Hardware Architecture and Thermal Design
The Cisco UCSC-HSHP-C245M8= is a 2U rack-mount server node engineered for compute-intensive workloads in Cisco’s HyperFlex HX-Series. Built around dual AMD EPYC 9004 Series processors (up to 128 cores total), it leverages Zen 4c architecture with 12-channel DDR5-4800 memory support, delivering 614.4 GB/s bandwidth for memory-bound tasks like genomic sequencing.
Key innovations include:
- Liquid Cooling Ready: Integrated quick-disconnect ports for direct-to-chip cooling (3M Novec 7100 validated)
- PCIe Gen5 x16 Expansion: Four slots for Cisco UCS 1467 MLOM adapters or NVIDIA H100 GPUs (8x NVLink topology)
- Storage Architecture: Eight E3.S 2Tb NVMe Gen5 drives with hardware RAID 6 acceleration via Cisco 12G SAS Controller
The server’s asymmetric airflow design reduces fan power consumption by 32% in mixed CPU/GPU workloads compared to traditional front-to-back cooling.
Validated Compatibility and Firmware Requirements
The UCSC-HSHP-C245M8= requires precise firmware alignment for optimal performance:
- Cisco UCS Manager 5.2(1b) for AMD SEV-SNP (Secure Encrypted Virtualization) support
- CIMC 5.3(2e) to enable PCIe Gen5 bifurcation (x8x8x8x8 mode for quad GPUs)
- BIOS C245M8.7.1.2a to mitigate DDR5 training errors in 1 DIMM-per-channel configurations
Common deployment errors include:
- Mixing EPYC 9004 and 8004 series CPUs in the same HyperFlex cluster, causing vSAN witness node latency spikes
- Using non-Cisco E3.S drives without UCS Storage Controller Utility 9.2+, resulting in 27% lower queue depths
- Overlooking NUMA balancing in VMware vSphere 8.0, increasing VM memory latency by 40%
Performance Benchmarks and Real-World Applications
In Cisco TAC-validated testing (HyperFlex 5.1):
- AI Training: 1.8 exaFLOPS (FP8) with eight NVIDIA H100 GPUs in NVLink-switched configuration
- In-Memory Databases: 4.2M Redis operations/sec at <10μs P99 latency (Memtier_benchmark)
- Video Rendering: 8K HDR real-time rendering (DaVinci Resolve) with dual AMD Instinct MI300A APUs
The server’s Cisco Intersight Managed Mode reduces cluster provisioning time by 73% compared to manual UCS Director workflows.
Power and Thermal Optimization Strategies
With 600W+ TDP in full GPU configuration:
- Liquid Cooling: Maintains CPU junction temps below 65°C during sustained AVX-512 workloads (vs. 98°C air-cooled)
- Dynamic Voltage Scaling: Cisco’s PowerCheck utility reduces idle power draw to 185W without service interruption
- Workload Scheduling: Intersight’s Thermal Aware Distributed Scheduler prevents hot-spot formation across HX nodes
Field data shows improper rack PDUs increase power supply ripple by 12%, accelerating VRM capacitor aging.
Procurement and Lifecycle Management
For guaranteed performance, itmall.sale provides:
- Cisco TPM 2.0 Provisioned nodes for FIPS 140-3 compliant environments
- Custom liquid cooling loop integration services (35kW rack solutions)
- Extended firmware support for legacy HX clusters (HyperFlex 4.0+)
Third-party resellers often omit Cisco Trusted Programmable Device Identity (TPDI) certificates, blocking secure boot in DoD IL4 environments.
Deployment Scenarios and Operational Limits
While excelling in generative AI and CFD simulations, the UCSC-HSHP-C245M8= faces constraints:
- Edge Deployments: 2U form factor incompatible with micro-modular data centers
- Cold Storage: Higher $/TB vs. HDD-based UCS S3260 storage nodes
- Legacy Networks: Requires Cisco UCS 1467 adapters for 100GbE backward compatibility
Technical Perspective
The UCSC-HSHP-C245M8= redefines density for AMD-based HCI platforms, but its liquid cooling dependency creates facility design challenges in retrofitted data centers. While NVIDIA DGX systems dominate AI research, Cisco’s tight integration with Intersight gives this node unique appeal for enterprises standardizing on Cisco-powered AI factories—provided they’re prepared to retrofit containment systems for two-phase cooling fluids.