Cisco Nexus 9500 Classic Line Cards and Fabric Modules Data Sheet
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The Cisco Nexus® 9500 switching platform (Figure 1) offers three modular chassis:
● Cisco Nexus 9500 4-slot switch
● Cisco Nexus 9500 8-slot switch
● Cisco Nexus 9500 16-slot switch
Cisco Nexus 9500 Series Switch Chassis
The Cisco Nexus 9500 Series modular switches are capable of supporting up to 172.8 Terabits per second (Tbps) bandwidth with a comprehensive selection of line cards and fabric modules that provide 1-, 10-, 25-, 40-, 50-, and 100-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces.
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Line Cards
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform supports hot-swappable line cards and fabric modules optimized for data-center deployments. These line cards are built using a combination of Cisco® ASICs and merchant ASICs.
Table 1. Cisco Nexus 9500 Line Cards
| Line card type |
Description |
| 100-Gbps line cards |
|
| N9K-X9432C-S: 100 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 32-port 100-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP28 line card
● Every QSFP28 supports 1 x 100, 2 x 50, 1 x 40, 4 x 25, and 4 x10 Gigabit Ethernet
|
| 40-Gbps line cards |
|
| N9K-X9736PQ: 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 36-port 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
|
| N9K-X9636PQ: 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 36-port 40 -Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
|
| N9K-X9536PQ: 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 36-port 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
● Supports Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) routing and bridging
● 1.5:1 oversubscription
|
| N9K-X9432PQ: 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 32-port 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
|
| 1/10-Gbps fiber line cards |
|
| N9K-X9564PX: 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 48-port 1- and 10-Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ with 4-port 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
● Supports VXLAN routing and bridging
|
| N9K-X9464PX: 1- and 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 10- and 40-Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 48-port 1- and 10-Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ with 4-port 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
|
| 10-Gbps copper line cards |
|
| N9K-X9564TX: 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet Copper and 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 48-port 1 and 10GBASE-T plus 4-port 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
● Supports VXLAN routing and bridging
● Supports 100-Megabit Ethernet, 1-Gigabit Ethernet, and 10GBASE-T copper cabling connectivity for server access
|
| N9K-X9464TX2: 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet Copper and 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet Line Card
|
● 48-port 1 and 10GBASE-T plus 4-port 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ line card
● Line rate for packets greater than 200 bytes
● Supports 100-Megabit Ethernet, 1-Gigabit Ethernet, and 10GBASE-T copper cabling connectivity for server access
|
Cisco Nexus 9500 Platform Fabric Modules and Performance
The Cisco Nexus 9500 platform is designed as a Clos fabric that interconnects each line card directly with each rear-mounted fabric module. All traffic between the line cards is load balanced across all fabric modules, providing optimal bandwidth distribution within the chassis. This load-balancing capability provides enhanced system reliability and redundancy. The switch continues to operate even in the event of a loss of a fabric module, albeit at a lower capacity, as the remaining fabric modules continue to provide switching capacity to the line cards.
