Partner POV | Power Epic Software Using Cisco UCS Servers with AMD EPYC Processors

Written and provided by AMD and Cisco

Highlights

• Exceptional performance for Epic workloads with fast AMD EPYC processors
• Capability to scale to support more EHR records, applications and users
• Low latency for fast access to patient-critical data
• Built-in security features to help protect critical EHR systems and data

Cisco UCS compute nodes and rack servers with AMD EPYC processors deliver the speed, and security features that Epic deployments need to perform

Healthcare providers, clinics and hospitals of all sizes use Epic applications to manage Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Whether you are a small or large organization or one that supports millions of Epic I/O operations, you need a fast, reliable and secure platform that makes it easy to keep pace.

Epic has tested, validated and listed AMD EPYC CPU processors in its recommended processor list for Epic Hyperspace application and InterSystems IRIS database deployments. These powerful processors are available on the Cisco UCS X215c M8 Compute Node and Cisco UCS C225 M8 and Cisco UCS C245 M8 rack servers. They deliver accelerated computing, exceptional memory bandwidth, and high-frequency operation for optimal performance in compact form factors—with built-in security features to help protect sensitive patient data.

Cisco UCS compute nodes and rack servers are the right platforms for Epic deployments

Epic workloads utilize a lot of processing power to manage production databases. Designed to support thousands of users and operations, the Cisco UCS X215c M8 Compute Node, Cisco UCS C225 M8 and Cisco UCS C245 M8 rack servers with AMD EPYC processors provide a scalable foundation for robust Epic application deployment.

Massive processing power

As the number of medical records grows, Epic Hyperspace applications and back-end InterSystems IRIS and Clarity Cogito databases need to continue to deliver high performance to keep pace with demand. The Cisco UCS X215c M8 Compute Node and Cisco UCS C225 M8 and Cisco UCS C245 M8 rack servers with AMD EPYC processors offer exceptional processing power to accelerate these deployments. Processing power comes from 4th and 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors with high-performance cores, fast execution pipelines and a selection of storage suited to your needs (SAS, SATA, NVMe).

With these powerful servers, you can:

• Quickly retrieve, process and store EHR data
• Accelerate information flow for patient care
• Meet Epic Honor Roll Good Maintenance Grant Program performance requirements
• Distribute data-loading and workload tasks across more processors and cores
• Easily manage your environment with Cisco Intersight, a cloud operations platform. Cisco Intersight infrastructure services include the deployment, monitoring, management and support of your physical and virtual infrastructure

Low latency for fast access

Large amounts of data can be moved and stored close to the high-performance processors to reduce latency and support EHR users and applications. The Cisco UCS X215c M8 Compute Node is unique in that it is the leading AMD blade offering in the market today that offers up to 160 cores, 384 MB of L3 cache, up to six TB of memory, and up to six hot-pluggable SSD or NVMe storage options. Along with Intersight, servers take performance beyond conventional constraints. High-speed connections between cores and memory, combined with a fabric clock that is coupled to run at maximum memory speeds, help reduce memory latency and accelerate data access and processing.

Scalability to meet demand

Cisco solutions bring consistency and flexibility to Epic EHR deployments. Smaller organizations can use a single system to run their entire primary Epic application deployment. Organizations with larger deployments today, or mid-size deployments that may grow over time, can deploy multiple servers to accommodate demand (See table below).

Built-in security features

Protecting sensitive patient and business information is essential. AMD EPYC Processors are 'hardened at the core' with AMD Infinity Guard security features, which include the AMD Secure Processor, AMD Secure Memory Encryption (SME) and Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV). These features help decrease potential attack surfaces as software boots, executes and accesses data.

Sized for your organization

The table below outlines a typical Epic deployment using Cisco UCS servers with AMD EPYC processors. WWT experts are available to help you tune a solution for your specific primary and secondary data centers.

Reference: Solution Brief