Unleashing the power of convergence: FlexPod with NetApp AFF A-Series

FlexPod®, a collaboration between Cisco and NetApp, has long stood as a beacon of integrated solutions, blending computing, networking, and storage into a cohesive unit. The addition of the NetApp® AFF A-Series systems—A70, A90, and A1K—elevates FlexPod and continues to deliver better performance and efficiency. This FlexPod synergy, built on a leading-edge foundation, harnesses the robustness of Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) and the advanced networking capabilities of Cisco Nexus, paired with the all-flash innovation of NetApp AFF A-Series. 

Performance and efficiency in data centers are crucial. Businesses are constantly seeking solutions that offer higher performance, reliability, scalability, and flexibility.  

• Doubling performance. Deliver up to 2x performance compared to previous generation systems, with latency as low as 100μs.  

• Broad workload support. Support any data type, any app workload, across hybrid cloud.  

• Reliable and consistent output. Provide consistent performance, adaptive quality of service, and proven 99.9999% data availability to safeguard SLAs even in multiworkload and multitenant environments.  

• Scalability without disruption. Scale nondisruptively to 702PB effective capacity in a cluster.  

• Enhanced collaboration and throughput. Improve the speed and productivity of collaborative teams across multiple locations and increase data throughput for read-intensive applications with NetApp FlexCache® software.  

• Ransomware protection. The systems are equipped with advanced security features to protect against ransomware and other cyberthreats, backed by NetApp's Ransomware Recovery Guarantee. 

When it comes to selecting infrastructure for your mission-critical applications, the stakes are high. These applications are the lifeblood of your organization, and the infrastructure hosting them must meet stringent criteria to ensure business continuity and competitive performance. 

Understanding FlexPod 

FlexPod is a data center platform that is validated through collaborative Cisco and NetApp engineering. It's a validated architecture that combines networking, computing, and storage infrastructure. The key components of FlexPod include Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) servers, Cisco Nexus switches, and NetApp unified storage systems.  

The FlexPod design emphasizes flexibility and scalability, allowing businesses to tailor the system to their unique needs. Whether a small business or a large enterprise, FlexPod can scale to meet your demands. 

The value of FlexPod validation and testing 

What sets FlexPod apart is the peace of mind that comes with its comprehensive validation and testing. Think of it as a seal of approval for your data center's infrastructure. With more than 240 full-stack reference architectures, FlexPod has been put through its paces across a range of scenarios, so that no matter your workload, there's a proven blueprint for success.

• Downtime isn't just a nuisance—it's a business nightmare. That's where the reliability of FlexPod shines.  

  Resilience is at the heart of FlexPod. Its architecture is designed to withstand the unexpected, so that your data is always available, and your applications are always running. The combined strength of Cisco's unified computing system and NetApp AFF A-Series reliability results in a solution that is resilient by design, offering a robust platform for your most demanding workloads. 

Get full details about how FlexPod and its reference architecture portfolio can enhance your workloads:  

• FlexPod at NetApp  

• FlexPod at Cisco  

• FlexPod reference architectures 

• NetApp AFF A-Series