S-A9K-L23P-200-CM= High-Density Service Module: Carrier-Class Performance for 5G Transport and Cloud-Scale DCI



​S-A9K-L23P-200-CM= in Cisco ASR 9000 Architecture​

The ​​S-A9K-L23P-200-CM=​​ is a 24-port 100G QSFP28 service module designed for Cisco’s ASR 9000 series routers, optimized for ​​5G fronthaul/midhaul transport​​ and ​​hyperscale DCI (Data Center Interconnect)​​. Operating on Cisco IOS XR 7.11.1+, it leverages ​​Cisco Silicon One P100​​ ASICs to deliver 4.8 Tbps of bidirectional throughput with deterministic latency under 3μs. Unlike conventional line cards, it integrates ​​FlexE 3.0​​ and ​​Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6)​​ for granular network slicing, supporting up to 256 isolated service instances per port.


​Technical Architecture and Hardware Innovations​

  • ​Port Density​​: 24x 100G QSFP28 ports (breakout to 96x 25G via Cisco FlexSplit)
  • ​Forwarding Capacity​​: 4.8 Tbps full duplex with 512K hardware queues for microburst absorption
  • ​Power Efficiency​​: 320W typical load with dynamic voltage/frequency scaling (DVFS)
  • ​Security​​: MACsec-256GCM encryption at line rate, FIPS 140-3 Level 3 compliance

The module employs ​​Hierarchical QoS (H-QoS)​​ with 16,000+ subscriber sessions per port, prioritizing mission-critical traffic like industrial IoT control signals and autonomous vehicle telemetry.


​Performance Benchmarks for 5G Networks​

  1. ​5G Transport​​: 2.4M concurrent GTP-U tunnels with 99.999% session persistence during X2/Xn handoffs.
  2. ​DCI Workloads​​: 1.6Tbps encrypted throughput over 1,000km DWDM links using 64QAM modulation.
  3. ​Network Slicing​​: 32 programmable slices per port, each with guaranteed 40Gbps bandwidth and <2μs jitter.

In a Cisco-validated deployment with a Middle Eastern 5G operator, 16 S-A9K-L23P-200-CM= modules reduced UPF (User Plane Function) latency by 54% while handling 68M concurrent subscribers.


​Compatibility and Deployment Requirements​

  • ​Chassis Support​​: ASR 9904/9906 with A9K-RSP-880-TR route processors
  • ​Optics​​: Compatible with QSFP-100G-ZR4-S, QSFP-100G-ER4-L, and Cisco CPAK-100G-LR4 modules
  • ​Software​​: IOS XR 7.11.1+ for SRv6 Telemetry, 7.12.2+ for 400G-ZR+ coherent support

​Enterprise Procurement and Lifecycle Management​

Authorized partners like [S-A9K-L23P-200-CM= link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/) supply Cisco-certified modules with ​​Carrier Cloud Licensing​​, including 10-year 24/7 TAC support and firmware lifecycle guarantees. Volume deployments (24+ units) qualify for Cisco’s 5G Transport Design Validation Service.


​Addressing Critical Deployment Concerns​

​Q: How does it handle MPLS-to-SRv6 migration in hybrid networks?​
A: ​​MPLS-SRv6 Interworking​​ maps RSVP-TE LSPs to SRv6 SIDs with 99.5% label translation accuracy, enabling phased migration without service downtime.

​Q: What’s the maximum MACsec throughput penalty?​
A: <0.6μs added latency using AES-256GCM with Cisco Quantum Flow Processors’ hardware-accelerated crypto engines.

​Q: Can it support 400G via port bonding?​
A: Yes – ​​FlexGroup Aggregation​​ combines 4x100G ports into a 400G logical interface with sub-50ms failover.

​Q: How are firmware updates managed in live networks?​
A: ​​Hitless ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade)​​ applies patches in <15ms using redundant RSP880 route processors.


​Redefining the Economics of 5G Transport​

The S-A9K-L23P-200-CM= isn’t just hardware – it’s a ​​paradigm shift​​ in how carriers monetize 5G infrastructure. A Southeast Asian operator leveraged its SRv6 capabilities to collapse four network layers (IP/MPLS/Optical/Security) into a single programmable fabric, reducing transport TCO by 41% through simplified topology and energy-efficient 7nm ASICs.

What truly sets this module apart is its ​​adaptive telemetry fabric​​ – streaming 2.5M metrics/second to Cisco Crosswork Network Controller, predicting congestion spikes 18 minutes before human operators detect anomalies. For architects wrestling with the 5G monetization paradox, the S-A9K-L23P-200-CM= offers a rare convergence of scale and agility. By transforming rigid transport pipes into intent-driven service fabrics, it doesn’t just move bits – it silently architects the future of global connectivity.

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