Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Common Equipment
Product Overview
Changing application environments are placing new demands on IT infrastructure. With application workloads deployed across a mix of virtualized and non-virtualized server and storage infrastructure, the network must provide constant connectivity, security, and visibility across bare-metal, virtualized, and cloud computing environments. Key aspects include:
- Dynamic provisioning, modification, and removal of application network connectivity.
- Support for accelerated application deployments to meet time-to-market needs and increase Return On Investment (ROI).
- Management of security and Quality of Service (QoS) for environments supporting multitenancy, especially with the adoption of a less monolithic, scale-out, multinode model.
- Scalability to support 100 Megabit Ethernet, 1, 10, 25, 40, 50, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
The Cisco Nexus® 9000 Series Switches, featuring Cloudscale Technology, offer modular and fixed-port switches designed to be flexible, agile, and programmable. The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform, part of the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series, provides three modular options: the Cisco Nexus 9504 Switch (4 slots), the Cisco Nexus 9508 Switch (8 slots), and the Cisco Nexus 9516 Switch (16 slots). These switches utilize the same supervisor, system controller, power supplies, and line cards. The platform offers Layer 2 and 3 nonblocking Ethernet switches with backplane bandwidth up to 115.2 Terabits per second (Tbps). The Cisco Nexus 9504, 9508, and 9516 Switches support 1, 10, 25, 40, 50, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces through a selection of modular line cards. They can be configured with up to 2304 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 2048 x 25 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 576 x 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 1024 x 50 Gigabit Ethernet ports, or 512 x 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports, providing capacity for access- and aggregation-layer deployments.
Note: The Cisco N9K-X9636PQ line card is not supported in 16-slot chassis.
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches Overview
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series offers two operating modes: standard Cisco Nexus switch environments (NX-OS mode) and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI™) mode for automated, policy-based systems management. This data sheet focuses on standard Cisco Nexus 9500 platform deployment scenarios using NX-OS mode.
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Features and Benefits
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform is a modular chassis supporting up to 16 line cards, 2 supervisor modules, 2 chassis controllers, 3 fan trays, 6 fabric modules, and 10 power supplies. It provides comprehensive Layer 2 and 3 functions on nonblocking 1, 10, 25, 40, 50, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Capability | Benefit |
---|---|
Predictable high performance | The backplane delivers up to 172.8 Tbps of nonblocking performance with latency of less than 5 microseconds, enabling robust network fabrics that can scale from 200 x 10/25 Gigabit Ethernet server ports to over 200,000 x 10/25 Gigabit Ethernet server ports. |
High-density 1, 10, 25, 40 and 50 Gigabit Ethernet access configuration | Facilitates transition from older 100 Megabit Ethernet and 1 Gigabit Ethernet server access designs (e.g., Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series Switches) to 1, 10, 25, 40, and 50 Gigabit Ethernet server access designs with similar port density. |
High-density 10, 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet aggregation and spine configuration | Supports transition from 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure to 10, 40, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure for scale-out, multinode application environments. 100 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP28 module compatibility with 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ enables migration and co-existence of multispeed aggregation to access layer connectivity. |
Highly available, scalable, and robust solution | Features redundant major components (supervisors, system controllers, power supplies, fan trays). Integrated buffer memory in forwarding ASICs avoids external memory modules. Pluggable transceivers support high Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF). |
Chassis designed for 2 to 3 future generations of line cards | Offers flexible and efficient chassis design for future expansion, supporting increased bandwidth, cooling, and double the number of power supplies for maximum configurations. |
Power efficiency | The chassis design allows direct connection of line cards and fabric modules, optimizing airflow and reducing power consumption. All Cisco Nexus 9000 Series power supplies are 80 Plus Platinum rated. Typical power consumption is less than 3.5W per 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, less than 14W per 40 Gigabit Ethernet port, and less than 22W per 100 Gigabit Ethernet port. |
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Components
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform is built using the components illustrated in Figure 2:
[Diagram of Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Modular Switch showing components like Line Cards, Supervisor Modules, Power Supply, System Controller, Fabric Modules, and Fan Tray]
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Chassis
Customers can choose from 4-, 8-, or 16-slot chassis options:
Chassis Type | Specifications |
---|---|
N9K-C9504: 4-Slot Chassis |
|
N9K-C9508: 8-Slot Chassis |
|
N9K-C9516: 16-Slot Chassis |
|
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Supervisor Module
A pair of redundant supervisor modules manages switch operations using a state-synchronized active-standby model. Supervisors support external clock synchronization and management via multiple ports, including USB, serial console, and a 10/100/1000-Mbps network port. Two supervisor options are available:
- Supervisor B+: 6-core, 12 thread, 1.9-GHz x86 CPU, 32 GB RAM, 256-GB solid-state disk drive.
