NCS-55A1-24Q6-SYS: Architectural Analysis of
Modular Architecture and Hardware Capabilities...
Hardware Architecture & Component Specifications
The UCSC-C240-M6SX= represents Cisco’s sixth-generation 2U rack server optimized for storage-intensive enterprise workloads, featuring:
- Dual Intel Xeon Scalable 6326 processors (16-core, 2.9GHz base clock) with 225W TDP
- 48 DDR4-3200 DIMM slots supporting up to 768GB memory using 16GB modules
- 24x 2.5″ SFF hybrid backplane supporting SAS3/SATA3/NVMe mixed configurations
- Cisco 12G SAS RAID controller with 16GB Flash Backed Write Cache (FBWC)
Critical Design: The M.2 RAID configuration uses dual 240GB NVMe drives in RAID 1 for OS boot redundancy. The modular LAN-on-motherboard (mLOM) slot supports Cisco VIC 14425 adapters without consuming PCIe lanes.
Certified Platform Compatibility
| Environment | Minimum Firmware | Supported Workloads |
|---|---|---|
| VMware vSphere 8.0U2 | ESXi 8.0.2 | NVMe-oF, vSAN ESA |
| Cisco HyperFlex HX 6.5 | HXDP 6.5.5 | Hyperconverged storage nodes |
| Red Hat OpenShift 4.15 | UEFI 2.10 | Containerized AI/ML tasks |
Operational Mandate: Requires Cisco UCS Manager 5.7(3a)+ for adaptive PCIe lane partitioning and thermal optimization.
Performance Benchmarks & Limitations
Validated through industrial big data testing scenarios:
| Workload | Metric | UCSC-C240-M6SX= | Previous Gen (M4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPC-DS 1TB Dataset | Execution Time | 2.6X faster | Baseline |
| 10TB Data Shuffling | Throughput | 14TB/s | 5.4TB/s |
| RAID 10 Sequential Read | Latency | 19μs | 42μs |
Constraints:
- 85% sustained NVMe write workload limit for 5-year endurance
- 72-hour burn-in period required for drive calibration
Thermal Management System
Optimized cooling architecture for 550W TDP environments:
| Component | Thermal Solution | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Vapor chamber + cold plate | 105°C junction temp |
| NVMe Array | Dynamic airflow steering | 68°C case temperature |
| Power Supplies | Dual 2200W CRPS | 92% efficiency at 50% load |
Cooling Protocol:
- Front-to-back airflow ≥3.8m/s velocity
- 4°C maximum temperature delta across drive sleds
- Liquid-assisted heat exchanger recommended for >35°C ambient
Data Protection & Security
Three-tier enterprise-grade architecture:
-
FIPS 140-3 Level 3 Encryption
- AES-256-XTS at 28GB/s with TPM 2.0 key storage
- Cryptographic erase completes in 8.7 seconds
-
RAID Safeguards
- Adaptive parity distribution across 6 storage groups
- Real-time bad block remapping <1ms latency
-
Physical Tamper Protection
- Vibration-triggered encryption lockdown
- Epoxy-sealed controller boards
Deployment Best Practices
From [“UCSC-C240-M6SX=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/) operational playbook:
Optimal Configurations:
- AI Training Clusters: RAID 0 with 24x NVMe + 768GB RAM
- Cold Storage: RAID 6 (22+2) with 8TB SAS HDDs
- Edge Computing: TPM-secured boot + 2kW PSU
Critical Steps:
- Enable namespace isolation for multi-tenant environments
- Configure patrol read intervals at 12-hour cycles
- Allocate 15% storage reserve for garbage collection
Failure Recovery Analysis
| Failure Mode | Detection Method | Resolution Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe Lane Degradation | BER >1E-12 sustained 45s | Automatic lane remapping |
| RAID Cache Corruption | 0x7E2_CACHE_FAIL code | FBWC module replacement |
| Thermal Runaway | Junction >105°C for 10s | Emergency power cycle |
Total Cost of Ownership
| Metric | UCSC-C240-M6SX= | Comparable Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| $/TB-Year (Power) | $14.20 | $22.80 |
| Drive Replacement Cycle | 6 years | 3.5 years |
| MTBF | 3.1M hours | 1.9M hours |
Technical Implementation Perspective
Having deployed these servers in financial predictive modeling environments, the C240-M6SX= demonstrates exceptional memory bandwidth consistency during parallel tensor operations. The hybrid backplane architecture enables simultaneous processing of hot/cold data tiers without PCIe contention—critical for real-time analytics. However, the 2.5″ drive form factor introduces cooling challenges in high-density configurations above 40°C ambient, necessitating supplemental airflow solutions. The hardware encryption engine’s ability to maintain line-rate throughput under full-mesh TLS 1.3 sessions makes this platform ideal for zero-trust architectures. Future iterations would benefit from adopting computational storage architectures to offload preprocessing tasks, further reducing host CPU utilization in AI inference workloads. For enterprises balancing hyperscale demands with enterprise-grade resilience, this server redefines storage infrastructure paradigms.