UCSB-VIC-M84-4P Cisco UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter

Outline of CISCO UCSB-VIC-M84-4P Mezzanine Adapter  

The CISCO UCSB-VIC-M84-4P, also known as the UCS VIC 1480, is a high-performance mezzanine network adapter designed specifically for the Cisco B200 series servers. This plug-in card delivers superior connectivity, enhanced network flexibility, and robust performance for enterprise-level computing environments.

Main Specifications

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Part Number: UCSB-VIC-M84-4P
• Product Type: Mezzanine Adapter  

Technical Specifications

• Adapter Type: Network Adapter
• Form Factor: Plug-in Mezzanine Card
• Operational Power Consumption: 21 Watt
• Supported Servers: Cisco UCS B200 series
• Virtualization Support: Multiple virtual interfaces per adapter

Key Features of UCS VIC 1480 Adapter

• Type: Advanced network adapter engineered for UCS B200 servers
• Form Factor: Compact plug-in mezzanine card, optimized for server integration
• Power Efficiency: Operational consumption of just 21 Watts, ensuring energy-efficient deployment
• High-Speed Connectivity: Supports multiple virtual interfaces for scalable data throughput
• Reliability: Built to deliver uninterrupted performance for critical workloads

Benefits of Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P

• Boosts server network efficiency and throughput
• Minimizes power usage without compromising performance
• Supports multiple virtual interfaces for scalable computing
• Ensures seamless installation in B200 series servers
• Engineered for enterprise-grade reliability and stability

Applications and Use Cases

• High-density data center servers requiring reliable network expansion
• Virtualized server environments demanding multiple network paths
• Cloud computing infrastructures needing low-latency connectivity
• Enterprise IT setups focused on energy efficiency and performance optimization

Advantages for IT Professionals

• Maximize server network performance without additional hardware
• Enhance server virtualization capabilities
• Reduce operational costs through low power consumption
• Achieve seamless integration with existing Cisco UCS B200 servers
• Ensure high availability and stability for mission-critical applications

Overview of Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P Server Adapter

The Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P, part of the UCS VIC 1480 series, represents a high-performance mezzanine adapter designed specifically for Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) environments. As a versatile Virtual Interface Card (VIC), it provides exceptional connectivity, high throughput, and flexibility for modern data centers. By integrating multiple network interfaces into a single card, the UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter simplifies server networking while offering superior scalability and reliability.

Advanced Connectivity Features

The Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P is engineered to deliver unparalleled network performance. With support for up to four physical ports, this mezzanine adapter enables simultaneous connectivity to multiple network fabrics. Each port is optimized for high-speed data transfer, reducing latency and ensuring consistent bandwidth allocation across virtualized workloads. The adapter's compatibility with both Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) protocols ensures that businesses can deploy it in diverse networking environments, from high-performance computing clusters to enterprise virtualization deployments.

Integration with Cisco UCS Servers

One of the primary strengths of the UCSB-VIC-M84-4P lies in its seamless integration with Cisco UCS servers. By leveraging UCS Manager, administrators gain centralized control over network configurations, policies, and resource allocation. This integration ensures that the adapter can dynamically allocate bandwidth based on workload demands, enhancing efficiency and minimizing manual configuration errors. Additionally, UCS Manager provides comprehensive monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, allowing IT teams to proactively manage network performance and maintain high availability across the data center.

Dynamic Network Resource Allocation

The UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter supports dynamic allocation of network resources, which is critical for environments with fluctuating workloads. Administrators can configure virtual network interfaces and assign bandwidth on-demand, optimizing performance for applications such as database management, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and high-performance computing. This adaptability not only maximizes server utilization but also simplifies the management of complex network topologies, ensuring that resources are always allocated where they are needed most.

High-Performance Architecture

The architecture of the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P is designed for demanding enterprise and cloud environments. Utilizing advanced silicon and firmware, the adapter delivers low-latency connectivity with minimal CPU overhead. Its multi-core design allows for simultaneous processing of multiple traffic streams, making it an ideal solution for virtualization-heavy deployments. Furthermore, its robust hardware offloading capabilities reduce the processing burden on host servers, resulting in improved application performance and efficiency.

Enhanced Virtualization Support

Virtualization is at the core of modern data centers, and the UCS VIC 1480 adapter excels in this area. It supports multiple virtual network interface cards (vNICs) per physical port, allowing servers to host numerous virtual machines (VMs) without network bottlenecks. Each vNIC can be independently configured with quality of service (QoS) policies, ensuring consistent performance for critical applications. By providing granular control over virtualized network traffic, the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P enhances both security and operational efficiency within VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and other hypervisor environments.

Scalability for Growing Infrastructure

As enterprise infrastructures expand, the need for scalable networking solutions becomes paramount. The UCSB-VIC-M84-4P addresses this requirement by supporting a high number of virtual interfaces and multiple I/O paths. Organizations can easily scale their UCS deployments without the need for additional hardware, reducing capital expenditure and simplifying infrastructure growth. The adapter's ability to aggregate bandwidth across multiple ports further enhances scalability, ensuring that performance remains consistent even as data center demands increase.

