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Several new hardware and software features are introduced for the Cisco Nexus 3548 switch to improve the performance, scalability, and management of the product line. Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0 also supports all hardware and software supported in Cisco NX-OS Release 5.1 and Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0.
Cisco NX-OS offers the following benefits:
Cisco NX-OS runs on all Cisco data center switch platforms: Cisco Nexus 7000, Nexus 5000, Nexus 4000, Nexus 3000, Nexus 2000, and Nexus 1000V Series switches.
Cisco NX-OS software interoperates with Cisco products that run any variant of Cisco IOS software and also with any networking operating system that conforms to common networking standards.
Cisco NX-OS modular processes are triggered on demand, each in a separate protected memory space. Processes are started and system resources are allocated only when a feature is enabled. The modular processes are governed by a real-time preemptive scheduler that helps ensure timely processing of critical functions.
Cisco NX-OS provides a programmatic XML interface that is based on the NETCONF industry standard. The Cisco NX-OS XML interface provides a consistent API for devices. Cisco NX-OS also provides support for Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Versions 1, 2, and 3 MIBs.
Cisco NX-OS enables administrators to limit access to switch operations by assigning roles to users. Administrators can customize access and restrict it to the users who require it.
Cisco Nexus 3500 Series Switches
The Cisco Nexus 3500 platform is an extension of the Cisco Nexus 3000 Series of 100M, 1, 10, and 40 Gigabit Ethernet switches built from a switch-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture. Switches in the Cisco Nexus 3500 series include Algorithm Boost (or Algo Boost) technology that is built into the switch application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Algo Boost allows the Cisco Nexus 3548 switch to achieve Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching latencies of less than 200 nanoseconds (ns). In addition, Algo Boost contains several innovations for latency, forwarding features, and performance visibility, including two configurable modes for low latency:
Normal mode: This mode is suitable for environments needing low latency and high scalability.
Warp mode: This mode consolidates forwarding operations within the switching ASIC, lowering latency by up to an additional 20 percent compared to normal operation.
Active buffer monitoring accelerates the collection of buffer utilization data in hardware, allowing significantly faster sampling intervals. Even on the lowest-latency switches, data packets can incur a millisecond or more of latency during periods of congestion. Previous buffer utilization monitoring techniques were based entirely on software polling algorithms with polling with higher polling intervals that can miss important congestion events.
Cisco Nexus 3548 Switch
The Cisco Nexus 3548 switch is the first member of the Cisco Nexus 3500 platform. As a compact one-rack-unit (1RU) form-factor 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch, the Cisco Nexus 3548 switch provides line-rate Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching at extremely low latency. The switch runs Cisco NX-OS software that has comprehensive features and functions that are widely deployed globally. The Cisco Nexus 3548 contains no physical layer (PHY) chips, which allows low latency and low power consumption. The switch supports both forward and reversed airflow and both AC and DC power inputs.
For information about the Cisco Nexus 3500 Series, see the Cisco Nexus 3500 Series Hardware Installation Guide.
The Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4) software requires 135 MB of flash memory.
Hardware Supported
Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4) supports the Cisco Nexus 3500 Series switches. You can find detailed information about supported hardware in the Cisco Nexus 3500 Series Hardware Installation Guide.
Table 2 shows the hardware supported by Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4) software.
Table 2 Hardware Supported by Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4) Software
Hardware
Part Number
Supported Software Release
Cisco Nexus 3500 Series
Cisco Nexus 3548 switch
N3K-C3548P-10G
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco Nexus 2000 or Nexus 3000 individual fan, forward airflow (port side exhaust
NXA-FAN-30CFM-F
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco Nexus 2000 or Nexus 3000 individual fan, reversed airflow (port side intake)
NXA-FAN-30CFM-B
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco Nexus 2000 or Nexus 3000 400W AC power supply, forward airflow (port side exhaust)
N2200-PAC-400W
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco Nexus 2000 or Nexus 3000 400W AC power supply, reversed airflow (port side intake)
N2200-PAC-400W-B
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco Nexus 2000 or Nexus 3000 400W DC power supply, forward airflow (port side exhaust)
N2200-PDC-400W
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco Nexus 2000 or Nexus 3000 350W DC power supply, reversed airflow (port side intake)
N3K-PDC-350W-B
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Transceivers
10-Gigabit
10GBASE-ZR SFP+ module (single-mode fiber [SMF])
SFP-10G-ZR
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
10GBASE-CU SFP+ cable 1.5 m (Twinax cable)
SFP-H10GB-CU1-5M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
10GBASE-CU SFP+ cable 2 m (Twinax cable)
SFP-H10GB-CU2M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
10GBASE-CU SFP+ cable 2.5 m (Twinax cable)
SFP-H10GB-CU2-5M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
Active optical cable 1 m
SFP-10G-AOC1M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
Active optical cable 3 m
SFP-10G-AOC3M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
Active optical cable 5 m
SFP-10G-AOC5M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
Active optical cable 7 m
SFP-10G-AOC7M
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
10GBASE-DWDM long-range transceiver module 80 km with single mode duplex fiber
DWDM-SFP10G-C
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
10GBASE-DWDM long-range transceiver module 80 km with single mode duplex fiber
DWDM-SFP10G
6.0(2)A1(1) and later releases
10GBASE-SR SFP+ module (multimode fiber [MMF])
SFP-10G-SR
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
10GBASE-LR SFP+ module (single-mode fiber [SMF])
SFP-10G-LR
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Cisco 10GBASE-ER SFP+ Module for SMF
SFP-10G-ER
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
10GBASE-CU SFP+ cable 1 m (Twinax cable)
SFP-H10GB-CU1M
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
10GBASE-CU SFP+ cable 3 m (Twinax cable)
SFP-H10GB-CU3M
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
10GBASE-CU SFP+ cable 5 m (Twinax cable)
SFP-H10GB-CU5M
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Active Twinax cable assembly, 7 m
SFP-H10GB-ACU7M
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
Active Twinax cable assembly, 10 m
SFP-H10GB-ACU10M
5.0(3)A1(1) and later releases
1-Gigabit Ethernet
1000BASE-T SFP
GLC-TE
6.0(2)A3(1) and later releases
Gigabit Ethernet SFP, LC connector EX transceiver (MMF)
Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4) does not include new hardware.
