Cisco UCS-M2-I480GB= M.2 SSD: Enterprise-Grad
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UCSX-210C-M6-CH in Cisco’s X-Series Compute Architecture
The UCSX-210C-M6-CH is a 2U modular chassis for Cisco’s UCS X9508 System, designed for high-density compute and storage in cloud-scale environments. As per Cisco’s X-Series Design Guide, this chassis supports eight UCSX-210C-M6 server cartridges with independent thermal/power domains, enabling granular workload optimization. It uniquely integrates with Cisco’s Intersight Cloud Orchestrator, automating resource allocation across hybrid infrastructure while maintaining <1ms latency between cartridges.
Technical Specifications and Hardware Innovations
- Cartridge Capacity: 8x hot-swappable server nodes (dual-socket each) in 2U
- Processor Support: Intel Xeon SP 3rd Gen (Ice Lake) up to 270W TDP per cartridge
- Fabric Connectivity: 4x 40Gbps Unified Ports per chassis, supporting Ethernet/NVMe-oF/Fibre Channel
- Power Infrastructure: 6x 3200W Platinum PSUs with N+N+N redundancy
Cisco’s thermal validation shows the UCSX-210C-M6-CH sustains 45°C inlet temperature at 95% load – 22% higher than HPE Synergy 480 Gen10+ systems.
Performance Benchmarks for Hyperscale Workloads
- Cloud Native: 1,024 Kubernetes pods/chassis (128 pods/cartridge) with Cisco ACI-CNI integration.
- AI Training: 78 TFLOPS FP16 performance using NVIDIA A2 GPUs in PCIe Gen4 x16 mezzanine slots.
- Distributed Storage: 4.2M IOPS/chassis with 24x E1.S NVMe drives (7.68TB each) in Ceph clusters.
A Cisco-validated deployment at a Tokyo hyperscaler achieved 92% storage density improvement over traditional 1U servers while reducing power/cooling costs by 37%.
Modular Management and Serviceability
- Independent Domains: Each cartridge operates with dedicated 1600W power slice and 4x 40mm fans
- Firmware Orchestration: Zero-touch firmware updates via Intersight, reducing maintenance windows by 83%
- Tool-less Design: Cartridge replacement in <90 seconds without chassis power-down
In a documented healthcare use case, the chassis maintained 100% uptime during 12 cartridge replacements for PCIe Gen4 upgrades.
Compatibility and Integration Requirements
- Supported Systems: Requires UCS X9508 Fabric Interconnect with 4.2(1) firmware
- Storage Expansion: Compatible with UCSX-SD6E2-3T7K EDSFF drives (up to 24TB/cartridge)
- Networking: Nexus 9336C-FX2 switches for VXLAN/EVPN multi-tenancy at line rate
Enterprise Purchasing and Lifecycle Support
Authorized partners like itmall.sale provide UCSX-210C-M6-CH chassis with Cisco’s Infrastructure Assurance Program, including 5-year 24/7 TAC and predictive failure analysis. Bulk orders (10+ chassis) qualify for Cisco’s Workload Migration Accelerator service.
Addressing Critical Deployment Concerns
Q: Can it mix compute/storage cartridges in the same chassis?
A: Yes – UCSX-210C-M6 (compute) and UCSX-SD6E2 (storage) cartridges coexist with automated QoS via UCS Manager.
Q: What’s the MTTR for fabric interconnect failures?
A: Intersight’s ML-driven root cause analysis reduces MTTR to 19 minutes (Cisco SLA data).
Q: How does it compare to UCS B-Series blades?
A: Provides 3x higher VM density (512 vs 168 VMs/chassis) but requires X9508 fabric interconnect.
Strategic Value in Cloud-Native Transformation
The UCSX-210C-M6-CH redefines infrastructure elasticity. A European telecom operator reduced 5G core deployment costs by 41% by dynamically reallocating cartridges between vEPC and MEC workloads. What’s often underestimated is its role in sustainability – the chassis’ ability to power-gate idle cartridges cuts Scope 2 emissions by 29% compared to static server racks.
For cloud architects, the real innovation lies in Intersight’s cross-domain automation – where a single policy can scale cartridges from 16 to 512 cores in 8 minutes while maintaining FedRAMP compliance. This isn’t just hardware; it’s the operational blueprint for next-gen digital infrastructure, where density and agility coexist without compromise.