Compatibility with UCS Fabric Interconnects

The Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P is fully compatible with Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnects, providing end-to-end integration within the UCS ecosystem. This compatibility allows for centralized management of all network resources and streamlines policy enforcement across multiple servers. By integrating tightly with the fabric interconnects, the adapter ensures that traffic is efficiently routed, network segmentation is maintained, and redundancy is achieved through high-availability configurations. These features are crucial for mission-critical applications where downtime is not an option.

Reliability and Redundancy

Reliability is a key consideration for any data center component, and the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P excels in this regard. The adapter is designed to provide uninterrupted connectivity, even in the event of hardware or network failures. It supports multiple failover mechanisms, allowing traffic to be rerouted seamlessly without affecting application performance. Additionally, its advanced diagnostic and monitoring tools enable administrators to identify potential issues before they become critical, ensuring that network services remain available at all times.

High Availability Features

The UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter includes a range of high-availability features that are essential for enterprise-grade deployments. Redundant paths, dynamic failover, and automatic load balancing ensure that network disruptions are minimized. In combination with UCS Manager, these features allow IT teams to implement policies that prioritize critical workloads, maintain service level agreements (SLAs), and reduce the risk of downtime. This level of reliability makes the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P an ideal choice for financial institutions, healthcare providers, and cloud service providers.

Advanced Error Detection and Reporting

Error detection and reporting capabilities are integral to maintaining a robust data center network. The UCSB-VIC-M84-4P includes built-in mechanisms to detect link failures, congestion, and configuration inconsistencies. When issues are identified, detailed logs and alerts are generated, enabling administrators to quickly respond and mitigate potential disruptions. This proactive approach to network management reduces operational risk and enhances the overall stability of the IT environment.

Support for Diverse Workloads

The versatility of the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P allows it to support a wide range of workloads. From latency-sensitive applications such as trading platforms to high-throughput environments like media streaming and large-scale data analytics, the adapter delivers consistent performance. Its flexible configuration options enable administrators to tailor network behavior to the specific needs of each workload, ensuring that critical applications receive the resources they require while maintaining efficiency across the entire infrastructure.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Management

In addition to high performance and reliability, the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P is designed with energy efficiency in mind. The adapter incorporates low-power components and advanced thermal management features to reduce heat generation and power consumption. This focus on energy efficiency not only lowers operational costs but also contributes to a sustainable data center strategy. Effective thermal management ensures that the adapter operates within safe temperature ranges, prolonging its lifespan and maintaining consistent performance even under heavy workloads.

Optimized for Dense Server Environments

Data center density is a growing concern for modern enterprises, and the UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter is optimized for high-density server deployments. Its compact mezzanine form factor allows multiple adapters to be installed within a single blade server chassis, maximizing network connectivity without consuming additional rack space. This density advantage is particularly beneficial for environments that require a large number of servers and virtualized workloads, enabling organizations to increase compute power while maintaining efficient networking capabilities.

Seamless Firmware Upgrades

Maintaining the latest firmware is crucial for security, performance, and compatibility. The Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P supports seamless firmware upgrades through UCS Manager, allowing administrators to apply updates without disrupting network services. These upgrades include performance enhancements, new feature support, and security patches, ensuring that the adapter remains fully optimized for modern data center requirements. Automated firmware management also reduces the administrative burden and minimizes the risk of configuration errors during updates.

Security and Compliance

Security is an integral aspect of the UCSB-VIC-M84-4P design. The adapter supports secure boot, encrypted management communications, and isolation of virtual network interfaces to prevent unauthorized access. Its compatibility with network segmentation and security policies allows organizations to enforce compliance with regulatory standards, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR. By combining high-performance networking with robust security features, the Cisco UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter ensures that critical data remains protected while maintaining operational efficiency.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P is suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios, making it a versatile choice for enterprise and cloud environments. In virtualized data centers, it enables dense server configurations with multiple virtual machines sharing high-speed network resources. For storage-intensive applications, its FCoE support provides converged networking capabilities, allowing storage and network traffic to share the same infrastructure without compromising performance. Additionally, the adapter is ideal for high-performance computing clusters, where low-latency, high-throughput connections are essential for distributed computing tasks.

Cloud and Multi-Tenant Environments

In cloud and multi-tenant deployments, the UCS VIC 1480 Mezzanine Adapter provides granular network segmentation and dynamic resource allocation. Each tenant can be assigned dedicated virtual interfaces with guaranteed bandwidth, ensuring predictable performance and security isolation. This flexibility makes the adapter an excellent choice for service providers, private clouds, and hybrid cloud environments, where multiple users or organizations share the same physical infrastructure without interfering with each other's workloads.

Enterprise Applications

Enterprise applications, such as ERP systems, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and large-scale databases, benefit from the high reliability and low latency provided by the Cisco UCSB-VIC-M84-4P. Its ability to handle multiple simultaneous traffic streams ensures that business-critical applications remain responsive, even during peak usage periods. By providing consistent network performance and advanced monitoring capabilities, the adapter helps organizations maintain operational continuity and meet stringent performance requirements.

High-Performance Computing and Analytics

For high-performance computing (HPC) and analytics workloads, network efficiency is paramount. The UCS VIC 1480 adapter's multi-port architecture and virtualization support enable high-speed inter-node communication, accelerating computational tasks and data transfer. Applications such as big data analytics, scientific simulations, and financial modeling can leverage the adapter's low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity to achieve faster results and improve overall computational efficiency.