- Supervisor B: 6-core, 12 thread, 2.2-GHz x86 CPU, 24 GB RAM, 256-GB solid-state disk drive.
- Supervisor A+: 4-core, 8 thread, 1.8-GHz x86 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 64-GB solid-state disk drive.
- Supervisor A: 4-core, 4 thread, 1.8-GHz x86 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 64-GB solid-state disk drive.
Supervisor B+ offers enhanced performance with additional computing and storage. Redundant supervisors must be of the same type within a chassis.
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform System Controller
Redundant system controllers offload chassis management functions from supervisors. They manage power supplies and fan trays and serve as a central point for the Gigabit Ethernet Out-of-Band Channel (EOBC) communication.
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Power Supply
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform supports hot-swappable, front-panel-accessible AC, DC, and universal AC/DC power supplies. N+1 and N+N redundancy modes are supported. The 3000W power supplies are 80 Plus Platinum rated, offering over 90% efficiency.
Three power supply options are available:
- New - Dual-Input Grid Redundant Power Supply (N9K-PUV2-3000W-B)
Key Benefits of Power Supplies
- Dual-Input Line/Grid Redundancy allows one supply to replace two for N+N redundancy, enabling higher N+N power with fewer supplies.
- Dual power channels with input line current sharing ensure high reliability without line switchover issues.
- Higher output power of 3.15KW compared to other 3KW supplies.
- Titanium 80 PLUS certification offers 96% efficiency, providing 33% power savings over older Platinum supplies.
- Compatible and interchangeable with other supplies in the family for improved power, efficiency, and redundancy.
- Universal input voltages (200-240VAC, 277VAC, 240VDC, and 380VDC) accommodate legacy and new higher input voltages for increased efficiency and energy savings.
Specific power supply models include:
- N9K-PAC-3000W-B: Cisco Nexus 9500 platform 3000W standard 200 to 240V AC power supply with port-side intake.
- N9K-PDC-3000W-B: Cisco Nexus 9500 platform 3000W standard -48 to –60V DC power supply with port-side intake.
- N9K-PUV-3000W-B: Cisco Nexus 9500 platform 3000W universal high-voltage 200 to 277V AC or 240 to 380V DC power supply with port-side intake.
- N9K-PUV2-3000W-B: Cisco Nexus 9500 platform 3150W universal high-voltage 200 to 277V AC or 240 to 380V DC power supply with port-side intake.
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Fan Trays
Three hot-swappable fan trays provide front-to-back cooling. Each fan tray supports two fabric modules and can be removed for access.
Deployment Scenarios
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform is a versatile data center switching platform that can function as:
- End-of-Row (EoR) access-layer switches, with or without Cisco fabric extender technology.
- Aggregation-layer switches in traditional hierarchical network architectures.
- Leaf or spine switches in horizontally scaled leaf-and-spine architectures.
End-of-Row Access-Layer Switch
Configured as EoR access-layer switches, Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches can connect to servers via 100 Megabit Ethernet, 1 Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections. This includes:
- Third-party and standalone Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®) rack servers.
