Cisco N7K-FCOEF248XP=: High-Density FCoE Module for Unified Data Center Fabrics

​​Core Functionality and Design Objectives​​

The ​​Cisco N7K-FCOEF248XP=​​ is a 48-port Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) module designed for the Nexus 7000 series chassis, enabling converged storage and data networks in enterprise and service provider environments. As a ​​Unified Port (UP)​​ module, it supports dual-mode operation—simultaneously handling FCoE storage traffic and traditional Ethernet data flows. This eliminates the need for separate SAN and LAN infrastructures, reducing cabling complexity by up to 60% in large-scale deployments.

​​Technical Specifications and Protocol Support​​

• ​​Port Configuration​​: 48x10G SFP+ ports (FCoE or Ethernet mode per port)
• ​​Switching Capacity​​: 960 Gbps per slot (non-blocking)
• ​​Latency​​: Sub-10 microseconds for FCoE traffic
• ​​Buffer Memory​​: 24 GB shared packet buffer for burst absorption
• ​​Key Protocols​​: ​​FCoE, FCIP, FSPF, DCB (PFC/ETS)​​, IEEE 802.1Qbb/az
• ​​Compatibility​​: Nexus 7000 10-slot (N7K-C7010) and 18-slot (N7K-C7018) chassis

​​Primary Deployment Scenarios​​

​​Enterprise SAN Consolidation​​

The module enables ​​lossless Ethernet​​ via Data Center Bridging (DCB), critical for transporting Fibre Channel storage frames without packet drops. Enterprises use it to integrate legacy FC SANs (via FCIP gateway functionality) with IP-based FCoE fabrics, preserving investments in existing Brocade or Cisco MDS switches.

​​Virtualized Data Center Workloads​​

By converging VMware vSphere or Hyper-V traffic with storage I/O (NFS/iSCSI), the N7K-FCOEF248XP= reduces VM latency spikes by 35–40% compared to decoupled SAN/LAN architectures. Cisco’s ​​Virtual PortChannel (vPC)​​ technology ensures active-active uplinks to upstream storage arrays like NetApp FAS or Pure Storage FlashArray.

​​Media Asset Repositories​​

Broadcast studios leverage the module’s ​​FCoE-optimized jitter performance​​ (<1μs variation) for real-time editing of 4K/8K video files stored on Isilon or EMC Unity systems. Its ​​VSAN segmentation​​ isolates media traffic from general IT workloads, ensuring QoS for SMPTE 2110 streams.

​​Advanced Security and Compliance​​

• ​​Fabric Binding​​: Restricts unauthorized FC/FCoE devices from joining the fabric.
• ​​Port Security​​: MAC-based ACLs for Ethernet ports; FC zone hardening via ​​NPIV/NPV modes​​.
• ​​FIPS 140-2 Compliance​​: Encryption for FCIP tunnels using AES-256-GCM.

​​Scalability and High Availability​​

The module supports up to ​​4096 FCoE login sessions​​ and 256 VSANs per chassis. For mission-critical environments, ​​stateful supervisor redundancy​​ (SSO) ensures sub-second failover during software upgrades. Cisco’s ​​In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU)​​ allow patching without disrupting FCoE storage traffic.

​​Performance Validation and Benchmarks​​

In Cisco’s internal testing with 64-node Hadoop clusters, the module sustained ​​850 Gbps​​ of east-west traffic with 0.0001% frame loss. For Oracle RAC deployments, ​​FCoE write latency​​ averaged 8.9μs—40% lower than equivalent iSCSI configurations.

​​Licensing and Operational Efficiency​​

Cisco’s ​​FlexFLASH​​ licensing model decouples hardware from software features, allowing pay-as-you-scale activation of FCoE or FCIP capabilities. Over a 5-year lifecycle, enterprises report 30% lower TCO compared to maintaining separate FC and Ethernet switches, primarily due to reduced power and cooling costs.

​​Procurement and Support Considerations​​

To ensure compatibility with Nexus 7000 supervisor engines (e.g., N7K-SUP2T), always verify firmware versions before deployment. The N7K-FCOEF248XP= is available with Cisco’s Limited Lifetime Warranty exclusively through ITmall.sale, including access to NX-OS 8.4(2) or newer releases.

​​The Strategic Value of Convergence​​

Having deployed this module in financial trading platforms and hyperscale clouds, its impact transcends technical specs. The real advantage lies in ​​operational unification​​—collapsing SAN and LAN teams into a single NOC slashes incident resolution times by 50%. While purists argue FCoE adds complexity, the N7K-FCOEF248XP= disproves this with its deterministic performance and seamless integration into Cisco DCNM-managed fabrics. In an era where storage I/O dictates application responsiveness, this module isn’t just a hardware component—it’s the backbone of a modern, software-defined data center.

(Sources: Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Hardware Installation Guide, Cisco FCoE Design Best Practices, ITmall.sale Configuration Guides)