Cisco, Microsoft, Citrix, NetApp Efforts Bolster FlexPod

The Cisco Systems and Microsoft partnership in the cloud computing and data center space has been expanded to now include Citrix XenDesktop solution on FlexPod (a Cisco Systems and NetApp infrastructure solution). This is the latest offer for channel partners to embellish a fairly successful channel initiative by Cisco, Citrix and NetApp driving desktop virtualization (VDI/VXI) and FlexPod.

Taking a lead from a successful FlexPod solution validated with Microsoft Private Cloud, the Citrix XenDesktop 5.6-based solution is one of the first solutions validated on that Microsoft Private Cloud offering. This solution is built on the Cisco Unified Data Center platform with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012, providing automated, streamlined, operations and management capabilities combined with NetApp FAS storage. Cisco has also performed UCS Manager/XML API integration with Systems Center Operations Manager to make the operational aspects more cohesive in this environment.

Cisco and Citrix have taken a modular building block approach to scale to thousands of desktops with a base block starting with 1,000 or 2,000 desktops. Cisco UCS Manager provides the capability to manage up to 25,000 desktops (yes, 25,000 desktops!) under a single pane of glass and management domain.

Originally, Cisco Unified Computing System’s (UCS) key differentiation for desktop virtualization had been around density based on extended memory architecture, ease of scale, rapid provisioning, networking and application visibility for better diagnostics and manageability. All these elements are usually validated in reference architectures and integrated stacks such as FlexPod to accelerate time to value for a partner. It is worth noting that Cisco is emphasizing all these vectors for Microsoft based solutions as well.

With the earlier announcement from Cisco that it is extending its Nexus 1000v solution to Hyper-V, as well as the UCS Virtual Machine Fabric Extender (VM-FEX) technology on Hyper-V, Cisco is clearing making its technology differentiation accessible across more hypervisor platforms.

Cisco is focusing on expanding its solution sets in the VDI/VXI offers. Embellished by its strong data center and networking portfolio, WAN optimization and its new endpoint and tablet portfolio, Cisco is uniquely positioned to offer end-to-end solution.

Partners ready to sell these solutions have significant opportunity to wrap assessment, design and deployment services. Moreover, as part of Cisco’s VDI/VXI and FlexPod partner initiatives, a number of design, sizing, demo and other support tools have been primarily structured for partners.

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