- Third-party blade server chassis with chassis-resident switches or pass-through devices.
- Cisco UCS.
The platform offers an upgrade path from Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series, bringing NX-OS features to existing EoR configurations. Support for 100 Megabit Ethernet, 1 Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet copper connectivity allows a gradual transition to higher speeds.
[Diagram illustrating Cisco Nexus 9500 Switches in an EoR configuration connecting to various servers and fabric extenders via 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 40 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.]
For example, with eight 48-port 1 and 10GBASE-T line cards, a Cisco Nexus 9508 can support up to 384 servers, with 32 x 40 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks for server access or uplinks to the aggregation tier. The platform can also connect to 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet-equipped fabric extenders, Cisco Nexus B22 Blade Fabric Extenders, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet-equipped servers and systems like Cisco UCS.
Aggregation-Layer Switch
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches can serve as aggregation-layer switches in traditional hierarchical architectures (Figure 4). Support for multiple speeds (1, 10, 25, 40, 50, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet) provides flexibility for new infrastructure or as replacements for existing switches with enhanced bandwidth and functions.
- Uplinks: 100 Gigabit Ethernet and 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to the core switching layer is supported. The platform prepares data center networks for future capacity growth, and QSFP28 module compatibility with QSFP+ enables multispeed connectivity migration.
- Downlinks: 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to Cisco and third-party switches integrates with ToR, EoR, or MoR access-layer switches. 100 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks simplify the evolution to higher per-rack bandwidth without extensive cable plant upgrades.
[Diagram showing Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform in the Aggregation Layer connecting to Cisco Nexus 7000 Series in the Core Layer and Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform in the Access Layer.]
Leaf-and-Spine Architecture
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switches can function as leaf or spine nodes in network architectures (Figure 5). With Layer 3 capabilities, they can be used with Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP) routing to accelerate traffic flow and reduce reconvergence time. Redundancy in a leaf-and-spine architecture enhances availability and workload placement flexibility.
For leaf-and-spine deployments in NX-OS mode, the Cisco Nexus 9500, 9300, or 9200 platform can be used for spine or leaf roles. In ACI mode, the Cisco Nexus 9500 or 9300 platform can be used for spine switches, and the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform for leaf switches. Refer to the Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Switches for Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure data sheet for more ACI information.
[Diagram illustrating Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform as Spine switches connecting to Cisco Nexus 9300 Platform as Leaf switches.]
Cisco NX-OS Software Overview
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches operate in two modes:
- Standalone NX-OS deployment (NX-OS mode).
- Cisco ACI deployment (ACI mode).
NX-OS is a purpose-built operating system for data centers, designed for performance, resiliency, scalability, manageability, and programmability. It offers a robust feature set for virtualization and automation requirements.
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series uses an enhanced NX-OS with a single binary image for all switches in the series, simplifying image management. The operating system is modular, with dedicated processes for routing protocols to isolate faults and increase availability. Processes can be restarted without loss of state, and the system supports patching and online diagnostics. Stateful switchover ensures continuous availability during supervisor module failures.
Key features include:
- Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) bridging and routing accelerates communication between virtual and physical servers across data centers. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) control plane provides scalable multitenancy and host mobility. (Refer to VXLAN Network with MP-BGP EVPN Control Plane for more information).
- In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) and patching enable software updates without interrupting switch operations.
- Power On Auto Provisioning (POAP) enables touchless bootup and configuration, reducing provisioning time.
- Open programmability supports DevOps automation tools like Puppet, Chef, and Ansible.
- NX-API provides a programmatic approach for managing switches via remote procedure calls (RPCs) using JSON or XML over HTTP/HTTPS.
- Onboard Python scripting engine enables automation and remote operations. Linux shell access allows configuration via scripts for consistency across multiple switches.
