Description
Product Specification of the Cisco N9K-X9636PQ
In the realm of networking, having a robust and high-performance line card is crucial for ensuring seamless connectivity and data transfer. The Cisco N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card, part of the Nexus 9500 Series, stands as a prominent solution with its 36 ports and advanced features. This detailed review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the key functionalities, features, and advantages of this line card.
Overview of Cisco N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card
The Cisco N9K-X9636PQ is a line card designed for use with the Nexus 9500 Series switches. This line card is a critical component in building scalable and high-performance data center networks, making it an attractive option for businesses with demanding networking requirements.
Key Features
- 36 Ports for Enhanced Connectivity: The N9K-X9636PQ boasts 36 ports, providing a significant capacity for connecting various devices within a network. This is particularly beneficial for data centers and enterprises with a multitude of networking needs.
- Compatibility with Nexus 9500 Series: Specifically designed for integration with the Nexus 9500 Series switches, this line card ensures seamless compatibility and optimal performance within the Nexus networking environment.
- High-Speed Data Transfer: With support for high-speed data transfer, the line card enables efficient communication between connected devices. This is essential for applications and services that require substantial bandwidth.
- Advanced Data Center Features: The Nexus 9500 Series, complemented by the N9K-X9636PQ line card, incorporates advanced data center features such as low-latency switching and high-throughput capabilities.
- Scalability for Growing Networks: The line card’s design allows for scalability, making it suitable for networks that are expected to grow in terms of connected devices and data traffic.
Performance and Scalability
The performance and scalability of a line card are paramount considerations for businesses looking to invest in a networking solution that can adapt to evolving needs.
Performance Metrics
- Low Latency Switching: The N9K-X9636PQ line card ensures low-latency switching, minimizing delays in data transfer. Low latency is critical for applications that require real-time responsiveness, such as voice and video communication.
- High Throughput: With high-throughput capabilities, the line card facilitates the rapid and efficient transfer of data within the network. This is especially important for data-intensive applications and services.
Scalability
- Modular Design for Expansion: The modular design of the Nexus 9500 Series, coupled with the N9K-X9636PQ line card, allows for easy expansion as the network grows. Additional line cards can be added to accommodate increasing connectivity requirements.
- Support for Virtualization: The line card supports network virtualization, enabling the creation of virtual network segments within a physical network infrastructure. This enhances scalability by allowing for the efficient utilization of resources.
Advanced-Data Center Features
The N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card is equipped with advanced features that cater to the specific needs of data center environments.
VXLAN Support
- Network Segmentation: VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) support enables network segmentation, allowing for the creation of virtual networks within a physical network infrastructure. This is beneficial for enhancing security and isolating traffic.
- Scalable Multi-Tenancy: In data centers with multiple tenants or business units, VXLAN support provides a scalable solution for maintaining separate and isolated network segments for each tenant.
Data Center Interconnect (DCI)
- Efficient Data Transfer Between Data Centers: DCI features facilitate efficient data transfer between geographically distributed data centers. This is crucial for businesses with a global presence or multiple data center locations.
- Enhanced Redundancy and Reliability: DCI capabilities contribute to the creation of redundant and reliable data paths between data centers, ensuring continuous operations and minimizing the risk of downtime.
Compatibility and Integration
The N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card is designed for seamless integration into existing network infrastructures, providing compatibility and interoperability with other networking components.
Nexus 9500 Series Compatibility
- Optimized Performance within the Nexus Ecosystem: As part of the Nexus 9500 Series, the N9K-X9636PQ line card is optimized to deliver peak performance within the Nexus networking ecosystem. This ensures a cohesive and efficient networking environment.
- Unified Management and Control: Integration with the Nexus 9500 Series allows for unified management and control, simplifying network administration tasks and providing a centralized view of the entire network.
Open Standards Support
- Interoperability with Industry Standards: The line card adheres to open standards, ensuring interoperability with a wide range of networking equipment that follows the same standards. This promotes flexibility and freedom of choice in building a comprehensive network infrastructure.
- Ease of Integration with Third-Party Devices: Businesses utilizing a diverse range of networking equipment can seamlessly integrate the N9K-X9636PQ line card into their existing setup, fostering a heterogeneous yet cohesive networking environment.
Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios
The N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card caters to various use cases and deployment scenarios, making it a versatile solution for different business environments.
High-Density Data Centers
- Optimal for High Device Density: The line card’s 36 ports make it optimal for high-density data centers where a large number of devices need to be connected. This includes servers, storage units, and other networking equipment.
- Support for Virtualized Environments: In data centers leveraging virtualization technologies, the line card’s support for VXLAN and network virtualization enhances the efficiency of resource utilization and network management.
Cloud Service Providers
- Scalability for Growing Cloud Infrastructures: Cloud service providers dealing with dynamic workloads and growing infrastructure can benefit from the scalability of the N9K-X9636PQ line card. It allows for the expansion of network capacity to accommodate increasing demand.
- Efficient Data Center Interconnect: Cloud providers with multiple data center locations can leverage the line card’s DCI capabilities for efficient and reliable interconnectivity between data centers.
