Cisco today announced a new Unified Computing System (UCS) server form factor: The C-Series rack-mount server. The C-Series features the same features found in the existing B-Series UCS blades but starts much smaller and cheaper. Cisco hopes to extend the UCS vision into small businesses, remote offices, and other locations where a blade server chassis would not make sense.
Being a UCS server, the Xeon 5500 “Nehalem”-based C-Series features Cisco’s server/network/storage integration technologies:
- 10 Gb Ethernet with datacenter features: Low-latency and lossless operation for Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
- Cisco’s “Expanded Memory” technology (only included in the top of the line C 250 model)
- Up to 128 virtual network interfaces
There are three C-Series servers announced initially:
- The entry-level UCS C 200 M1 sports two sockets and a 1 RU form factor
- The 2 RU UCS C 210 M1 can house up to 16 local hard drives
- Also at 2 RU is the UCS C 250 M1, which adds Extended Memory support
Details are sparse at this point, but we expect more information very soon, since Cisco promises to have these new servers on the street within the year.
Mr. Shaky filmed Echo Annie talking about the C-Series in this YouTube video. Those Flip camcorders do have a tripod mount and microphone input, right Cisco?
