Organizations everywhere recognize that changing application environments are creating new demands for the IT infrastructure that supports them. Application workloads are deployed across a mix of virtualized and nonvirtualized server and storage infrastructure, requiring a network infrastructure that provides consistent connectivity, security, and visibility across a range of bare-metal, virtualized, and cloud computing environments:
• Application instances are created dynamically. As a result, the provisioning, modification, and removal of application network connectivity needs to be dynamic as well.
• Business units demand accelerated application deployments. IT departments have to provide shared IT infrastructure to address time-to-market needs and to increase their return on investment (ROI).
• With organizations deploying a mix of custom, open source, and off-the-shelf commercial applications, IT departments must manage both security and quality of service (QoS) for environments that support multitenancy.
• Applications have been transitioning over time to a less monolithic, scale-out, multinode model. IT infrastructure that supports this model must scale with the speed of business and support both 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
The Cisco Nexus® 9000 Series Switches include both modular and fixed-port switches that are designed to overcome these challenges with a flexible, agile, low-cost, application centric infrastructure (ACI).
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform is composed of fixed-port switches designed for top-of-rack (ToR) and middle-of-row (MoR) deployment in data centers that support enterprise applications, service provider hosting, and cloud computing environments. Cisco Nexus 9300 Series Switches are Layer 2 and 3 nonblocking 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)-capable switches with up to 1.28 terabits per second (Tbps) of internal bandwidth.
The Cisco Nexus 9396PX Switch is a two-rack-unit (RU) switch that supports 960 Gbps of bandwidth across 48 fixed 10-Gbps SFP+ ports and 12 fixed 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports (Figure 1). The 40-Gbps ports are provided on an uplink module that can be serviced and replaced by the user.
Figure 1. Cisco Nexus 9396PX Switch
The Cisco Nexus 93128TX Switch is a 3RU switch that supports 1.28 Tbps across 96 fixed 1/10GBASE-T ports and 8 fixed 40-Gbps QSFP ports (Figure 2). The 40-Gbps ports are provided on an uplink module that can be serviced and replaced by the user. The uplink module is the same for both switches. If used with the Cisco Nexus 93128TX 8 out of the 12 40Gbps QSFP+ ports are available.
Figure 2. Cisco Nexus 93128TX Switch
With the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series, organizations can quickly and easily upgrade existing data centers through advanced optics that enable the use of existing 10 Gigabit Ethernet fiber (a pair of multimode fiber strands) to carry 40 Gigabit Ethernet to the aggregation layer or to the spine (in a leaf-and-spine configuration). Additionally, the series can be deployed in MoR or end-of-row (EoR) configurations to meet the 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity requirements of multiple racks or pods.
Used with Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders, the switches can support even more servers in a collapsed access- and aggregation-layer design that supports 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity across multiple racks.
Cisco provides two modes of operation for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series. Organizations can use Cisco® NX-OS Software to deploy the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series in standard Cisco Nexus switch environments. Organizations also can use the ACI-ready hardware infrastructure to take full advantage of an automated, policy-based, systems management approach.
Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform Features and Benefits
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches are high-density, nonblocking, low-power-consuming switches designed for ToR, MoR, or EoR deployment in enterprise data centers, service provider facilities, and large virtualized and cloud computing environments.
The platform offers industry-leading density and performance with flexible port configurations that can support existing copper and fiber cabling (Table 1). With 1/10GBASE-T support, the platform can deliver 10 Gigabit Ethernet over existing copper, enabling a low-cost upgrade from Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series Switches when used in an MoR or EoR configuration.
• Provides 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for uplinks to aggregation or spine switches; advanced QSFP+ optics enable connectivity using existing 10 Gigabit Ethernet fiber
• Provides 40 MB additional packet buffer space shared with all ports for more resilient operation
Power supplies (up to 2)
650 watts (W)
1200W
80 Plus Platinum-rated power supplies that provide at least 90% efficiency with 20% utilization
Fan trays
3
3
Hot-swappable, redundant fan trays with a choice of airflow direction
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform delivers the capabilities described in Table 2.
Table 2. Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform Capabilities
Capability
Benefit
Predictable high performance
Latency of 1 to 2 microseconds with up to 1.28 Tbps of bandwidth enables customers to build a robust switch fabric scaling from as few as 200 10-Gbps server ports to more than 200,000 10-Gbps server ports.
Increased integrated buffer space
Total of 50 MB of integrated shared buffer space to better manage speed mismatch between access and uplink ports.
Designed for availability
Hot-swappable, redundant power supplies and fan trays increase availability.
Flexible airflow configuration
Support for both front-to-back and back-to-front airflow configurations.