New Software Features
Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4) does not include new software features.
Upgrade and Downgrade Guidelines
Upgrade Path to Cisco NX-OS Release 6.x
If a custom CoPP policy is applied after upgrading to Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A1(1) or later, and if the Nexus 3548 switch is downgraded to Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0, where changes to the CoPP policy are not permitted, the custom CoPP policy is retained and cannot be modified.
Limitations
The following are the known limitations for Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4):
In Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(1), disruptive install all takes around 10 minutes to complete even when there is no BIOS upgrade or any similar upgrade process in progress. This does not include reboot time.
40G copper splitter cable is not supported for use between Cisco Nexus 6000 and Cisco Nexus 3548.
When you downgrade from Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)Ax(x) to Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(x)Ax(x), by design the warp mode configuration is removed. You must reconfigure warp mode after the downgrade is complete.
Currently, you can configure the same SVI IP address for the switch querier and the IGMP snooping querier. Both queriers will then be active at the same time, and both queriers will send general queries to the VLAN periodically. To prevent this from happening, ensure that you use different IP addresses for the IGMP snooping querier and the switch querier.
In Warp mode, the Cisco Nexus 3500 switch does not flood Layer 3 traffic to the VLAN on which the port configured with switchport mac-learn disable is present, and the traffic is dropped. In Normal mode, the switch should flood the Layer 3 traffic to this VLAN.
When QOS policies are applied on Port-Channel interfaces with no members, downgrade from Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(2) to Cisco 6.0(2)Ax(x) is blocked. You must remove service-policies from Port-Channel interfaces with no members before downgrade and apply them after downgrade is complete.
When one of the vPC peers is a root, it is recommended to have a peer-switch configuration on both the vPC peers so that even if one vPC peer stops working, the other is still working. This will keep the STP root working and no TCN will be generated (See CSCun53592).
In a vPC setup, because of a hardware limitation, non-RPF traffic for (S,G) that comes in on the RPF interface for (*,G) hits the (*,G) entry instead of being treated as (S,G) non-RPF traffic and dropped. (S,G) non-RPF traffic is then incorrectly forwarded by (*,G) entry, thus causing traffic duplication. To avoid duplication of Layer 3 multicast traffic by sending the (S,G) RP-bit prune, run the ip pim pre-build-spt command (See CSCun34760).
On a non-PIM DR vPC-peer switch, IGMP OIFs are timed out periodically. This only happens when Bidirectional (BIDR) is configured on both peer switches. Although BIDR groups are not overlapped with ASM groups, it affects ASM groups by changing the Designated Router or Designated Forwarder, and by adding and removing IGMP OIFs constantly.
vPC on Cisco Nexus 3548 switches does not support PIM BIDR. To stop IGMP OIFS from timing out periodically, remove the BIDR configuration from vPC peer switches (See CSCun11362).
Although the PTP feature is not supported in Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(3)A1(1), it does not show as incompatible when you run the show incompatibility command.
Ensure that you remove the PTP feature before downgrading from Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(1) to Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(3)A1(1) (See CSCun15923).
Because of a hardware limitation, non-RPF traffic for (S,G) that comes in on the RPF interface for (*,G) hits the (*,G) entry instead of being treated as (S,G) non-RPF traffic and dropped. The (S,G) RP-bit prune is not sent for the (S,G) entry after you run the clear ip mroute data-created command. (S,G) non-RPF traffic is then incorrectly forwarded by (*,G) entry, thus causing a multicast traffic storm. To avoid a Layer 2 multicast traffic storm and to ensure that the (S,G) RP-bit prune is sent, run the ip pim pre-build-spt command (See CSCun31876).
When upgrading to Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(1), check whether the default LLDP CoPP value is less than 500 pps. If it is less than 500, manually change it to 500 by using the following commands:
switch(config)# policy-map type control-plane policy-name
switch(config-pmap)# class copp-s-lldp
switch(config-pmap-c)# police pps 500
Open and Resolved Bugs
The open and resolved bugs for this release are accessible through the Cisco Bug Search Tool. This web-based tool provides you with access to the Cisco bug tracking system, which maintains information about bugs and vulnerabilities in this product and other Cisco hardware and software products.
Note You must have a Cisco.com account to log in and access the Cisco Bug Search Tool. if you do not have one, you can register for an account.
For more information about the Cisco Bug Search Tool, see the Bug Search Tool Help & FAQ.
Table 3 lists descriptions of resolved bugs in Cisco NX-OS Release 6.0(2)A3(4). You can use the record ID to search the Cisco Bug Search Tool for details about the bug.
The Cisco Management Information Base (MIB) list includes Cisco proprietary MIBs and many other Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard MIBs. These standard MIBs are defined in Requests for Comments (RFCs). To find specific MIB information, you must examine the Cisco proprietary MIB structure and related IETF-standard MIBs supported by the Cisco Nexus 3548 switch. The MIB Support List is available at the following FTP sites:
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Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
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