Lenovo XClarity provides a simplified, software-based system management approach using a virtual appliance that can manage up to 560 servers, while Cisco UCS Manager relies on proprietary network switches with limited scalability. XClarity reduces provisioning time to 6 minutes using configuration patterns and automation, whereas UCS Manager takes 26 minutes and requires manual installation of operating systems. XClarity also offers a modernized graphical user interface, integration with external applications through REST APIs, and protects software-based virtual machine switching in the chassis.

1. Lenovo XClarityTM and Cisco UCS Manager
Just the Facts
2016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Data Center Group
May-2016

2. 22016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Contents
• Managing Lenovo systems
• Managing Cisco systems
• Direct comparison
• Wrap up

3. 32016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
System provisioning and operations management with
Lenovo XClarityTM
• SIMPLIFY. Reduce complexity with easy to
use software.
• ACCELERATE. Reduce provisioning time to
just six minutes with enterprise-grade
software.
• INTEGRATE. Centrally integrate systems into
your IT applications with open REST APIs and
software plugins.
Virtual Appliance

4. 42016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
System provisioning and operations management with
Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect proprietary network switches
• Server management tool and
redundant CPU and memory
are embedded in proprietary
physical network switches
• System administrators must
be trained on a complex
legacy network operating
system (NOS) to deploy and
operate blade servers
• Results in a rigid and complex
proprietary network appliance-
based approach to systems
management, with extensive
education requirements
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/servers-unified-computing/ucs-manager/solution_overview_c22-522755.html
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/sw/gui/config/guide/2-2/b_UCSM_GUI_Configuration_Guide_2_2.html
Blade chassis and
compute resources
Legacy, proprietary
network switches are
used to deploy and
operate compute
resources

5. 52016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Time and labor to provision systems
Enterprise-Grade Automation Server Provisioning with the Proprietary Switch
Time Number of Steps
6 Minutes
Time Number of Steps
26 Minutes
114 Steps
32 Steps
75%LESS
TIME
72%FEWER
STEPS
1. http://www.principledtechnologies.com/Lenovo/XClarity_Administrator_Flex_System_0615.pdf
2. http://www.principledtechnologies.com/Lenovo/XClarity_Administrator_management_comparison_0615.pdf
Cisco UCS proprietary switch provisions
servers slowlyProvision systems faster

6. 6
Enterprise-Grade Scalability Risk of Proprietary Switch Proliferation
2016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Systems management model
Lenovo XClarity Software Model
• Enterprise scalability: Deploy a virtual
appliance for up to every 560 managed
servers and/or blades
• Virtual appliance provides flexible deployment
options, local or remote to managed
endpoints
• Backup, replicate, and recover the virtual
appliance with your existing automation
policies
Cisco UCS Proprietary Switch Model
• Limited scalability: Deploy two proprietary
switches for up to every 160 managed blades
• Proprietary switches must be local to
managed endpoints
• Can lead to proliferation of legacy, proprietary
switches with redundant CPU and RAM
VA
Pool of 560
Servers and/or
Blades
• 1 Virtual Appliance instance manages
up to 560 endpoints
• 8 proprietary physical switches are
needed to manage 560 endpoints
IT
Applications
Pool of 560
Blades

7. 72016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Graphical user interface
Modernized & Simplified GUI Proprietary Switch Legacy GUI
Simplified Lenovo XClarity GUI
• Web-based
• HTML5, no Java
• Dashboard-based and intuitive
• Tablet-friendly
Complex Cisco UCS Proprietary Switch GUI
• UCS Manager Java client connects end users
to the proprietary physical switch
• Monolithic tool for networking and blades

8. 82016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Configuration templates
Software Configuration Patterns Proprietary Switch Service Profiles
Efficient Lenovo XClarity
Configuration Patterns
• Define the state of the server in software
• Pre-defined UEFI settings fast-track optimum
settings for specific workload environments
• Manually apply the configuration of a failed
compute node to a spare compute node
• If the management application fails, systems
are unaffected
Cisco UCS Proprietary Switch Profiles
• Define the state of the server in proprietary
the network switch
• No pre-defined UEFI settings
• Automatically apply the configuration of a
failed physical blade server to a spare blade
• If the management application fails, blade
servers are offline
• Virtualized address pools
• System configuration settings
Deploy
Pattern
Pattern
• Virtualized address pools
• System configuration settings
Deploy
Profile
Profile

