Enterprise-Class Cloud Networking for Microsoft Hyper-V
Many enterprises and service providers want to extend Cisco networking benefits to their Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V deployments. The Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch offers a consistent operational model across physical and virtual environments. This distributed virtual switching platform provides advanced features and is tightly integrated with the Hyper-V ecosystem.
Features and Capabilities
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch for Microsoft Hyper-V:
- Offers consistent operational experience across physical, virtual, and mixed hypervisor environments
- Reduces operational complexity through dynamic policy provisioning and mobility-aware network policies
- Improves security through integrated virtual services and advanced Cisco NX-OS features
| Capabilities | Features | Operational Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Switching | Private VLANs, Quality of Service (QoS), access control lists (ACLs), portsecurity, and Cisco vPath | Get granular control of virtual machine-to-virtual machine interaction. |
| Security | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Snooping, Dynamic Address Resolution Protocol Inspection, and IP Source Guard | Reduce common security threats in data center environments. |
| Monitoring | NetFlow, packet statistics, Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), and Encapsulated Remote SPAN | Gain visibility into virtual machine-to-virtual machine traffic to reduce troubleshooting time. |
| Manageability | Simple Network Management Protocol, NetConf, syslog, and other troubleshooting command-line interfaces | Use existing network management tools to manage physical and virtual environments. |
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch for Microsoft Hyper-V is available in two separate editions. The Essential Edition is available at no cost and includes all the basic switching features. The Advanced Edition adds advanced security capabilities and Cisco Virtual Security Gateway to the base functionality of Essential Edition.
Product Architecture and Features
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch for Microsoft Hyper-V:
- Maintains the familiar Cisco Nexus 1000V architecture available on VMware vSphere
- Uses the extensible switch framework of Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V
- Offers tight integration with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Series has two major components:
Virtual Ethernet Module (VEM)
This is a software component that is embedded on each Hyper-V host as a forwarding extension. Each virtual machine on the host is connected to the VEM through a virtual Ethernet port.
Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM)
This management module controls multiple VEMs and helps in defining virtual machine (VM)-centric network policies. The Cisco Nexus 1000V Series VSM can be hosted either as a VM on a Hyper-V host, or on a Cisco Nexus 1100 Series Cloud Services Platform.
Comprehensive Virtual Services Platform
Cisco vPath is an innovative service architecture that extends the Cisco Nexus 1000V platform to support multiple network services, including firewalls, load balancers, and WAN optimization services. The following virtual services will be available for the Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch for Microsoft Hyper-V:
- Cisco Virtual Security Gateway for Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch
- Cisco Prime Network Services Controller
- Cisco Prime Network Analysis Module (NAM) for Nexus 1100 Series Cloud Services Platform
Related Products
- Cisco Nexus 1100 Series Cloud Services Platform
- Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch for VMware vSphere