Xsigo offers an I/O Director hardware and software solution that virtualizes server I/O. It connects servers to storage and networks using a single cable instead of multiple cards. This streamlines management and reduces costs by up to 70% compared to traditional infrastructure. The I/O Director provides high performance virtual networking and storage resources that can be quickly provisioned and migrated as needed.

1. Data sHeet
XSIgO
I/O DIreCTOr
DATA SHeeT
Xsigo I/O virtualization: dynamically connect
any server to any network or storage HIgHlIgHts
• Dynamically connect any server to any
storage or network resource in seconds
Transform your IT infrastructure with HIgH perFOrmanCe
the Xsigo I/O Director, a hardware and Put an end to performance bottlenecks. • Save 50% on capital cost vs traditional
software solution that streamlines With Xsigo, applications get the exact server I/O
server I/O management. Instead of connectivity they need when they need
• eliminate 70% of the I/O infrastructure
deploying multiple I/O cards and cables it, with the added benefits of guaranteed
to every server, Xsigo lets you connect I/O performance and isolation for secu- • reduce I/O-related power consumption
servers with a single cable and then rity—even when multiple applications by 30%
create virtual I/O resources instanta- coexist on the same physical server.
• Seamlessly scale I/O in blade systems
neously. The result is 100x faster server Intelligent QoS (quality of service) fea-
management, 70% fewer cables and tures guarantee specific bandwidth to
cards, and up to 50% less capital cost. critical applications or virtual machines.
I/O VIrtualIzatIOn DelIVers
FlexIbIlIty, COst saVIngs
The Xsigo I/O Director employs vir-
tualization to let you flexibly connect
servers to networks and storage. Xsigo
eliminates the physical storage and net-
working cards found in every server and
replaces them with virtual NICs and vir-
tual HBAs that can be deployed on the
fly. Applications and operating systems
see these virtual resources exactly as
they would see their physical counter-
parts. The result is an I/O architecture
that is much easier to manage, far more
cost-effective, and fully open.

2. Solutions
“Xsigo streamlines
management. It’s
a huge benefit not
having to physically
provision servers.
I can’t imagine doing
without it now.”
- David Zacharias, Without Xsigo: Connectivity requirements With Xsigo: Consolidated I/O results in 70%
IT Manager, HiFX add cost and management complexity, limit- fewer cards, cables and switch ports to reduce
ing flexibility cost, power, cooling and space needs
Open systems FOr FlexIbIlIty cooling, hot-swappable I/O modules, and
Xsigo is committed to open standards, so passive mid-plane ensure superior reliabil-
you can always use the servers, network- ity and serviceability.
ing, and storage that you prefer. Most
alternative solutions employ proprietary “We saw the operational
gear that limits your options. Worse, you’re
benefits of virtual I/O on
locked into a single vendor’s gear for years
to come. Xsigo keeps your options open.
the first day.”
- Tom Peacock, IT Core Services,
relIable, sImple anD easy tO New england Biolabs
Integrate
With an open, standards-based architec-
ture, the Xsigo I/O Director is non-disrup- preDICtable user experIenCe
tive and simple to integrate. Transparent get end-to-end performance control with
to applications, networking, and storage, Xsigo’s integrated QoS features. Both
the I/O Director’s open standards sup- storage and network bandwidth can be
port ensures interoperability across X86 controlled via fine-grained traffic policing,
servers and blade systems. The system’s helping to ensure that critical applications
fully redundant, hot-swappable power and deliver the required performance.
VP780 I/O Director VP560 I/O Director

3. I/O Virtualization
tHe xsIgO I/O DIreCtOr
The Xsigo I/O Director consolidates server
I/O by replacing a server’s multiple eth-
ernet and Fibre Channel interfaces with
a single high-speed, low-latency 20 gb/s
link. Multiple virtual ethernet interfaces
(vNICs) and virtual Fibre Channel inter-
faces (vHBAs) communicate over this link,
and virtual interfaces are established using
Xsigo’s virtualization hardware and Xsigo’s
host drivers.
elements OF tHe xsIgO sOlutIOn
• High-speed Fabric: A non-blocking
fabric incorporates 24 ports for direct
connection to servers. Scale to hun-
dreds of servers by integrating Xsigo
expansion Switches.
• system Controller: The Xsigo system
controller and Xsigo operating system
control virtual resources across all
attached servers. To ensure perfor-
mance and reliability, the system expansIOn swItCHes
controller lies outside the data path. For enterprise scalability, Xsigo expansion
• I/O modules: For connection to stor- Switches provide additional server ports,
age and networks, add hot-swappable enabling scalability to hundreds of servers
I/O modules. Choose from ethernet within a single management environment.
(1g or 10g), or Fibre Channel. each
module incorporates custom Xsigo “Xsigo simplifies and
silicon designed specifically to opti-
accelerates our server
mize server I/O.
• management software: The Xsigo
deployments. It is now
I/O Director is easily managed through a standard part of our
a CLI or its intuitive gUI. Connectiv- infrastructure.”
ity can be deployed through a quick - Jay Leone,
drag-and-drop operation. The I/O Lab Manager, Avaya
Director also integrates with existing
management frameworks through an
InVestment prOteCtIOn
open API.
Change is inevitable in any data center
HOst CHannel aDapter infrastructure. Whether it’s a new network,
A single host channel adapter in each a different interconnect standard, or new
server consolidates storage and network server connectivity, Xsigo makes it easy to
connectivity. each HCA can deploy up to adapt.
64 virtual connections within the server.
The modular hardware architecture lets
Other than a standard driver, no agents or
you quickly add new server connectivity,
management software are installed on the
while Xsigo’s virtual architecture lets you
server. For blade systems, Xsigo-compat-
deploy this connectivity across hundreds of
ible mezzanine cards and switch modules
servers quickly and without disruption.
are available from most system makers.

