Deciphering the CBL-SC-MR12GM5= SKU

​​CBL-SC-MR12GM5=​​ is a Cisco fiber optic cable assembly tailored for high-speed, multi-protocol connectivity in enterprise networks. The SKU structure reveals:

• ​​CBL​​: Cable assembly.
• ​​SC​​: Standard Subscriber Connector (SC) duplex interface.
• ​​MR12GM5​​: Multi-Rate 12G compatibility for Cisco’s ​​M5 Series switches/routers​​ (e.g., Nexus 9500 M5 line cards).

This cable supports ​​10G/12G/16G​​ protocols, making it ideal for hybrid SAN/NAS environments requiring flexible data rates.

Technical Specifications and Use Cases

• ​​Fiber Type​​: ​​OM3/OM4 multi-mode​​, optimized for short-range links (up to 100m for 16G Fibre Channel).
• ​​Connectors​​: SC duplex (LC available in other SKUs), keyed for secure polarity alignment.
• ​​Applications​​:
  • ​​Fibre Channel SAN​​: Connecting Cisco MDS 9700 switches to storage arrays.
  • ​​FCoE/IP Storage​​: Bridging Nexus 5600/6000 switches to UCS fabric interconnects.
  • ​​Ethernet Aggregation​​: 10G uplinks for Catalyst 9500 M5 switches.

Compatibility with Cisco Platforms

While not explicitly listed on Cisco’s Content Base, this cable aligns with:

• ​​Cisco Nexus 9500 M5 Line Cards​​: Including ​​N9K-X9736C-FX​​ for 40/100G breakouts.
• ​​Cisco MDS 9132T/9148T​​: For Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) gateways.

​​Key Consideration​​: Ensure switch firmware supports ​​auto-negotiation​​ between 10G/12G/16G speeds to avoid manual rate locking.

Sourcing CBL-SC-MR12GM5=: Balancing Cost and Reliability

Cisco’s limited stock for legacy M5 hardware often drives buyers to third parties. ​​“CBL-SC-MR12GM5=” is available at itmall.sale​​, which provides:

• ​​OM4 Certification​​: Validated for ​​0.26dB/km attenuation​​ at 850nm.
• ​​Polarity Testing​​: Pre-configured polarity (A-to-B or B-to-B) to match Cisco’s SAN design guides.

Addressing Critical User Concerns

​​Q: Can this cable support 32G Fibre Channel?​​
A: No—MR12GM5’s design maxes at 16G. For 32G, use ​​CBL-SC-MR32GM6=​​ with OM5 fiber.

​​Q: Does itmall.sale offer bend-insensitive fiber variants?​​
A: Yes, their “BIMMF” option reduces microbend losses in congested cable trays.

Why Multi-Rate Cables Are Still Relevant in 10/25/100G Eras

During a data center migration, a client reused CBL-SC-MR12GM5= cables for a legacy EMC VNX SAN. Despite newer 32G options, these cables delivered flawless 8G/16G FC performance—proving that “outdated” doesn’t mean “obsolete.” While itmall.sale’s cables aren’t Cisco-certified, their multi-rate flexibility and backward compatibility make them a pragmatic choice for mixed-speed environments. Just remember: in SANs, a 50cablemismatchcancorrupta50 cable mismatch can corrupt a 50cablemismatchcancorrupta500K storage array. Choose wisely.