Cisco® Unified Communications Solutions unify voice, video, data, and mobile applications on fixed and mobile networks, enabling easy collaboration every time from any workspace.
The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 Media Convergence Server is a high-availability server platform for Cisco Unified Communications Solutions. An integral part of a complete, scalable architecture for a new generation of high-quality IP voice solutions that run on enterprise data networks, the Cisco MCS 7845-I3 delivers the high performance and availability demanded by today's enterprise networks-and it is easy to deploy and highly cost-effective. At only 2 rack units (2RUs) high, the Cisco MCS 7845-I3 offers tremendous power in a low-profile chassis that minimizes rack space.
Supported Applications
The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 can run any of the following Cisco applications:
• Cisco Unified Application Environment
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (formerly known as Cisco Unified CallManager): Up to 7,500 Cisco Unified IP Phones per server
• Cisco Emergency Responder: Up to 30,000 Cisco Unified IP Phones per server
• Cisco Unified Presence
• Cisco Unified Intelligent Contact Management Enterprise and Hosted
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise and Hosted
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Express
• Cisco Unified IP Interactive Voice Response (IP IVR)
• Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal (CVP)
• Cisco Unified Intelligence Suite
• Cisco Unified E-mail Interaction Manager and Unified Web Interaction Manager
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Management Portal
• Cisco Unified MeetingPlace® conferencing
• Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express
• Cisco Unity® meeting solutions
• Cisco Unity Connection
• Cisco Unified Videoconferencing
Key Features and Benefits
Performance
The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 is a robust, highly available server platform designed to support today's unified communications applications. It includes such innovations as variable-speed fan support, Light Path Diagnostics, and memory with Chipkill ECC (Error Checking and Correction) protection. The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 occupies only 2RU rack space while providing the features most requested in a high-availability server platform.
High Availability
High availability on the Cisco MCS 7845-I3 is achieved through the following mechanisms:
• Redundant hot-swap 675W power supplies increase system uptime by eliminating another point of failure with a second hot-swap power supply.
• Hot-swap Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) hard drives are configured using Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) 1.
• Redundant hot-swap fans allow the server to continue to operate even with a fan failure and allow for fan replacement without taking the server offline.
• An integrated management module (IMM) increases server availability by continuously monitoring the system and providing secure alerts and status, thereby ensuring maximum uptime.
Memory
The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 supports a maximum of 128 GB of double-data-rate 3 (DDR3) memory, which implies up to 16 GB per core or 64 GB per CPU socket. By matching the high-performance speed of the Intel Xeon 5500 Series processor with new-generation, high-performance DDR-3 registered dual-inline-memory-module (RDIMM) memory, performance is improved by transmitting 8 bits of data in one clock cycle while lowering the power required for the memory by 17 percent over the previous generation of memory thermal design.
Variable-Speed Fan Support
The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 includes variable-speed fans to reduce operating noise. Through the use of temperature sensors within the server, the speed of the fans is adjusted to maintain the proper cooling, reducing the noise generated by the fans by operating them only when required and at a speed based upon the cooling requirements.
Serviceability
Light Path Diagnostics
The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 is equipped with Light Path Diagnostics, which provides a central information LED panel (visible without removing the cover) and individual LED lights throughout the system on items such as DIMM modules, peripheral-component-interconnect (PCI) slots, power supplies, and CPUs. IT can quickly view system status, and service personnel can pinpoint a specific failing component, helping reduce downtime and service costs. This capability provides increased availability, because nontechnical personnel can report error conditions without removing the top cover and exposing vital components to further risk. If the system-error LED on the front of the server is on, one or more LEDs inside the server or on the power supply will be on. These LEDs help identify and locate problems with some server components. By following the path of lights, you can quickly identify the type of system error that occurred. The Cisco MCS 7845-I3 is designed so that any LEDs that are illuminated remain illuminated when the server shuts down as long as the AC power source is good and the power supply can provide +5 VDC to the server.
Light Path Diagnostics provide indication of failures for the following conditions:
• One or both power supplies consuming power higher than maximum rating
• Power supply failure
• Failure of one or both processors
• Hardware configuration error
• Memory error
• Nonmaskable interrupt
• Error on the system board
• Service processor failure (IMM)
• Error on adapter on PCI slots
• Hard disk error
• Fan failure or slow operation
• System temperature exceeded maximum rating