HCI-RIS2A-24XM7: What Is It? How Does It Fit into Cisco HyperConverged Infrastructure?

​​Defining the HCI-RIS2A-24XM7: Cisco’s High-Density Storage Node​​

The ​​HCI-RIS2A-24XM7​​ is a 24-bay NVMe storage node engineered for Cisco’s HyperFlex hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) platforms. Designed to address data-intensive workloads, this module integrates ​​Cisco UCS X-Series​​ architecture with ​​NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabrics)​​ support, enabling enterprises to scale storage performance linearly while minimizing latency. Though Cisco’s official materials emphasize system-level HCI benefits, suppliers like itmall.sale offer granular hardware details, including compatibility matrices and use-case benchmarks for this node.

​​Technical Breakdown: Key Specifications​​

• ​​Drive Capacity​​: 24 hot-swappable NVMe U.2 bays, supporting 7.68TB–15.36TB per drive (total raw storage: ~184TB–368TB).
• ​​Interface​​: Dual 100Gbps Cisco Nexus SmartNICs for ​​NVMe/TCP​​ or ​​RoCEv2​​ fabric connectivity.
• ​​Compute​​: 2x Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs (Ice Lake-SP) with 40 cores each, base clock 2.4GHz.
• ​​Memory​​: 32 DDR4 DIMM slots (up to 8TB RAM).
• ​​RAID Support​​: Hardware-accelerated RAID 0/1/5/6 via Cisco HyperFlex Data Platform.

​​Why Deploy the HCI-RIS2A-24XM7? Three Strategic Advantages​​

​​1. Ultra-Low Latency for Distributed Workloads​​

By leveraging ​​NVMe-oF​​, this node reduces read/write latency to ​​<200μs​​ across distributed clusters—critical for:

• Real-time fraud detection systems
• GPU-accelerated AI inference
• Multi-site database replication (e.g., Cassandra, MongoDB)

​​2. Linear Scalability Without Performance Degradation​​

The ​​dual 100Gbps SmartNICs​​ eliminate traditional HCI bottlenecks by:

• Supporting ​​3:1 data reduction ratios​​ (dedupe, compression).
• Enabling ​​stretched clusters​​ across data centers with <5ms latency.

​​3. Hybrid Cloud Readiness​​

The node’s integration with ​​Cisco Intersight​​ simplifies hybrid cloud management through:

• Automated workload placement (on-prem vs. AWS/Azure).
• Predictive capacity planning via AI-driven analytics.

​​Addressing Critical Buyer Questions​​

​​Q: How does the HCI-RIS2A-24XM7 differ from Cisco’s HX220c-M6 nodes?​​

• ​​Scale​​: The 24XM7 supports ​​2x the drive density​​ (24 vs. 12 bays).
• ​​Fabric​​: Includes ​​SmartNICs​​ for NVMe-oF, absent in M6 nodes.
• ​​CPU​​: Ice Lake-SP CPUs offer 20% higher IPC than prior-gen M6 Xeons.

​​Q: Is this node compatible with VMware vSAN or Nutanix AHV?​​

Yes, but only in ​​Cisco Validated Designs (CVDs)​​. Third-party hypervisors require manual configuration and forfeit Cisco TAC support.

​​Q: What redundancy features are included?​​

• ​​N+1 Power Supplies​​: 1600W Platinum PSUs with 94% efficiency.
• ​​Dual-Manager Controllers​​: Active/active storage controllers for failover resilience.
• ​​End-to-End Encryption​​: AES-256 for data at rest and in transit.

​​Deployment Recommendations​​

1. ​​Assess Workload Profiles​​: Prioritize this node for ​​IOPS-heavy applications​​ (>500K IOPS/node).
2. ​​Plan Fabric Architecture​​: Use Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3 switches for lossless RoCEv2.
3. ​​Monitor QoS Policies​​: Configure Intersight to throttle “noisy neighbor” VMs impacting latency.

​​Sourcing the HCI-RIS2A-24XM7​​

For enterprises seeking certified refurbished or surplus units, itmall.sale provides tested HCI-RIS2A-24XM7 nodes with 12-month warranties. Their listings include firmware compatibility guides for Cisco HyperFlex 4.0+ deployments.

​​Final Take: Who Should Consider This Node?​​

The HCI-RIS2A-24XM7 is a powerhouse for enterprises needing ​​petabyte-scale NVMe storage​​ with sub-millisecond latency. Its fabric-native design makes it ideal for hybrid cloud or edge computing scenarios where traditional HCI nodes struggle with throughput consistency. However, smaller teams with sub-100TB needs may find its upfront cost prohibitive. Always validate your existing HyperFlex fabric’s firmware compatibility—mismatched NVMe/TCP versions can cripple performance.