Redundant fabric interconnects are required in the FlexPod architecture. When you add multiple Cisco UCS chassis to a pair of fabric interconnects, remember that the maximum number of chassis in an environment is determined by both an architectural and a port limit.

The part numbers that are shown in the following table are for the base fabric interconnects. They do not include the power supply unit (PSU) or SFP+, QSFP+, or expansion modules.

To use Cisco UCS X-Series compute nodes, you must have a Cisco UCS X-Series chassis. The following table describes the Cisco UCS X-Series chassis option.

Each Cisco UCS 9508 chassis must have two Cisco UCS 9108 Intelligent Fabric Modules (IFMs) to provide redundant connectivity to the fabric interconnects.

Cisco UCS X-Series compute nodes are available with various CPU, memory, and I/O options. The part numbers listed in the following table are for the base node. They do not include the CPU, memory, drives, or mezzanine adapter cards. Multiple configuration options are available and are supported in the FlexPod architecture.

The below table lists the PCI Express Nodes available for the Cisco UCS X-Series chassis.

The table below lists the X-Fabric Modules available for the Cisco UCS X-Series chassis.

The Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System begins with the Cisco UCS X9508 Server Chassis engineered to be adaptable and future-ready. The chassis has a unified Ethernet fabric with Cisco UCS Intelligent Fabric Modules and Cisco UCS X-Fabric Technology for other technologies. At the top rear of the chassis are two intelligent fabric modules that connect the chassis to upstream Cisco UCS 6400, 6500, and UCS 6600 Series Fabric Interconnects.

For a quick overview of Cisco UCS X-Series capabilities and features, see Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System At-a-Glance.

The Cisco UCS X215c M8, Cisco UCS X210c, and Cisco UCS X410c Compute Nodes provide the functionalities of both blade and rack servers by offering compute density, storage capacity, and expandability in a single form factor.

The Cisco UCS X440p PCIe Node supports adding GPUs with PCIe Gen 4.0 with the Cisco UCS X9416 X-Fabric Module. The Cisco UCS X580p PCIe Node supports adding GPUs with PCIe Gen 5.0 with the Cisco UCS X9516 X-Fabric Module

Refer to the technical specifications for each of these components in the sections above for more information about the Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System solution components.

Cisco UCS X-Series Direct is a new architecture that integrates a pair of Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect 9108 100G with Cisco UCS X9508 Chassis and Cisco UCS X-Series Compute nodes to deliver the UCS X-Series Direct solution.

For a quick overview of Cisco UCS X-Series capabilities and features, see Cisco UCS X-Series Direct At-a-Glance.

Cisco UCS X-Series Direct consists of the following components:

Refer to the technical specifications for each of these components in the sections above for more information about the Cisco UCS X-Series Direct solution components.

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are available in one, two and four rack-unit (RU) varieties, with various CPU, memory, and I/O options. The part numbers that are listed in the second table below are for the base server. They do not include CPUs, memory, drives, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) cards. Multiple configuration options are available and are supported in the FlexPod architecture.

The following table lists the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Server options.

The following table lists the Cisco UCS C-Series rack servers optimized for AI use cases:

Previous generations of Cisco UCS C-Series servers can be used in the FlexPod architecture if they are supported on the Cisco UCS Hardware and Software Compatibility List.

Redundant Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches are required in the FlexPod architecture. The part numbers that are listed in the table below are for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series chassis; they do not include SFP modules or Ethernet modules.

Cisco APIC is the main architectural component of Cisco ACI. It is the unified point of automation and management for the Cisco ACI fabric.

For more information about APIC product specifications, refer to Table 1 through Table 3 on the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Datasheet.

While Cisco MDS switches are an optional element of the FlexPod architecture, deployments that utilize Fibre Channel SAN connectivity for higher-performance storage access must implement redundant Cisco MDS switch fabrics to deliver a highly available SAN infrastructure. The table below lists the supported Cisco MDS switches. See the NetApp IMT and Cisco Hardware and Software Compatibility List for a complete list of supported SAN switches.

Cisco Solution Support is a Technical Support Service offer that applies to Cisco solutions that include both Hardware and Software from Cisco only or from Cisco and Solution Support Alliance Partners and are comprised of solely Cisco Products and products provided by third party vendors (Solution Support Alliance Partner(s)).

Cisco supports complex customer environments through its Technical Assistance Center. Cisco Solution Support entitles customer access to a team of TAC engineers, who provide a primary point of contact for issues found within the solution, as well as Product support for the Hardware and Software that comprise the solution.

Cisco leverages the TSANet Partner Program framework to onboard Solution Support Partners into a private group on the TSANet Connect system. TSANet Connect provides a consistent method for Support Engineers to collaborate with Partners’ technical teams, ensuring efficient communication and accelerated problem resolution without the friction caused by informal efforts to work with partners