​​Module Overview and Core Purpose​​

The ​​Cisco A99-8X100GE-FC​​ is a high-performance line card engineered for ​​data center spine architectures​​ and ​​storage-intensive workloads​​. It delivers ​​8 x 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GE) ports​​ and integrated ​​32G Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity​​, addressing the need for ultra-high bandwidth and unified data/storage transport.

​​Technical Specifications and Key Innovations​​

• ​​100GE Density​​: ​​8 x QSFP28 ports​​ supporting ​​100G SR4/LR4​​ or breakout configurations (e.g., 4x25G or 2x50G) for spine-leaf topologies.
• ​​FC Integration​​: Dedicated ​​32G FC ports​​ (SFP56-based) for direct connectivity to ​​all-flash SAN arrays​​ or ​​Cisco MDS 9700 directors​​, bypassing FCoE overhead.
• ​​Unified Fabric​​: Combines ​​Cisco NX-OS​​ and ​​SAN-OS​​ management for ​​lossless Ethernet​​ (via DCB) and ​​FC traffic prioritization​​.
• ​​Platform Compatibility​​: Designed for Cisco Nexus 9300/9500 series switches, requiring ​​NX-OS 10.2(3)+​​ for full feature support.

​​Addressing Critical User Questions​​

​​1. How does this module handle mixed 100GE and FC traffic?​​

The ​​A99-8X100GE-FC​​ segregates traffic at the hardware level: ​​100GE ports​​ handle IP data/cloud workloads, while ​​32G FC ports​​ manage storage traffic natively. This prevents contention and ensures ​​line-rate performance​​ for both data types.

​​2. Is it suitable for hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI)?​​

Yes. The card’s ​​low-latency design​​ (sub-1µs) and support for ​​NVMe/TCP​​ make it ideal for HCI clusters requiring simultaneous high-speed data and storage access.

​​3. What licensing is required for FC functionality?​​

Cisco mandates a ​​Unified Fabric License​​ for FC features on Nexus platforms. Verify compatibility with existing ​​Smart Licensing​​ tokens to enable SAN services.

​​Procurement and Validation​​

For verified units with Cisco’s warranty, “A99-8X100GE-FC” is available here. Ensure the seller provides ​​Cisco’s End-of-Life (EoL)​​ roadmap, as this module targets legacy Nexus 9500 deployments.

​​Strategic Evaluation​​

The ​​A99-8X100GE-FC​​ bridges the gap between hyperscale data and enterprise storage networks, but its value hinges on existing Nexus 9000 investments. While the ​​32G FC integration​​ is compelling for SAN-heavy environments, newer platforms like the ​​Nexus 92300YC​​ offer native 400G/800G and NVMe-oF support—future-proofing at the cost of FC backward compatibility. For enterprises prioritizing ​​SAN/IP convergence​​ over raw throughput, however, this module remains a robust stopgap solution in evolving data centers.