Power efficiency
All Cisco Nexus 9000 Series power supplies are 80 Plus Platinum rated.
Advanced optics
Cisco offers a pluggable 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ transceiver that enables customers to use existing 10 Gigabit Ethernet data center cabling to support 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. This technology facilitates adoption of 40 Gigabit Ethernet with no cable infrastructure upgrade cost.
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform is constructed with the components shown in Figure 3 and described in the following sections. The Cisco Nexus 9396PX Switch is shown; other switches in the series have similar components and configurable options.
The switches are designed to adapt to any data center hot-aisle and cold-aisle configuration. The switches can be installed with ports facing the rear, simplifying cabling of server racks by putting the ports closest to the servers they support. The switches can be installed with the ports facing the front, simplifying the upgrade of existing racks of switches in which network cables are wired to the front of the rack. The two deployment modes support front-to-back cooling through a choice of power supplies and fan trays designed with opposite airflow directions, denoted by red and blue tabs (see Figure 3).
To enhance availability, the platform supports 1+1 redundant hot-swappable 80 Plus Platinum-certified power supplies and hot swappable 2+1 redundant fan trays.
Cisco Nexus 9300 Series Uplink Module
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform requires an uplink module to be installed for normal switch operation. The Cisco Nexus M12PQ uplink module provides up to 12 QSFP+ ports for 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to servers or aggregation-layer switches (Figure 4). As specified in Table 1, the uplink module provides 8 active ports when installed in the Cisco Nexus 93128TX, and 12 active ports when installed in the Cisco Nexus 9396PX.
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform is a versatile data center switching platform with switches that can operate as ToR data center switches, as MoR/EoR access-layer switches deployed with or without Cisco fabric extender technology, and as leaf switches in horizontally scaled leaf-and-spine architectures. In the context of Cisco ACI, the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform is designed for a leaf role.
Top-of-Rack Data Center Switch
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform is designed with the port density, increased integrated buffer space, and performance that make it particularly well suited as a ToR switch.
With its 48 fixed ports, the Cisco Nexus 9396PQ has enough ports to support the densest 1RU server configurations. A pair of these switches can support redundant connectivity to each server in a rack with ports to spare. In the configuration shown in Figure 5, the 480 Gbps of uplink capacity from each switch is sufficient to provide full 10-Gbps bandwidth to each server with no oversubscription.
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform can support multiple racks (or pods) of dense 1RU servers. For example, the 96-port Cisco Nexus 93128TX can provide 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to all servers across two racks, with a pair of these switches providing full redundancy. In less dense configurations with 2RU servers, the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform can support even more racks of servers in a MoR configuration.
Figure 5. Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform in ToR Configurations
End-of-Row Access-Layer Switch
In addition to being an excellent ToR switch, Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches can be configured as MoR/EoR access-layer switches. They can connect to almost any blade or rack server through 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections including the following (Figure 6):
• Third-party blade server chassis with chassis-resident switches or pass-through devices
• Cisco UCS
The Cisco Nexus 9396PX can be used to connect both 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet-equipped fabric extenders, Cisco Nexus B22 Blade Fabric Extenders in Dell and HP blade chassis (not shown), and 10 Gigabit Ethernet-equipped servers and systems such as Cisco UCS. The Cisco Nexus 93128TX provides excellent connectivity for large numbers 10 Gigabit Ethernet-equipped blade or rack servers equipped with 10GBASE-T ports.
Figure 6. Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform Switches as an EoR Access-Layer Switches With and Without Cisco Fabric Extender Technology
Collapsed Access and Aggregation Layers
Figure 7 shows how the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform can combine with Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders to establish a centrally managed yet physically distributed collapsed access- and aggregation-layer switch. Although each fabric extender resides physically at the top of each rack or within each blade server chassis, each device is handled as a remote line card of the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform chassis, yielding massive scalability through flexible bandwidth oversubscription but with only a single point of management.
Using Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders at the top of each rack reduces the cabling complexity, overall power consumption, and number of management points. This approach facilitates a "rack and roll" deployment model in which individual server racks can be prewired using ToR fabric extenders, with the only connections required to bring them into the data center being network uplink and power connections.
Figure 7. Collapsed Access and Aggregation Layers with Cisco Fabric Extenders
Leaf-and-Spine Architecture
Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches are excellent choices for leaf switches in a leaf-and-spine architecture (Figure 8). The Layer 3 capabilities established by both the Cisco Nexus 9500 and 9300 platforms enable the two to be used with Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP) routing to accelerate the flow of traffic and reduce reconvergence time in the event of a failure. The degree of redundancy in leaf-and-spine architectures delivers increased availability with a high level of flexibility in workload placement.