9. 92016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Hypervisor and operating system installation to bare metal
Enterprise-Grade Automation Proprietary Switch Manual Task Execution
Lenovo XClarity Automated Installation
• Import OS and hypervisor ISO images into
the Virtual Appliance and deploy the images
to target servers
• OS and hypervisors are installed
automatically with minimal effort
• Installation can be performed using
PowerShell cmdlets or REST APIs
Cisco UCS Proprietary Switch Manual
Installation
• Manually launch each server’s KVM console
from the proprietary switch, launch virtual
media & map the .ISO image as a virtual
CD/DVD, and configure the server’s boot
order in BIOS to boot from CD/DVD
• Automated OS installation requires integrating
the proprietary switches with an external
application
Install
Images
Manually
install images
by launching
the KVM
console of
each blade

10. 102016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Integration into external IT applications
Modern REST APIs Proprietary Switch XML APIs
Lenovo XClarity Integration
• Loosely couple IT applications with systems
through centralized XClarity REST APIs
• XClarity Integrators are software plugins for
common IT applications
• Use your existing IT applications to provision
and manage Lenovo systems
• Avoid software stack lock-in
Cisco UCS Proprietary Switch Integration
• Integrate with the proprietary switches in
order to manage blades from external IT
applications
• Proprietary switch proliferation from limited
scalability can require integration into multiple
sets of network switches
Infrastructure
Management Apps
Orchestration and
Automation Apps
IT Service
Management Apps
{ REST }
IT Applications

11. 112016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Virtual machine switching in blade chassis
System Enhances Software-Based VM
Switching
Proprietary Switch Defeats Software-Based
VM Switching
Faster VM migration and more network
capacity
• Flex System enables hypervisors to exploit
bandwidth within the chassis, maximizing
east-west VM traffic and minimizing north-
south traffic
Cisco UCS Proprietary Switch and VM
Switching
• Proprietary switch bypasses software-based
switching of VM traffic by the hypervisor
• VM traffic is diverted from within the chassis
and moved up into the proprietary switches,
eliminating hypervisor VM switching efficiency
and increasing latency
Maximum
East-West
Traffic
1. Tolly Report #214104, IBM Flex System Network Architecture: VM Migration and Aggregate Network Performance versus Cisco UCS, Apr-2014, http://www.tolly.com/DocDetail.aspx?DocNumber=214104
2.5xFaster
vMotion1
4.9xMore available
network capacity1
All VM Traffic
is Diverted
Out of the
Chassis and
up into
Proprietary
Switches

12. 122016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
The difference is clear
Enterprise-grade automation for rapid system
provisioning  
Modern GUI to simplify complex systems
management tasks 
Agile software-based systems management with
REST APIs 

Enterprise-grade scalability  
Protect software-based VM switching in the chassis  
Virtual Appliance

Legacy Proprietary Network Switches

13. 132016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Useful links
For more information
contact your Lenovo
sales representative
lenovo.com
• Independent Labs
– Principled Technologies
- Faster and More Efficient System Management with Lenovo XClarity
Administrator report
- Faster and More Efficient System Management with Lenovo XClarity
Administrator vs. Cisco UCS Manager report
- Faster and More Efficient System Management with Lenovo XClarity
Administrator vs. Cisco UCS Manager video
– The Tolly Group
- Flex System Network Architecture: VM Migration and Aggregate Network
Performance versus Cisco UCS report
• Lenovo
– Lenovo XClarity product web page
– Lenovo XClarity data sheet
– Lenovo XClarity demonstration videos
– Lenovo XClarity product guide
• Cisco
– Cisco UCS Manager web page
– Cisco UCS Manager GUI configuration guide
– Cisco UCS Manager Release Notes
– Cisco UCS Presentation

14. 2016 Lenovo. All rights reserved.