Tag Archives: networking

If You Use PowerEdge Blade Servers You Should Know About This

If you are using Dell blade servers, I may have a little known resource that could help you.  Ever heard of the “PowerEdge MX I/O Guide?”  If not, I’m not surprised.  It was primarily used as an internal resource, but now it’s available to the public. Continue reading

Integrating Dell Blade Servers into Cisco Nexus Environments

I recently had some discussions with a customer looking to connect a Dell EMC PowerEdge M1000e to a Cisco Nexus and I was quite surprised at the number of resources available to assist in the project.  Below you will find links to the documents I found with the hope it will help you out in the near future.

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The Secret to How Cisco Took the #1 Blade Server Spot

IDC and Cisco confirmed this week that Cisco has taken the #1 x86 blade server spot in North America for Q1 in 2014 with 40% revenue market share according to a recent CRN report.  This is quite an accomplishment especially since Cisco has only been reporting their numbers for 3 years.  So you might wonder – what is the secret to Cisco’s success?  I have a few ideas (right or wrong) that might shed some light on why Cisco is having success in their blade server business. 

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Blade Server Networking Options

If you are new to blade servers, you may find there are quite a few options to consider in regards to managing your Ethernet traffic.  Some vendors promote the traditional integrated switching, while others promote extending the fabric to a Top of Rack (ToR) device.  Each method has its own benefits, so let me explain what those are.  Before I get started, although I work for Dell, this blog post is designed to be an un-biased review of the network options available for many blade server vendors.

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