Figure 8. Cisco Nexus 9300 and 9500 Platforms in a Leaf-and-Spine Architecture
Cisco NX-OS Software Overview
Cisco NX-OS is a data center purpose-built operating system designed for performance, resiliency, scalability, manageability, and programmability at its foundation. Cisco NX-OS provides a robust and comprehensive feature set that meets the demanding requirements of virtualization and automation in present and future data centers.
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series uses an enhanced version of Cisco NX-OS Software with a single binary image that supports every switch in the series, simplifying image management. The operating system is modular, with a dedicated process for each routing protocol, a design that isolates faults while increasing availability. In the event of a process failure, the process can be restarted without losing state. The operating system supports In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU), hot and cold patching, and online diagnostics. In the event of a supervisor module failure (Cisco Nexus 9500 platform only), the software supports stateful switchover with continuous availability.
Main switch features include the following:
• Power-On Auto Provisioning (POAP) automates the process of upgrading software images and installing configuration files on Cisco Nexus switches that are being deployed in the network for the first time.
• Intelligent Application Programming Interface (iAPI) provides operators with a way to manage the switch through remote procedure calls (RPCs; JavaScript Object Notation [JSON] or XML) over HTTP/HTTPS infrastructure.
• Patching allows the Cisco NX-OS software to be upgraded and patched without any interruption in switch operations.
• Line-rate overlay support provides Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) bridging and routing at full line rate, facilitating and accelerating communication between virtual and physical servers as well as between multiple data centers in a campus environment.
Cisco NX-OS Features and Benefits
The software packaging for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series offers flexibility and a comprehensive feature set while being consistent with Cisco Nexus access switches. The default system software has a comprehensive Layer 2 security and management feature set and base level Layer 3 feature set. To enable advanced Layer 3 IP Unicast and IP Multicast routing functions, you must install additional licenses. Table 3 lists the software packaging and licensing available to enable advanced features.
Table 3. Software Packaging and Licensing
Packaging
Chassis Based
Part Number
Supported Features
Cisco Nexus 9300 Enhanced Layer 3 license
Chassis
N93-LAN1K9
Layer 3 including full OSPF, Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), and VXLAN
Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) license
Chassis
DCNM-LAN-N93-K9
Cisco DCNM license for Cisco Nexus 9300 platform
Software Requirements
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series supports Cisco NX-OS Software Release 6.1 and later. Cisco NX-OS interoperates with any networking operating system, including Cisco IOS® Software, that conforms to the networking standards described in this data sheet.
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series runs Cisco NX-OS on a 64-bit Linux kernel (Release 3.4.10) with a single binary image that supports both modular (Cisco Nexus 9500 platform) and fixed-port (Cisco Nexus 9300 platform) switches. The software image is based on Cisco-NX-OS Software Release 6.1(2). The single image incorporates both the Linux kernel and Cisco NX-OS so that the switch can be booted through a standard Linux kickstart process.
For the latest software release information and recommendations, please refer to the product bulletin at http://www.cisco.com/go/nexus6000.
Specifications
Table 4 lists the specifications for the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches. (Please check software release notes for feature support information.)
Performance and Scalability
Table 4. Product Specifications
Item
Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform
Maximum number of longest prefix match (LPM) routes
16,000
Maximum number of IP host entries
88,000
Maximum number of MAC address entries
160,000
Number of multicast routes
• 32k (without virtual PortChannel [vPC])
• 32k (with vPC)
Number of Interior Gateway Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping groups
• 32k (without vPC)
• 32k (with vPC)
Maximum number of Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders per switch
16
Number of access control list (ACL) entries
• 4000 egress
• 1000 ingress
Maximum number of VLANs
4096
Maximum number of Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instances
1000
Maximum number of links in a PortChannel
32
Maximum number of ECMP paths
64
Maximum number of PortChannels
528
Number of active Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) sessions
4
Maximum number of Rapid per-VLAN Spanning Tree (RPVST) instances
507
Maximum number of Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) groups
490
Maximum number of Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) instances
64
Maximum number of tunnel endpoints (VTEP) and VXLAN physical servers (per VLAN)
10,000
Features
This section summarizes the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform features.
Layer 2 Features
VLANs
• 4096
• Reserved range remapping
Private VLANs (PVLANs)*
• Isolated ports and promiscuous ports
• PVLAN on PortChannels and vPCs
PVLANs: Fabric extenders*
• Isolated ports
vPC
Spanning Tree Protocol
• IEEE 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree (Rapid PVST+)
• IEEE 802.1s Multiple Spanning Tree (MST)
• Edge port and edge port trunk
• Extensions: Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) guard, BPDU filtering, bridge assurance, loop guard, and root guard
VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP) Versions 1 and 2 (v1 and v2): Transparent mode
MAC addresses: Static
• Unicast and multicast
IEEE 802.3x Flow Control
IEEE 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP)
User-configurable interface maximum transmission unit (MTU) and jumbo frames
• disable-peer-as-check: Routes learned from one node in one autonomous system (as) will be advertised to another node in the same autonomous system.
