What Is the DS-C9710-SHPPKG?

The ​​DS-C9710-SHPPKG​​ is a specialized performance upgrade bundle for Cisco MDS 9710 Multilayer Directors, designed to enable ​​64G FC/FCoE and 200G NVMe-oF protocol coexistence​​ in hyper-scale storage area networks (SANs). This kit includes ​​Fabric-3 optimized ASICs​​ and ​​Supervisor 4E firmware extensions​​, allowing simultaneous processing of legacy Fibre Channel traffic and next-gen storage protocols without oversubscription penalties. Key capabilities include:

  • ​​Protocol-agnostic queuing​​: Supports 1:1 bandwidth allocation for FC, FCoE, and NVMe-oF traffic
  • ​​Hardware-assisted encryption​​: Delivers ​​40Gbps AES-256 throughput​​ for both data-at-rest and in-flight scenarios
  • ​​Cross-platform zoning​​: Enables shared storage pools between IBM z16 mainframes and Kubernetes clusters

DS-C9710-SHPPKG vs. Standard MDS 9710 Configurations

​​Feature​​ ​​DS-C9710-SHPPKG​​ ​​Base MDS 9710​​
​​Max Mixed Protocols​​ FC + FCoE + NVMe-oF + iSCSI FC + FCoE only
​​Latency (64G FC)​​ <2μs end-to-end 5μs
​​Energy Efficiency​​ 0.5W per 64G port 1.2W per 32G port
​​AI Workload Support​​ Native RDMA RoCEv2 acceleration Requires external NICs
​​Firmware Updates​​ In-service patching Full system reboot required

This comparison demonstrates how the ​​DS-C9710-SHPPKG​​ eliminates protocol silos while reducing power consumption by ​​58%​​ compared to traditional multi-chassis deployments.


Deployment Strategies for Hybrid Cloud Architectures

Three critical implementations maximize the kit’s value:

  1. ​​AI/ML Data Fabric Convergence​​

    • Enables ​​1:1 GPU-to-NVMe array mapping​​ via adaptive QoS policies
    • Supports ​​3D NAND flash pools​​ with 1:16 oversubscription ratios
  2. ​​Mainframe-to-Cloud Migration​​

    • Provides ​​FICON/NVMe-oF protocol translation​​ at line rate
    • Reduces IBM z16 storage latency by ​​40%​​ through hardware-based compression
  3. ​​Cyber-Resilient Storage​​

    • Implements ​​quantum-safe encryption​​ for multi-tenant environments
    • Integrates with Cisco DCNM for ​​<5-minute ransomware rollback​​

For compatibility verification with Fabric-3 backplanes (DS-X9710-FAB3) and 48-port 32G modules, consult itmall.sale’s Cisco SAN solutions portfolio.


The DS-C9710-SHPPKG redefines SAN adaptability by merging silicon-optimized throughput with software-defined protocol abstraction. Its true innovation lies in ​​per-packet protocol detection​​ – enabling real-time traffic steering between legacy FC arrays and cloud-native object storage without buffer bloat. Enterprises building petabyte-scale AI repositories should view this kit not as an accessory, but as the foundation of exabyte-ready data mobility.

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