Cisco launches Cisco UCS X-Series, tools for multicloud, hybrid cloud deployments

Cisco launched the Cisco UCS X-Series, a new modular system designed for hybrid cloud deployments, as well as observability throughout the stack and network intelligence.

UCS X-Series was rolled out during Cisco's Future Cloud event that featured a host of product launches.

With its UCS revamp Cisco joins an increasingly crowded field in the hybrid cloud space. Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM, which acquired Red Hat, are all betting on infrastructure that bridges data centers, clouds and edge compute.

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Todd Nightingale, general manager of Cisco's enterprise networking and cloud unit, said the company is focused on providing observability across the enterprise stack. "The real focus is on observability top to bottom from server to application," said Nightingale.

While Cisco UCS X-Series is the headliner, the networking giant launched a series of products, integrations and applications for hybrid and multicloud deployments. Here's the rundown of what Cisco launched:

• UCS X-Series: UCS is used in data centers by more than 50,000 global customers. Nightingale said that UCS X-Series includes Cisco's UCS X-Fabric technology and aims to blend the best of rack and blade technologies.
• Intersight Cloud Orchestrator, a low-code automation tool for IT Ops workflows.
• Intersight Workload Engine, a Cisco operating system for Hyperflex that is built on open-source Kubernetes and Kernel-based virtual machine.
• Cisco Service Mesh Manager, an extension for observability and management of policy-based security.
• Cisco Cloud ACI will be available for Google Cloud in the fall of 2021. Cisco Cloud ACI manages hybrid and multicloud deployments and already connects to AWS and Microsoft Azure.
• Integration of ThousandEyes with Cisco  Catalyst 8000 Edge Series for SD-WAN and Cisco Nexus 9000 switches.
• Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator to manage policies across clouds and on-prem deployments.

Cisco also rolled out a series of advisory services to go along with the rollout.