves you all the effort of doing the design yourself.
Additional Resources
What Is Converged Infrastructure (CI)?: https://www.netapp.com/data-storage/flexpod/what-is-converged-infrastructure/
Flexpod - Converged Infrastructure from Cisco and NetApp: https://www.flexpod.com/
Introducing NFLEX: The Latest Converged Infrastructure Solution from NetApp and Fujitsu: https://www.netapp.com/newsroom/press-releases/news-rel-20171102-689725/
Click Here to get my 'NetApp ONTAP 9 Storage Complete' training course.
Libby Teofilo
Text by Libby Teofilo, Technical Writer at www.flackbox.com
With a mission to spread network awareness through writing, Libby consistently immerses herself into the unrelenting process of knowledge acquisition and dissemination. If not engrossed in technology, you might see her with a book in one hand and a coffee in the other.