4. Xsigo I/O Director Specifications
MANAGEMENT: 4-GIGABIT FIBRE CHANNEL I/O MODULE:
Management Interfaces Java-based management GUI, command-line Physical Ports Two 4/2/1 Gbps auto-negotiating SFP ports
interface (CLI) through SSH and Connectors Two SFP optical transceivers (850nm)
Advanced API for integration with third party Virtual Interfaces Up to 128 virtual HBAs (vHBAs) per I/O module
software Up to 1,920 vHBAs per VP780 I/O Director
(Two vHBAs reserved for internal card management)
Lights Out Management Supports IPMI based LOM Protocols FC-AL, FCP (SCSI-FCP)
Management Module I/O Ethernet management network, RS232 console, LUN Masking 256 LUNs per storage target per virtual HBA
auxiliary ports, USB World Wide Name (WWN)Each vHBA is assigned a unique WWN
WWNs can dynamically migrate with specific virtual
SERVER INTERCONNECTS: machine
Quality of Service User settable QoS features per virtual HBA include:
Ports 24 non-blocking DDR InfiniBand server ports CIR – Committed information rate
Interconnect Speed Cx4 Copper (ports powered for fibre optic SAN Boot Virtual HBAs can be configured for SAN Boot
interfaces)
20 Gigabits per second per port full-duplex
10-PORT GIGABIT ETHERNET I/O MODULE:
EXPANSION SLOTS: Physical Ports Ten Gigabit Ethernet ports, RJ-45 style
Module Slots VP560 I/O Director (2U height): Virtual Interfaces Up to 160 Virtual NICs (vNICs) per module
4 I/O module slots Up to 2,400 vNICs per VP780 I/O Director
20 Gigabit per second full-duplex bandwidth per slot Quality of Service (QoS) User-settable QoS features per virtual NIC include:
CIR – committed information rate
VP780 I/O Director (4U height): PIR – peak information rate
15 I/O module slots Supports 802.1p Priority Queueing/Scheduling
20 Gigabit per second full-duplex bandwidth per slot
Port Aggregation Supports Link Aggregation Groups (LAG), up to 10
ports
10 GIGABIT ETHERNET I/O MODULE: Checksum Offload Supports IP header checksum offload
Physical Ports One optical XFP or Cx4 XFP Port Jumbo Frames Supports jumbo frames up to 9000 MTU
Virtual Interfaces Up to 128 virtual NICs (vNICs) per module VLAN Supports 802.1Q VLANs, 4096 per virtual NIC
Up to 1,920 vNICs per VP780 IO Director PXE Virtual NICs can be configured for PXE boot
Quality of Service (QoS) User-settable QoS features per virtual NIC include: MAC Addresses Each vNIC is assigned a unique MAC address
CIR – committed information rate MAC addresses can dynamically migrate with
PIR – peak information rate specific virtual machine
802.1p Priority Queueing/Scheduling
Checksum Offload IP header checksum offload
Jumbo Frames Supports jumbo frames up to 9000 MTU
VLAN Supports 802.1Q VLANs, 4096 per virtual NIC
PXE Virtual NICs can be configured for PXE boot
MAC Addresses Each vNIC is assigned a unique MAC address
MAC addresses can dynamically migrate with
specific virtual machine
About Xsigo Systems
Xsigo is the leader in data center I/O virtualization, a solution that dramatically reduces capital and operational expense
by changing the way that servers are connected to networks and storage.
Headquarters: Japan: Europe:
Xsigo Systems, Inc Xsigo Systems Japan K.K. Xsigo Systems Ltd.
70 West Plumeria Drive Level 7 Wakamatsu Building 83 Victoria Street
San Jose, CA 95134 3-3-6 Hihonbashi Honcho London, SW1H 0HW
USA Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023 United Kingdom
Tel: 408-329-5600 Tel: +81-3-6202-7484 Tel: +44-0-7917-763156
www.xsigo.com www.xsigo.co.jp
© 2010 Xsigo Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Xsigo, VP780 I/O Director, IS24 Expansion Switch, and the Xsigo logo are
trademarks of Xsigo Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. DSXD-0410