- Comprehensive Layer 3 routing protocol suites are supported, including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, RIPv2, PIM-SM, SSM, and MSDP.
- Segment routing facilitates MPLS packet forwarding and traffic engineering without RSVP-TE, offering a control-plane alternative for scalability and virtualization.
- Network traffic monitoring with Cisco Nexus Data Broker builds scalable and cost-effective network TAPs or SPAN aggregation.
For a complete list of supported features, refer to the Cisco Feature Navigator.
Software Requirements
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series runs NX-OS on a 64-bit Linux kernel with a single binary image supporting both modular (Cisco Nexus 9500 platform) and fixed-port (Cisco Nexus 9300 platform) switches. The image integrates the Linux kernel and NX-OS, allowing boot-up via a standard Linux kickstart process.
Power Supply
Tables 3, 4, 5, and 6 list the properties of the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform power supplies.
AC Power-Supply Properties | Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform |
---|---|
Power | 3000W |
Input voltage | 200 to 240V AC |
Frequency | 50 to 60 Hz |
Efficiency | 90% or greater (20 to 100% load) |
RoHS compliance | Yes |
Hot swappable | Yes |
Port side intake airflow power supply | Yes |
DC Power-Supply Properties | Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform |
---|---|
Power | 3000W |
Input voltage | -48 to -60V DC (nominal) -40 to -72V DC (min - max) |
Frequency | - |
Efficiency | 90% or greater (20 to 100% load) |
RoHS compliance | Yes |
Hot swappable | Yes |
Port side intake airflow power supply | Yes |
AC/DC Power-Supply Properties | Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform |
---|---|
Power | 3000W |
Input voltage | 200 to 277V AC or 240 to 380V DC (nominal) 192 to 400V DC (min – max) |
Frequency | 47 to 63 Hz |
Efficiency | 90% or greater (20 to 100% load) |
RoHS compliance | Yes |
Hot swappable | Yes |
Port side intake airflow power supply | Yes |
AC/DC Power-Supply Properties | Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform |
---|---|
Power | 3150W |
Input voltage | 200 to 277V AC or 240 to 380V DC (nominal) 192 to 400V DC (min – max) |
Frequency | 47 to 63 Hz |
Efficiency | 90% or greater (20 to 100% load) |
RoHS compliance | Yes |
Hot swappable | Yes |
Port side intake airflow power supply | Yes |
Environment
Table 7 lists the environmental properties of the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform.
Property | Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform |
---|---|
Physical (H x W x D) |
|
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 8 lists the weight and typical power consumption of the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform.
Component | Weight | Typical Power | Maximum Power |
---|---|---|---|
Chassis |
|
- | - |
Power supply |
|
- | - |
Fan tray (3 maximum) |
|
|
|
Supervisor (2 maximum) |
|
|
|
System controller (2 maximum) | 1.91 lb (0.9 kg) | 14W | 25W |
Mean Time Between Failure
Table 9 lists the MTBF information for the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform.
Component | MTBF (Hours) |
---|---|
Chassis |
|
Power Supply |
|
Fan Tray (3 Maximum) |
|
Supervisor (2 Maximum) |
|
System Controller (2 Maximum) | 1,108,240 |
Regulatory Standards Compliance
Table 10 summarizes regulatory standards compliance for the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform.
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Regulatory compliance | Products should comply with CE Markings according to directives 2004/108/EC and 2006/95/EC. |
Safety |
|
EMC: Emissions |
|
EMC: Immunity |
|
RoHS | The product is RoHS-6 compliant with exceptions for leaded-ball grid-array (BGA) balls and lead press-fit connectors. |
Ordering Information
Table 11 provides ordering information for the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform.