• allow-as in: Allow routes having their own autonomous systems in the autonomous system path (as-path) to be installed in the BGP routing information base (BRIB).
• best-as-path-relax: Allow paths received from different autonomous systems to be handled as multipath if their as-path lengths are the same and other multipath conditions are met.
• best-as-path-relax: Allow paths received from different autonomous systems to be handled as multipath if their as-path lengths are the same and other multipath conditions are met.
• transport connection-mode passive: Allow a passive connection setup only.
Table 6 lists the environmental properties of the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches.
Table 6. Environmental Properties
Property
Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform
Physical (H x W x D)
• Cisco Nexus 9396PX: 3.5 x 17.5 x 22.5 in. (8.9 x 44.5 x 57.1 cm)
• Cisco Nexus 93128TX: 5.3 x 17.5 x 22.5 in. (13.3 x 44.5 x 57.1 cm)
Operating temperature
32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)
Nonoperating (storage) temperature
-40 to 158°F (-40 to 70°C)
Humidity
5 to 95% (noncondensing)
Altitude
0 to 13,123 ft (0 to 4000m)
Weight and Typical Power
Table 7 lists the weight and typical power consumption of the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches.
Table 7. Weight and Power Consumption
Component
Weight
Cisco Nexus 9396PX without power supplies, fans, uplink module
22.45 lb (10.2 kg)
650W AC power supply (2 maximum)
2.42 lb (1.1kg)
Fan tray 1
0.92 lb (0.4kg)
Cisco Nexus 93128TX without power supplies, fans, uplink module
32.56 lb (14.8 kg)
1200W AC power supply (2 maximum)
2.64 lb (1.2kg)
Fan tray 2
1.14 lb (0.5kg)
Cisco Nexus M12PQ uplink module (1 per switch)
3.12 lb (1.4kg)
Component
Typical Power
Maximum Power
Cisco Nexus 9396PX (incl. 2 PS, 3 Fans)
204 W
455 W
Cisco Nexus 93128TX (incl. 2 PS, 3 Fans)
1G mode
432 W
739 W
10G mode
568 W
853 W
Regulatory Standards Compliance
Table 8 summarizes regulatory standards compliance for the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform.
Table 8. Regulatory Standards Compliance: Safety and EMC
Specification
Description
Regulatory compliance
Products should comply with CE Markings according to directives 2004/108/EC and 2006/95/EC
Safety
• UL 60950-1 Second Edition
• CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1 Second Edition
• EN 60950-1 Second Edition
• IEC 60950-1 Second Edition
• AS/NZS 60950-1
• GB4943
EMC: Emissions
• 47CFR Part 15 (CFR 47) Class A
• AS/NZS CISPR22 Class A
• CISPR22 Class A
• EN55022 Class A
• ICES003 Class A
• VCCI Class A
• EN61000-3-2
• EN61000-3-3
• KN22 Class A
• CNS13438 Class A
EMC: Immunity
• EN55024
• CISPR24
• EN300386
• KN 61000-4 series
RoHS
The product is RoHS-6 compliant with exceptions for leaded-ball grid-array (BGA) balls and lead press-fit connectors
Ordering Information
Table 9 presents ordering information for the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform. Note that you can order the Cisco Nexus 2200 platform fabric extenders either separately or along with the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform.
The Cisco Nexus 9300 platform has a 1-year limited hardware warranty. The warranty includes hardware replacement with a 10-day turnaround from receipt of a return materials authorization (RMA).
Service and Support
Cisco offers a wide range of services to help accelerate your success in deploying and optimizing the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform in your data center. The innovative Cisco Services offerings are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners and are focused on helping you increase operation efficiency and improve your data center network. Cisco Advanced Services uses an architecture-led approach to help you align your data center infrastructure with your business goals and achieve long-term value. Cisco SMARTnet® Service helps you resolve mission-critical problems with direct access at any time to Cisco network experts and award-winning resources.
With this service, you can take advantage of the Cisco Smart Call Home service capability, which offers proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts on your Cisco Nexus 9300 platform. Spanning the entire network lifecycle, Cisco Services offerings help increase investment protection, optimize network operations, support migration operations, and strengthen your IT expertise.
