Kickstart AI in Your Data Center with Cisco Validated Designs

In this presentation, Cisco outlines its approach to helping enterprises deploy AI infrastructure efficiently and effectively through Cisco Validated Designs (CVDs). The speakers, Siva Sivakumar and Tushar Patel, emphasize the growing importance of AI across industries and the challenges enterprises face in integrating AI into their existing IT infrastructure. Cisco’s solution is to provide a full-stack approach that simplifies the deployment of AI workloads, from training to fine-tuning and inferencing, using a combination of Cisco UCS servers, Nexus networking, and partnerships with key vendors like NVIDIA, Red Hat, NetApp, and Pure Storage. The goal is to eliminate the guesswork for enterprises by offering pre-validated, optimized designs that ensure high performance and scalability.

Cisco’s AI-ready infrastructure is built on a foundation of its Nexus network fabric and UCS servers, which are optimized for AI workloads. The company has developed a modular design that allows GPUs to be cycled independently of compute resources, providing flexibility and efficiency. Cisco also collaborates with partners like NVIDIA to integrate AI-specific software stacks, such as NVIDIA NGC and NIM, into its solutions. These validated designs are tailored for various AI use cases, including large language models (LLMs), computer vision, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Cisco’s CVDs are comprehensive, covering everything from hardware setup to software tuning, and are designed to be easily reproducible, reducing the time and complexity for enterprises to get started with AI.

The presentation also highlights Cisco’s commitment to continuous improvement and customer support. Cisco works closely with its partners to ensure that its solutions are up-to-date with the latest AI technologies and best practices. The company also offers advisory services to help customers navigate the complexities of AI deployment, from selecting the right models to optimizing infrastructure for specific workloads. Cisco’s long-term vision is to become a trusted advisor for enterprises on their AI journey, providing not just hardware and software but also the expertise and tools needed to ensure successful AI implementations.