Cisco UCSX-SD960GK1X-EV Enterprise SSD: Techn
Technical Profile and Design Philosophy The...
Core Architecture & Performance Benchmarks
The DS-C9706= represents a modular configuration of Cisco’s MDS 9706 Director, designed for high-density storage area networks (SANs) requiring 48x 16/32G Fibre Channel ports with 2.4 Tbps non-blocking switching capacity. This chassis supports hot-swappable supervisor modules (Sup-4) and fabric modules (FAB-3), enabling seamless upgrades without downtime.
Key hardware innovations include:
- Dynamic Buffer Allocation: 512 MB shared memory per port group for burst-intensive workloads like AI/ML data lakes
- Unified Port Technology: Simultaneous support for FC, FCoE, and NVMe-oF protocols on the same hardware
- Front-to-back airflow design: Optimized thermal management for 55°C industrial environments
Security & Compliance Features
The DS-C9706= integrates Cisco TrustSec Fibre Channel, enforcing hardware-level zoning and AES-256 encryption at line rate. Its Secure Boot+ architecture prevents unauthorized firmware modifications, critical for HIPAA/GDPR-compliant healthcare and financial data centers.
Three critical security layers:
- Automated SAN Masking: Device fingerprinting via Cisco UCS Director blocks rogue storage access
- Immutable Audit Trails: Logs all configuration changes with cryptographic timestamping
- FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Validation: For U.S. federal government deployments
Deployment Scenarios Comparison
| Use Case | Traditional FC Switch | DS-C9706= Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| AI/ML Workloads | Separate FC/NVMe fabrics | Unified 64Gbps port groups reduce latency by 62% |
| Healthcare PACS | 8G FC bottlenecks | 32G FC with 4:1 compression handles 8K medical imaging |
| Financial HFT | Fixed QoS prioritization | Dynamic traffic shaping for <1μs market data processing |
For hybrid cloud architectures, the [“DS-C9706=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/) offers validated interoperability with AWS Storage Gateway and Azure Stack.
Operational Efficiency Metrics
In stress tests with 4,000+ NVMe targets:
- Power efficiency: 94.6% at 80% load (1.2W per 32G port)
- MTBF: Exceeds 250,000 hours with N+1 redundant power supplies
- Provisioning time: Reduced from 4 hours to <3 minutes using Fabric Manager 12.2
The chassis supports field-replaceable fan trays and modular I/O cards, cutting mean repair time (MTTR) by 65% compared to fixed-configuration switches.
Why This Matters for Data-Intensive Enterprises
Having deployed MDS 9000 series switches in hyperscale environments, the operational cost savings become evident within 9-12 months. The true differentiator lies in converging legacy FC infrastructure with NVMe-oF – a capability most competitors achieve through multiple discrete appliances. While the 85K−85K-85K−110K base configuration requires strategic budgeting, the TCO reduction through port consolidation (up to 40% fewer switches vs. 16G FC alternatives) and energy efficiency justifies the investment for environments with >500 storage targets.
The DS-C9706= isn’t merely a hardware refresh; it’s a strategic enabler for organizations bridging 5G-enabled edge computing with core data centers. Its predictive buffer management and hardware-accelerated encryption particularly shine in real-time analytics pipelines where microseconds determine operational outcomes.