C9300X-24Y-1A: How Does Cisco’s Switch Optimize 25G/100G Data Center Performance?

Core Hardware Architecture

The ​​Cisco Catalyst C9300X-24Y-1A​​ is a 24-port enterprise switch engineered for high-throughput data center and cloud environments. It features ​​24x 25G SFP28 ports​​, ​​2x 100G QSFP28 uplinks​​, and a ​​770W AC power supply​​. The “1A” suffix includes ​​Cisco DNA Advantage licensing​​, enabling advanced automation, telemetry, and zero-trust security features.

Critical Differentiators from Catalyst 9300X Series

• ​​Dual 100G Uplinks​​: Doubles uplink capacity compared to the single-100G C9300X-12Y-1A, ideal for spine-leaf topologies or NVMe-oF storage networks.
• ​​VXLAN/EVPN Hardware Offload​​: Accelerates overlay networking for multi-tenant cloud architectures, reducing CPU load by 40% versus software-based solutions.
• ​​Hyperscale Buffering​​: ​​12MB shared buffer memory​​ prevents packet loss during traffic spikes in AI/ML or real-time analytics workloads.

Addressing Key Deployment Questions

​​Q: Can the 100G ports break out into lower-speed connections?​​
Yes. Each 100G QSFP28 port supports ​​4x 25G or 2x 50G configurations​​ via breakout cables, enabling flexible connectivity to servers or storage.

​​Q: Is this switch backward-compatible with 10G SFP+ optics?​​
Yes, but using 25G ports for 10G devices wastes bandwidth. For dedicated 10G environments, consider the C9300L-48T-4X-A.

Optimal Use Cases

• ​​AI/ML inference clusters​​: Connects GPU servers via RoCEv2-enabled 25G ports and aggregates results via 100G uplinks.
• ​​Financial trading platforms​​: Delays below 500ns ensure high-frequency trading systems operate at peak efficiency.
• ​​Hybrid cloud gateways​​: Secures east-west traffic with Cisco TrustSec encryption and microsegmentation policies.

Licensing and Procurement Notes

The built-in ​​DNA Advantage license​​ covers features like predictive analytics, SD-Access, and encrypted traffic visibility. For guaranteed hardware authenticity and firmware support, purchase through authorized partners like itmall.sale. Note that ​​QSFP28 optics and DAC cables​​ require separate purchase.

Field-Tested Perspective

Deploying the C9300X-24Y-1A in a hyperscale AI training environment revealed its strength in mitigating congestion during parallel model training. The dual 100G uplinks eliminated bottlenecks when syncing parameters across GPU nodes, while DNA Advantage’s telemetry pinpointed underutilized ports for reallocation. While its lack of PoE limits IoT use cases, this switch is a cornerstone for enterprises prioritizing hyperscale data efficiency over multi-purpose functionality. For teams balancing future 400G readiness with current needs, however, the 100G focus strikes a pragmatic middle ground.