Cisco® NX-OS Software Release 4.1 continues the design objectives of providing a rich and comprehensive feature set to address the high demands of mission-critical data centers. In addition to support for the new hardware in the Cisco Nexus™ 7000 Series Switches, new software features are also introduced to further enhance Cisco's product offering in the next-generation data center.
Starting with Cisco NX-OS Software Release 4.1, the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches and Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches will be sharing this common operating system that focuses on data center features and protocols, availability, and operational considerations. The first release of Cisco NX-OS Software Release 4.1 for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch will be named Release 4.1(2).
Table 1 lists the hardware supported in Cisco NX-OS Software Release 4.1, and Table 2 lists the new software features introduced in this release.
• Access control lists (ACLs) ((port-based ACLs [PACLs], VLAN-based ACLs [VACLs], router-based ACLs [RACLs], and security group ACLs [SGACLs])
• Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (uRPF)
• Quality of Service (QoS)
VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) Transparent Mode
Allows VTP protocol data units (PDUs) to pass through Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches
`show capacity' command
Provides the user with a single command that summarizes the current utilization of the platform hardware resources of the switch
ACL Hardware Resource Pooling
Allows any features that use ACLs to scale beyond 16K entries
Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) Enhancement
Supports the following options on SPAN destination interfaces:
• Inpkt: Allows the SPAN destination ports to receive the normal incoming traffic
• Learning: Enables MAC addresses learning
Smart CallHome HTTPS Transport
Provides a secure communication channel through the HTTPS tunnel between Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches and the Cisco AutoNotify backend server
Role-backed access control (RBAC) Role Distribution
Supports distribution of RBAC role configuration for easier deployment
MIB Enhancement
Adds support for additional MIB:
• IPMCAST-MIB (RFC-5132)
Virtual Port Channel (vPC)
Supported as of r4.1(3)
Increases usable bandwidth by eliminating STP blocked ports in common dual homed designs.
• Transparent to neighbor hosts or switches
• Neighbors need only support LACP
• Retains independent control and data plane
• Support for dual sups per switch
CFSoIP
Cisco Fabric service (CFS) is a distribution protocol that provides a rich set of features, using which applications can distribute and synchronize configuration and/or runtime data in a network.
Ordering Information
Cisco NX-OS is available in three license levels. A rich feature set is provided with the Base license, which is bundled with the hardware at no extra cost. The Enterprise license enables incremental functions that are applicable to many enterprise deployments. The Advanced Services license enables next-generation data-center functions such as virtual device contexts (VDCs) and Cisco TrustSec. Table 3 summarizes the three packages.
Table 3. License Packages
Package
Content
Base package
Provides a rich feature set appropriate for most data center requirements
Enterprise package
Provides incremental functions available only with the Enterprise license:
• IP routing
• Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Versions2 and 3 (IPv4 and IPv6)
• Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) Protocol (IPv4)
• Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) (IPv4)
• Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) (IPv4 and IPv6)
• IP Multicast
• PIM: Sparse, Bidir, Any-Source Multicast (ASM), and Source-Specific Multicast (SSM) modes (IPv4 and IPv6)
Cisco NX-OS 4.1 Software for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Supervisor 1
N7KS1K9-41
Cisco Services and Support
Cisco offers a wide range of services to help accelerate your success in deploying and optimizing Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches in your data center. Cisco's innovative services are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, and are focused on helping you increase operational efficiency and improve your data center network. Cisco Advanced Services use an architecture-led approach to help you align your data center infrastructure to your business goals and achieve long-term value. Cisco SMARTnet® Service helps you resolve mission-critical problems with direct access any time to Cisco network experts and award-winning resources. With this service, you can take advantage of the Smart Call Home service capability, which offers proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts on your Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches. Spanning the entire network lifecycle, Cisco Services help protect your investment, optimize network operations, support migration, and strengthen your IT expertise. For more information about Cisco Data Center Services, visit: http://www.cisco.com/go/dcservices.
For More Information
For more information about Cisco NX-OS, visit the product homepage at: http://www.cisco.com/go/nxos or contact your local account representative.
