Introduction to Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series Switches

In the fast-evolving world of data centers, the Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series Switches stand out as a fixed platform within the Cisco Nexus 9000 series, powered by Cisco Cloud Scale technology. These switches, detailed in the official Cisco datasheet at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-9000-series-switches/datasheet-c78-742283.html, deliver cost-effective cloud-scale deployments. They handle an increased number of endpoints and cloud services while meeting the demands of highly scalable data centers and growing enterprises.

Built on a modern system architecture, the Nexus 9300-EX series ensures high performance. It's worth noting that these switches offer interface options for seamless migrations—from 100-Mbps, 1-Gbps, and 10-Gbps speeds to 25-Gbps at the server level, and from 10- and 40-Gbps to 50- and 100-Gbps at aggregation. This investment protection comes with large buffers, flexible Layer 2 and Layer 3 scalability, and robust performance tailored for virtualized data centers and automated cloud environments.

Cisco provides dual modes: NX-OS mode for standard setups and ACI mode for policy-based automation. Whether you're scaling out or modernizing, the Cisco Nexus 9300-EX series switches provide the backbone you'll need.

Key Features of Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series

The Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series packs industry-leading capabilities into a compact 1RU form factor. Here's a breakdown of standout features straight from the datasheet:

• Industry-leading Software Defined Networking: Full Cisco ACI™ support for automated, policy-driven management.
• Fabric Support: Standards-based VXLAN EVPN fabrics and three-tier BGP architectures for IPv6 fabrics.
• Traffic Engineering: Segment routing for MPLS traffic engineering.
• Layer 3 Routing: Comprehensive protocols including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, RIPv2, PIM-SM, SSM, and MSDP.
• Automation Ready: Day zero automation via Power On Auto Provisioning, with integrations for Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and SALT.
• Scalability: Up to 1 million shared forwarding entries.
• Buffer and Prioritization Tech: Approximate Fair Dropping (AFD) with Elephant Trap (ETRAP), plus Dynamic Packet Prioritization (DPP) and intelligent buffer management.
• High Availability: Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) technology and 64-way Equal-Cost MultiPath (ECMP) routing.

These features make the Nexus 9300-EX a versatile switching solution. In practice, vPC and ECMP ensure redundancy and optimized paths, while AFD and DPP handle congestion in high-density environments without dropping critical packets. Don't overlook the automation integrations—they're a game-changer for DevOps teams deploying at scale.

Technical Specifications

For those diving into the numbers, the Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series specifications shine, as outlined in the official datasheet. This platform leverages Cisco Cloud Scale ASIC technology in a 1RU form factor, delivering top-tier performance.

Key specs include:

With up to 3.6 Tbps bandwidth and 2.6 bpps throughput, these switches crush demanding workloads. Latency under 1 microsecond? That's sub-microsecond performance that keeps real-time applications humming. Flexible port configurations span 1G to 100G, supporting migrations without forklift upgrades. Large buffers and high scalability round out a profile built for modern data centers.

Notably, the datasheet emphasizes investment protection through these specs, ensuring your Cisco Nexus 9300-EX deployment scales with business growth.

Use Cases and Applications

Where do Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series Switches fit best? The datasheet highlights scenarios demanding high scalability and performance:

• Cloud-Scale Deployments: Handle massive endpoint growth and services with 3.6 Tbps bandwidth.
• Highly Scalable Data Centers: Leverage 1 million forwarding entries and 64-way ECMP for dense fabrics.
• Virtualized Data Centers: Low latency (<1μs) and large buffers support VM sprawl and east-west traffic.
• Automated Cloud Environments: ACI mode with Power On Auto Provisioning streamlines policy-based ops.
• Speed Migrations: Transparent shifts from 10G to 25G/100G, preserving existing investments.

Picture this: You're migrating a legacy 10G data center to 100G aggregation. The Nexus 9300-EX's port flexibility and VXLAN EVPN make it painless. Or in a cloud provider setup, BGP IPv6 fabrics and segment routing optimize MPLS flows. These aren't hypotheticals—they're proven paths for enterprises pushing boundaries.

Ordering Information for Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Models

Ready to deploy? The Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series offers targeted SKUs for diverse needs. All details come directly from the datasheet:

• Cisco Nexus 93180YC-EX: 48 x 1/10/25-Gbps fiber ports and 6 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 ports—ideal for server access layers.
• Cisco Nexus 93108TC-EX: 48 x 100M/1/10GBASE-T ports and 6 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 ports—perfect for copper-based environments.
• Cisco Nexus 93180LC-EX: Up to 32 x 40/50-Gbps QSFP+ ports OR 18 x 100-Gbps QSFP28 ports—high-density aggregation option.

Each model maintains the core 3.6 Tbps platform specs, with port configs tailored to your topology. Check the official datasheet for full compatibility and optics details.

Conclusion

The Cisco Nexus 9300-EX Series Switches redefine data center networking with Cisco Cloud Scale ASIC prowess, sub-1μs latency, and dual ACI/NX-OS support. From 3.6 Tbps bandwidth to advanced features like VXLAN EVPN and 64-way ECMP, it's engineered for cloud-scale and virtualized demands.

If you're planning a migration or expansion, these switches offer the scalability and flexibility your infrastructure craves. Dive into the full specs at the official Cisco datasheet and contact Cisco for tailored advice. Your next-gen data center starts here.

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