Table 2. Cisco Nexus 9500 Line Cards and Fabric Modules Compatibility
| Line card/FM |
FM required for max bandwidth |
Performance |
Packet buffer |
C9504-FM |
C9508-FM |
C9516-FM |
| X9736PQ |
6 |
2.8 Tbps |
42 MB |
ACI Spine |
ACI Spine |
ACI Spine |
| X9636PQ |
6 |
2.88 Tbps 4.29 bpps |
36 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| X9536PQ |
3 |
2.88 Tbps 2.86 bpps |
104 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| X9432PQ |
4 |
2.56 Tbps 2.86 bpps |
24 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| X9564PX |
3 |
1.28 Tbps 1.9 bpps |
104 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| X9464PX |
4 |
1.28 Tbps 1.9 bpps |
12 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| X9564TX |
3 |
1.28 Tbps 1.9 bpps |
104 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| X9464TX2 |
4 |
1.28 Tbps 1.9 bpps |
12 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
| Line card/FM |
FM required for max bandwidth |
Performance |
Packet buffer |
C9504-FM-S |
C9508-FM-S |
| X9432C-S |
4 |
6.4 Tbps 7.03 bpps |
32 MB |
NX-OS |
NX-OS |
Notes:
Tbps: terabits per second
bpps: billions of packets per second
Table 3. Cisco Nexus 9500 Line Cards: Product Specifications – Performance and Scale
|
|
Cisco Nexus X9400, X9500, X9600, and X9700 line cards |
Cisco Nexus X9432C-S line card |
| Number of Longest-Prefix-Match (LPM) routes |
Up to 128,000 |
Up to 128,000 |
| Number of IP host entries |
Up to 208,000 |
Up to 104,000 |
| Number of MAC address entries |
Up to 160,000 |
Up to 104,000 |
| Number of multicast routes |
With VPC: 4000 to 32,000 Without VPC: 8000 to 32,000 |
Up to 52,000 |
| Number of Interior Gateway Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping groups |
With VPC: 4000 to 32,000 Without VPC: 8000 to 32,000 |
With VPC: 4000 to 32,000 Without VPC: 8000 to 32,000 |
| Number of VLANs |
Up to 4096 |
Up to 4096 |
| Number of Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) instances |
Up to 1000 |
Up to 2000 |
| Number of port channels |
Up to 512 |
Up to 512 |
| Number of port channel links |
Up to 32 |
Up to 32 |
| Number of ECMP paths |
Up to 64 |
Up to 64 |
| Number of active Cisco Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) sessions |
4 to 32 |
4 to 32 |
| Number of Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) instances |
Up to 64 |
Up to 64 |
| Number of Rapid per-VLAN Spanning Tree (RPVST) instances |
Up to 507 |
Up to 507 |
| Number of Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) groups |
Up to 490 |
Up to 490 |
| Number of tunnel endpoints (VTEP) and VXLAN physical servers (per VLAN) |
Up to 10,000* |
Up to 10,000 |
Mechanical Specifications
Table 4. Cisco Nexus 9500 Line Cards: Product Specifications – Mechanical
|
|
X9432C-S |
X9736PQ |
X9636PQ |
X9536PQ |
X9432PQ |
| Weight |
12.30 lb 5.58 kg |
11.20 lb 5.08 kg |
11.48 lb 5.2 kg |
11.99 lb 5.44 kg |
10.85 lb 4.92 kg |
| Typical power |
440 W |
197 W |
260 W |
360 W |
240 W |
| Maximum power |
509 W |
211 W |
400 W |
400 W |
300 W |
| Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) hours |
735,710 |
790,220 |
759,420 |
608,000 |
880,290 |
| Hot swappable |
Yes |
||||
| Airflow |
Port-side intake |
||||
|
|
X9564PX |
X9464PX |
X9564TX |
X9464TX2 |
| Weight |
11.48 lb 5.2 kg |
10.76 lb 4.88 kg |
12.58 lb 5.7 kg |
10.01 lb 4.54 kg |
| Typical power |
300 W |
160 W |
450 W |
288 W |
| Maximum power |
400 W |
240W |
540 W |
350 W |
| MTBF hours |
509,870 |
677,750 |
479,110 |
630,150 |
| Hot swappable |
Yes |
|||
| Airflow |
Port -ide intake |
|||
Table 5. Cisco Nexus 9500 Fabric Modules: Product Specifications – Mechanical
|
|
N9K-C9504-FM |
N9K-C9508-FM |
N9K-C9516-FM |
N9K-C9504-FM-S |
N9K-C9508-FM-S |
| Capacity |
1280 Gbps |
2560 Gbps |
5120 Gbps |
|
|
| Weight |
5.76 lb (2.6 kg) |
9.59 lb (4.4 kg) |
11.50 lb (5.2 kg) |
5.76 lb (2.6 kg) |
9.59 lb (4.4 kg) |
| Typical power |
95 W |
176 W |
330 W |
171 W |
340 W |
| Maximum power |
131 W |
251 W |
504 W |
246 W |
400 W |
| MTBF hours |
995,020 |
911,040 |
650,780 |
1,011,860 |
902,860 |
| Hot swappable |
Yes |
||||
| Airflow |
Port-side intake |
||||
Each Cisco Nexus 9500 line card supports an extensive set of optic modules. The Cisco Transceiver Compatibility page (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/interfaces-modules/transceiver-modules/products-device-support-tables-list.html) provides the complete compatibility details.
