Cisco added new members to the Cisco Nexus 9000 family: The Cisco Nexus 9200 series and next-gen Nexus 9300EX switches.
Those two data center switches are the industry’s first native 25Gbps-capable switches, delivering 25/50/100Gbps speeds at the cost of 10/40Gbps.
“The Cisco Nexus 9200 is a next-generation Top of Rack switch that pushes the boundaries and exceeds performance of existing solutions,” said Trey Layton, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, VCE, the Converged Platforms Division of EMC. “These switches meet the needs for the dense, hyperconverged compute and IO intensive applications that VCE VxRack Systems address. For example, it’s not uncommon for customers with hundreds or thousands of VxRack nodes to drive millions of IOPS, as well as hundreds of gigabits per second of system bandwidth. The Cisco Nexus 9200 solves this problem.”
The Cisco Nexus 9200 platform consists of industry leading ultra-density fixed-configuration data center switches with line-rate Layer 2 and 3 features that support enterprise applications, service provider hosting, and cloud computing environments. These switches support a wide range of port speeds with flexible combinations of 1/10/25/40/50/100-Gbps connectivity in compact form factors.
Using the widely deployed industry-leading Cisco NX-OS Software operating system, the Nexus 9200 switch is designed for the programmable fabric, which offers flexibility, mobility and scale for service providers and IaaS/cloud providers; and for the programmable network which automates configuration and management for customers who want to take advantage of the DevOps type of operation model and toolsets.
The Cisco Nexus 9200 Platform Switch Models
| Model | Description |
| Cisco Nexus 92160YC-X Switch | 48 x 10/25-Gbps SFP+ ports and 6 x QSFP+ ports (4 of the 6 QSFP+ ports are 100Gbps capable ports)* |
| Cisco Nexus 9272Q Switch | 72 x 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports |
| Cisco Nexus 92304QC Switch | 56 x 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports and 8 x 100- Gbps ports |
| Cisco Nexus 9236C Switch | 36 x 100-Gbps QSFP28 ports |
The Cisco Nexus 92160YC-X Switch is a 1-rack-unit (1RU) switch that supports 3.2 terabits per second (Tbps) of bandwidth and over 2.5 billion packets per second (bpps). The 48-port downlink ports on the 92160YC-X can be configured to work as either 1/10/25- Gbps ports, offering deployment flexibility and investment protection. The uplink can support up to four 100-Gbps OR up to six 40-Gbps ports, or a combination of 10-, 25-, 40- and 100-Gbps connectivity, offering flexible migration options.
The Cisco Nexus 92160YC-X Switch empowers customers by giving them a better understanding of their network flow and telemetry.
Check the latest software release notes here for supported features. This new capability allows administrators to improve network operations, and provides a rich source of data to improve utilization of the network infrastructure, helping increase return on investment (ROI).
Cisco Nexus 92160YC-X Switch
The Cisco Nexus 9272Q Switch is an ultra-high-density 2RU switch that supports 5.76 Tbps of bandwidth and over 4.5 bpps across 72 fixed 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports. Up to 35 ports on the 9272Q can be converted into a total of 140 x 10-Gbps ports.
Cisco Nexus 9272Q Switch
The Cisco Nexus 92304QC Switch is an ultra-high-density 2RU switch that supports 6.1 Tbps of bandwidth and over 4.8 bpps across 56 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports and 8 100-Gbps QSFP28 ports. Up to 16 ports on the 92304QC can be converted into a total of 64 x 10-Gbps ports.
Cisco Nexus 92304QC Switch
The Cisco Nexus 9236C Switch is a 1RU switch that supports 7.2 Tbps of bandwidth and over 5.7 bpps across 36 100-Gbps QSFP28 ports. Each of the port on the 9236C individually configured into 1x100Gbps, 4 x 10 Gbps, 4 x 25 Gbps, 1 x 40 Gbps, or 2 x 50 Gbps. It provides industry’s best density and flexibility needed for data center spine or aggregation connectivity, in a compact form factor.
Cisco Nexus 9236C Switch
The Cisco Nexus 9200 platform offers industry-leading density and performance with flexible port configurations that can support existing fiber cabling.