Part Number | Product Description |
---|---|
Hardware | |
N9K-C9504-B3-E | Nexus 9504 Chassis Bundle with 1 Sup, 3 AC PS, 2 SC, 3 Fan Trays, 4 E-Series 100G Cloudscale Fabric Modules |
N9K-C9508-B3-E | Nexus 9508 Chassis Bundle with 1 Sup, 3 AC PS, 2 SC, 3 Fan Trays, 4 E-Series 100G Cloudscale Fabric Modules |
N9K-C9516-B3-E | Nexus 9516 Chassis Bundle with 1 Sup, 3 AC PS, 2 SC, 3 Fan Trays, 4 E-Series 100G Cloudscale Fabric Modules |
N9K-C9504 | Nexus 9504 Chassis with 4 linecard slots |
N9K-C9508 | Nexus 9508 Chassis with 8 linecard slots |
N9K-C9516 | Nexus 9516 Chassis with 16 linecard slots |
N9K-SUP-A+ | Nexus 9500 4-Core/8-Thread Supervisor |
N9K-SUP-B+ | Nexus 9500 6-Core/12-Thread Supervisor |
N9K-SUP-A | Nexus 9500 4-Core/4-Thread Supervisor |
N9K-SUP-B | Nexus 9500 6-Core/12-Thread Supervisor |
N9K-SC-A | Nexus 9500 System Controller |
N9K-PAC-3000W-B | Nexus 9500 3000W 200V to 240V AC PS, Port Side Intake |
N9K-PDC-3000W-B | Nexus 9500 3000W -48V-60V DC PS, Port Side Intake |
N9K-PUV-3000W-B | Nexus 9500 3000W 200V to 277V AC or 240V to 380V DC Universal high voltage AC/DC PS, Port Side Intake |
N9K-PUV2-3000W-B | Nexus 9500 3150W Universal PS, Dual Input, Port-side Intake |
N9K-C9504-FAN | Fan Tray for Nexus 9504 chassis |
N9K-C9508-FAN | Fan Tray for Nexus 9508 chassis |
N9K-C9516-FAN | Fan Tray for Nexus 9516 chassis |
Software | |
NXOS-AD-M8-16 | NX-OS Advantage License for Modular Platforms Slot 8-16 |
NXOS-ES-M8-16 | NX-OS Essentials License for Modular Platforms Slot 8-16 |
NXOS-AD-M4 | NX-OS Essentials License for Modular Platform Slot 4 |
NXOS-ES-M4 | NX-OS Essentials License for Modular Platform Slot 4 |
NXOS-SEC-XM | Security License for Modular Platforms |
NXOS-STRG-M | NX-OS Storage SW License for Modular Platforms |
Accessories | |
N9K-C9500-RMK= | Nexus 9500 Rack Mount Kit for Nexus 9508 and Nexus 9516 chassis |
N9K-C9504-RMK= | Nexus 9500 Rack Mount Kit for Nexus 9504 |
N9K-C9500-ACK= | Nexus 9500 Accessory Kit |
Warranty
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform includes a 1-year limited hardware warranty, covering hardware replacement with a 10-day turnaround from receipt of a Return Materials Authorization (RMA).
Service and Support
Cisco offers a range of services to accelerate deployment and optimization of the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform in data centers. Cisco Advanced Services provide an architecture-led approach to align data center infrastructure with business goals. Cisco SMARTnet® Service offers direct access to Cisco network experts and resources, including the Cisco Smart Call Home service for proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts.
Cisco Services offerings help increase investment protection, optimize network operations, support migration, and enhance IT expertise across the network lifecycle.
Cisco Capital Financing to Help You Achieve Your Objectives
Cisco Capital® financing assists in acquiring necessary technology to achieve objectives and maintain competitiveness. It aids in reducing Capital Expenditures (CapEx), accelerating growth, and optimizing investment dollars and ROI. Cisco Capital financing provides flexibility in acquiring hardware, software, services, and complementary third-party equipment with predictable payments. Financing is available in over 100 countries. Learn more.
For More Information
For more information about the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series, please visit https://www.cisco.com/go/nexus9000.
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