Note
This data sheet specifies hardware capabilities only. Please refer to Cisco ACI or Cisco NX-OS software release notes and appropriate feature documentation for more details.
Regulatory Standards Compliance
Table 6. 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. |
Table 7. Cisco Nexus 9500 Line Cards: Ordering Information
| Part number |
Product description |
| N9K-X9432C-S |
Cisco Nexus 9500 32p 100G QSFP28 line card |
| N9K-X9432C-S= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 32p 100G QSFP28 line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9736PQ |
Cisco Nexus 9500 36p 40G QSFP ACI Spine line card |
| N9K-X9736PQ= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 36p 40G QSFP ACI Spine line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9636PQ |
Cisco Nexus 9500 36p 40G QSFP aggregation line card |
| N9K-X9636PQ= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 36p 40G QSFP aggregation line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9536PQ |
Cisco Nexus 9500 36p 40G QSFP aggregation line card (1.5:1 Oversubscribed) |
| N9K-X9536PQ= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 36p 40G QSFP aggregation line card (1.5:1 Oversubscribed) (Spare) |
| N9K-X9432PQ |
Cisco Nexus 9500 32p 40G QSFP aggregation line card |
| N9K-X9432PQ= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 32p 40G QSFP aggregation line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9564PX |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G SFP+ plus 4p QSFP line card |
| N9K-X9564PX= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G SFP+ plus 4p QSFP line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9464PX |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G SFP+ plus 4p QSFP line card |
| N9K-X9464PX= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G SFP+ plus 4p QSFP line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9564TX |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G BaseT plus 4p QSFP line card |
| N9K-X9564TX= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G BaseT plus 4p QSFP line card (Spare) |
| N9K-X9464TX2 |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G BaseT plus 4p QSFP line card |
| N9K-X9464TX2= |
Cisco Nexus 9500 48p 1/10G BaseT plus 4p QSFP line card (Spare) |
Table 8. Cisco Nexus 9500 Fabric Modules: Ordering Information
| Part number |
Product description |
| N9K-C9504-FM |
Cisco Nexus 9504 Fabric Module |
| N9K-C9504-FM= |
Cisco Nexus 9504 Fabric Module (Spare) |
| N9K-C9508-FM |
Cisco Nexus 9508 Fabric Module |
| N9K-C9508-FM= |
Cisco Nexus 9508 Fabric Module (Spare) |
| N9K-C9516-FM |
Cisco Nexus 9516 Fabric Module |
| N9K-C9516-FM= |
Cisco Nexus 9516 Fabric Module (Spare) |
| N9K-C9504-FM-S |
Cisco Nexus 9504 Fabric Module with 100G support |
| N9K-C9504-FM-S= |
Cisco Nexus 9504 Fabric Module with 100G support (Spare) |
| N9K-C9508-FM-S |
Cisco Nexus 9508 Fabric Module with 100G support |
| N9K-C9508-FM-S= |
Cisco Nexus 9508 Fabric Module with 100G support (Spare) |
The Cisco Nexus 9500 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).
Cisco offers a wide range of services to help accelerate your success in deploying and optimizing the Cisco Nexus 9500 platform in your data center. These innovative Cisco Services offerings 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 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, which offers proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts on your Cisco Nexus 9500 platform switch.
Spanning the entire network lifecycle, Cisco Services offerings help increase investment protection, optimize network operations, support migration operations, and strengthen your IT expertise.
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For more information about the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series, please visit https://www.cisco.com/go/nexus9000.