Cisco Nexus 9200 Platform Switches Characteristics
| Model | Cisco Nexus 92160YC-X | Cisco Nexus 9272Q | Cisco Nexus 92304QC | Cisco Nexus 9236C |
| Ports | 48 10/25-Gbps SFP+ and 6 QSFP+ ports (4 are 100-Gbps capable) | 72 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports | 56 40-Gbps QSFP+ and 8 100-Gbps ports | 36 100-Gbps QSFP28 ports |
| Supported speeds | 1, 10 and 25 Gbps on SFP+ ports | 1*, 10, and 40 Gbps | 1*, 10, 40 and 100 Gbps | 1*, 10, 25, 40, 50 and 100 Gbps |
| 10, 25, 40, and 100 Gbps on QSFP+ ports | ||||
| Port configuration | 48 x 10/25-Gbps ports for downlinks; 4 of the 6 uplink ports are 100-Gbps capable. Port 50 and 52 can be individually configured into 1x100Gbps, 4 x 10 Gbps, 4 x 25 Gbps, 1 x 40 Gbps, or 2 x 50 Gbps* | 72 fixed QSFP+ ports, with break out of up to 140 x 10-Gbps ports | 56 fixed QSFP+ ports, with break out of up to 64 x 10-Gbps ports. 8 100-Gbps ports. | 36 fixed QSFP28 ports, with each being individually configured into 1x100Gbps, 4 x 10 Gbps, 4 x 25 Gbps, 1 x 40 Gbps, or 2 x 50 Gbps |
| Rich telemetry support | Yes | – | – | – |
| CPU | 2 core | 4 core | 4 core | 4 core |
| System memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Solid-state disk (SSD) drive | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Shared System buffer | 20 MB | 30 MB | 30 MB | 30 MB |
| Management ports | 2 ports: 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP+ | 2 ports: 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP+ | 3 RJ-45 ports | 3 RJ-45 ports |
| USB ports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| RS-232 serial ports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Power supplies (up to 2) | 650W AC, 930W DC, or 1200W AC/HVDC | 930W DC, 1200W AC, or 1200W HVAC/DC | 650W AC, 930W DC, or 1200W HVAC/HVDC | 930W DC, 650W AC, or 1200W HVAC/DC |
| Typical power** (AC) | 10G Mode: 150W | 310W | 305W | 375W |
| 25G Mode: 170W | ||||
| Maximum power** (AC) | 430W | 1050W | 720W | 640W |
| Input voltage (AC) | 100 to 240V | 100 to 240V | 100 to 240V | 100 to 240V |
| Input voltage (HVAC) | 200 to 277V | 200 to 277V | 200 to 277V | 200 to 277V |
| Input voltage (DC) | -48 to -60V | -48 to -60V | -48 to -60V | -48 to -60V |
| Input voltage (HVDC) | -240 to -380V | -240 to -380V | -240 to -380V | -240 to -380V |
| Frequency (AC) | 50 to 60 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz |
| Fans | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Airflow | Port-side intake and exhaust | Port-side intake and exhaust | Port-side intake and exhaust | Port-side intake and exhaust |
| Physical (H x W x D) | 1.72 x 17.3 x 22.5 in. (4.4 x 43.9 x 57.1 cm) | 3.5 x 17.4x 24.5 in. (8.9 x 44.2 x 62.3 cm) | 3.5 x 17.5 x 22.5 in. (8.9 x 44.5 x 57.1 cm | 1.72 x 17.3 x 22.5 in. (4.4 x 43.9 x 57.1 cm) |
| RoHS compliance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* Please check the latest software release note for break out and port speed support.
**Typical and maximum power values are based on input drawn from the power circuit. The power supply value (for example, 650W AC power supply: NXA-PAC-650W-PI) is based on the output rating to the inside of the switch.
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. To enable additional functions including Layer 3 IP unicast and IP multicast routing and Cisco Nexus Data Broker, you must install additional licenses. Table 3 lists the software packaging and licensing available to enable advanced features.
Software Packaging and Licensing
| Packaging | Chassis Based | Part Number | Supported Features |
| Cisco Nexus 9200/Nexus9300 Layer 3 license | Chassis | N93-LAN1K9 | Layer 3 including full OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and VXLAN |
| Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) license | Chassis | DCNM-LAN-N93-K9 | DCNM license for Cisco Nexus 9000 platform |
| Cisco Nexus Data Broker license | Chassis | L-NDB-FX-SWT-K9 | Data Broker license for Cisco Nexus 9000 platform |
For a complete list of supported features, refer to Cisco Feature Navigator.
The new Nexus 9000 switches deliver:
- Industry leading performance for 100Gbps, with 25 percent more non-blocking performance, at 50 percent the cost of comparable solutions, plus greater reliability and lower power
- Real time network telemetry at 100Gbps wire rate, enabling network security with pervasive NetFlow and fabric wide troubleshooting
- The ability to scale up to 10 times in IP addresses and end points at cloud scale, and support over a million containers per rack.
- Unique cloud services with adaptive capacity and congestion control, allowing customers to support lossless traffic for IP storage, hyperconverged and converged infrastructure on a single unified fabric that enables application completion times 50 percent faster than traditional competitive platforms.
- Future-proofing with cloud economics for the transition to hyperconverged infrastructure and applications based on microservices and containers
More detailed information about the Cisco Nexus 9200 Platform Switches, such as the Performance and Scalability Specifications*, Ordering Information, more Features and Benefits you can refer to https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-9000-series-switches/datasheet-c78-735989.html
More Compare Models to Help You Know the Nexus 9200 Well
Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Platform Switch Features
Cisco Launched New Data Center Switches-the Nexus 9300, Nexus 9200 and More
Cisco Nexus 9500 Comparison-Chassis, Supervisors and Modules…
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches Overview
Cisco 9500 Nexus Switch Overview-Model Comparison
Cisco Nexus 9000 Models Comparison: Nexus 9500 & Nexus 9300 Series
