Introduction to Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series Switches

In today's data centers, where artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) applications demand ultra-low latency and precise congestion management, the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series Switches stand out as a powerhouse. These data center access switches, part of the broader Cisco Nexus 9000 Series, deliver high-performance, power-efficient, and compact switching tailored for 400G fabrics in next-generation leaf and spine designs. Built on Cisco Cloud Scale technology, the Nexus 9300-FX3 Series builds directly on the Nexus 9300-FX platform, enabling cost-effective cloud-scale deployments with support for an increased number of endpoints, wire-rate security, and advanced telemetry.

It's worth noting that large-cloud and enterprise teams rely on these switches for flexible, reliable management of their IT infrastructure, incorporating security, automation, visibility, analytics, and assurance. The platform offers two operational modes: Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) for intent-driven, policy-based networking, or the programmable Cisco NX-OS mode for DevOps automation. All details here are drawn strictly from the official Cisco datasheet at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-9000-series-switches/datasheet-c78-744052.html. Whether you're architecting AI/ML fabrics or scaling enterprise data centers, the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series provides the modern system architecture to meet evolving needs.

Key Features of the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series

The Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series Switches pack a robust set of features designed for high-scale environments. Architectural flexibility is a core strength, supporting Cisco ACI, NX-OS VXLAN EVPN, and IP Fabric for Media deployments. This means you can deploy dynamic workloads with centralized automation and policy-based profiles in ACI mode, or leverage NX-OS for streamlined configuration in DevOps pipelines.

Day-0 automation comes built-in via Power-On Auto Provisioning (POAP), Ansible integration, and model-driven telemetry, slashing setup times in large-scale rollouts. Comprehensive Layer 3 routing protocols include BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and PIM-SM, ensuring seamless IP connectivity across fabrics.

For AI/ML networking, the switches shine with specialized capabilities like Priority Flow Control (PFC), Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN), RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS), Data Center Bridging Capability Exchange (DCBX), Weighted Random Early Detection (WRED), Approximate Fair Drop (AFD) with Explicit Telemetry Reporting and Analytics Platform (ETRAP), and Dynamic Packet Prioritization (DPP). These enable lossless RoCE fabrics with precise congestion management—critical for high-performance AI training clusters.

High availability doesn't take a backseat. Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) and In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU) keep operations smooth, while Cisco Nexus Dashboard provides centralized automation and analytics. Programmability extends further with POAP, YANG models, and RESTCONF APIs, making integration with modern toolchains straightforward.

Here's a quick bullet-point rundown of standout product features from the datasheet:

• Architectural flexibility: ACI, NX-OS VXLAN EVPN, IP Fabric for Media
• Automation and telemetry: POAP, Ansible, model-driven telemetry, Cisco Nexus Dashboard
• Layer 3 routing: BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, PIM-SM
• Advanced networking: Segment Routing (SR and SRv6)
• AI/ML optimizations: PFC, ECN, RoCE, ETS, DCBX, WRED, AFD with ETRAP, DPP
• High availability: vPC, ISSU
• Security and scale: Wire-rate security, extensive programmability (POAP, YANG, RESTCONF)

In practice, these features translate to networks that not only perform but also adapt—think zero-downtime upgrades via ISSU during peak loads.

Technical Specifications

Precision matters in data center switching, and the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series delivers exacting specs as outlined in the official datasheet (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-9000-series-switches/datasheet-c78-744052.html). Key technical highlights include massive scale and enterprise-grade reliability.

Notably, forwarding tables support up to two million shared entries, enabling massive endpoint connectivity without bottlenecks. Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) routing scales to 64-way, optimizing traffic distribution in spine-leaf topologies.

Security is baked in with MACsec (IEEE 802.1ae) on all ports, providing wire-rate encryption across the fabric—essential for secure leaf and spine designs. Redundancy follows an N+1 model for PSUs and fans, minimizing single points of failure in mission-critical setups.

For a scannable overview:

These specs position the Nexus 9300-FX3 Series as AI/ML-ready, with low-latency telemetry and lossless RoCE support via PFC, ECN, and DCB mechanisms. Don't overlook the high availability combo of vPC and ISSU—it's a game-changer for non-stop operations.

Use Cases and Applications

Real-world deployments highlight why the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series excels. High-performance AI/ML network fabrics benefit from its low latency, PFC-enabled RoCE, and advanced congestion tools like ECN and AFD with ETRAP. In these environments, where GPU clusters demand lossless Ethernet, the switches ensure telemetry-driven insights for optimal performance.

Cloud-scale data center deployments leverage the platform's cost-effectiveness, increased endpoint support, and 400G fabric readiness. Scalable enterprise data centers find value in the flexible ACI or NX-OS modes, with up to two million forwarding entries handling growth effortlessly.

IP Fabric for Media migrations are streamlined thanks to VXLAN EVPN and IP Fabric support, while secure leaf and spine fabrics capitalize on all-port MACsec and N+1 redundancy. Imagine troubleshooting a petabyte-scale AI workload: model-driven telemetry and Nexus Dashboard make it routine.

Key use cases straight from the datasheet:

• High-performance AI/ML network fabrics
• Cloud-scale data center deployments
• Scalable enterprise data centers
• IP Fabric for Media migrations
• Secure leaf and spine fabrics

These aren't hypotheticals—they're proven scenarios for teams pushing the boundaries of data center networking.

Ordering Information

For detailed ordering information on the Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series Switches, including specific SKUs and configurations, consult the official Cisco datasheet at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-9000-series-switches/datasheet-c78-744052.html. This ensures you get the latest availability and bundle options tailored to your deployment.

Conclusion

The Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 Series Switches redefine data center access switching with AI/ML optimizations, massive scale (up to two million shared forwarding entries), all-port MACsec, and high availability features like N+1 redundancy and ISSU. From ACI-driven fabrics to NX-OS programmability, it's engineered for tomorrow's workloads today.

Ready to build your next-gen infrastructure? Dive into the full datasheet (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-9000-series-switches/datasheet-c78-744052.html) and contact Cisco for deployment guidance. Your cloud-scale, secure, and automated network starts here.

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