Enterprise Networks
- High-Performance Networking for Enterprises: Large enterprises with diverse networking needs, such as supporting a multitude of users and applications, can rely on the N9K-X9636PQ line card for high-performance networking.
- Secure and Segmented Networking: The VXLAN support enhances security by facilitating network segmentation, ensuring that sensitive data and applications are isolated from other parts of the network.
Detail Specifications
The Cisco Nexus 9500 X9636PQ is a 36-port line card for the Nexus 9500 series switch. It provides 36 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet ports that can be configured for either 40 Gigabit Ethernet or 100 Gigabit Ethernet operation. It is designed for high-density, high-performance data center networks and is compatible with the Nexus 9508, 9504, and 9372 switches. The line card supports advanced features such as VXLAN, NVGRE, and FCoE, and is suitable for use in large-scale, data center environments. The N9K-X9636PQ line card supports a range of features designed for high availability and performance including:
- High-density, 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet ports that can be configured for either 40 Gigabit Ethernet or 100 Gigabit Ethernet operation, providing a flexible and scalable solution for data center networks.
- Advanced features such as VXLAN, NVGRE, and FCoE, allow for efficient network virtualization and traffic management, enabling the creation of thousands of virtual networks over a shared infrastructure.
- Cisco’s Flexible NetFlow (FNF) feature provides granular visibility into network traffic patterns, allowing for more efficient network monitoring and troubleshooting.
- Redundant power supplies and fans, and also supports the use of Supervisor Engines and Line Cards in a redundant configuration for failover protection.
- Cisco’s Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) feature, which allows for the creation of a virtual Port-Channel that spans multiple switches, providing additional redundancy and resiliency in the event of a switch or link failure.
- Support for advanced security features such as Access Control Lists (ACLs) and Network Address Translation (NAT) to help protect the network from external and internal threats.
Performance and Reliability
The Cisco Nexus 9500 X9636PQ line card provides high performance and reliability for data center networks. The line card supports high-density, 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet ports that can be configured for either 40 Gigabit Ethernet or 100 Gigabit Ethernet operation, providing a flexible and scalable solution for data center networks.
In terms of performance, the line card supports advanced features such as VXLAN, NVGRE, and FCoE, which allow for efficient network virtualization and traffic management. The line card also supports Cisco’s Flexible NetFlow (FNF) feature which provides granular visibility into network traffic patterns, allowing for more efficient network monitoring and troubleshooting.
In terms of reliability, the line card is designed for use in large-scale, data center environments and is built with a number of features to ensure high availability. The line card supports redundant power supplies and fans, and also supports the use of Supervisor Engines and Line Cards in a redundant configuration for failover protection. Additionally, the line card supports Cisco’s Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) feature, which allows for the creation of a virtual Port-Channel that spans multiple switches, providing additional redundancy and resiliency in the event of a switch or link failure.
Compliant Standards
The Cisco Nexus 9500 X9636PQ line card complies with a variety of industry standards to ensure interoperability and compliance with industry regulations. Some of the standards that the line card complies with include:
- IEEE 802.3: This is the standard for Ethernet, which defines the physical and data link layers of the OSI model. The line card complies with various IEEE 802.3 standards, such as 802.3ba for 40 GbE and 802.3bj for 100 GbE.
- IEEE 802.1Q: This is the standard for Virtual LANs (VLANs), which allows for the creation of multiple virtual networks on a single physical network.
- IEEE 802.1ad: This is the standard for Provider Bridging (Q-in-Q), which allows for multiple VLANs to be nested within each other, enabling more efficient use of VLAN IDs.
- IEEE 802.1x: This is the standard for network access control, which allows for the authentication of devices before allowing them access to the network.
- IEEE 802.3x: This is the standard for flow control, which allows for the management of network congestion by controlling the rate at which data is sent.
- IEEE 1588v2: This is the standard for precision time protocol, which allows for the synchronization of clocks across a network.
- Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE): This is a standard that allows Fibre Channel traffic to be carried over Ethernet networks.
- iSCSI: This is a standard that allows for the use of SCSI commands over IP networks.
- Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
Main Information for Cisco N9K-X9636PQ
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Model Number or SKU# N9K-X9636PQ
- Product Line: Nexus
- Product Type: Expansion Module
Technical Information of Cisco Expansion Module
- Application/Usage: Optical Network
- Application/Usage: Data Networking
I/O Expansions of Cisco 36 Ports Module
- Expansion Slots: 36 x QSFP
- Total Network Ports: 36
Additional Info
- Compatibility: Cisco Nexus 9500 Switches
In general, the Cisco N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card is a powerful and versatile solution designed to meet the demands of modern data center networks. With 36 ports, high-performance metrics, and advanced features such as VXLAN support and DCI capabilities, this line card is well-suited for high-density environments, cloud service providers, and large enterprise networks. Its compatibility with the Nexus 9500 Series and adherence to open standards ensure seamless integration and interoperability within diverse networking setups. Whether for data center expansion, network modernization, or addressing evolving connectivity needs, the N9K-X9636PQ Nexus Line Card stands as a reliable and efficient component in building resilient and high-performance network infrastructures.
