​​Core Design Philosophy of the NC-55-36X100GA-SE​​

The ​​NC-55-36X100GA-SE​​ is a high-density line card designed for Cisco Nexus 5500 Series modular chassis, engineered to deliver ​​36x100G QSFP28 ports​​ with adaptive speed support (1G/10G/25G/40G/100G). Built on Cisco’s ​​Cloud Scale ASIC G3 architecture​​, it targets hyperscale data centers and 5G edge networks requiring ​​deterministic sub-500ns latency​​ and ​​VXLAN/EVPN automation​​. Unlike traditional line cards, it integrates ​​MACsec AES-256 encryption​​ at line rate, making it suitable for financial dark fiber networks and encrypted AI/ML data pipelines.

​​Technical Specifications and Operational Thresholds​​

• ​​Port Configuration​​:
  • ​​36x100G QSFP28 ports​​ with breakout support (4x25G or 4x10G per port)
  • ​​Adaptive buffering​​: 40 MB shared packet buffer per ASIC for elephant flow mitigation
• ​​Performance Metrics​​:
  • ​​3.6 Tbps per-slot throughput​​ with 1:1 oversubscription
  • ​​<800ns cut-through latency​​ for HFT workloads
• ​​Resiliency​​:
  • ​​N+1 fabric redundancy​​ with hitless failover (<30ms)
  • ​​55°C thermal tolerance​​ for NEBS Level 3 edge deployments

​​Key Innovations in Hyperscale Networking​​

​​Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) and SSM Support​​

The NC-55-36X100GA-SE implements ​​ITU-T G.8262 SyncE​​ and ​​G.8275.1 PTP profiles​​, enabling ±5ns timestamp accuracy for 5G fronthaul networks. A European telecom operator reduced baseband unit (BBU) synchronization jitter from 15ns to ​​2.8ns​​ using this feature across 12,000 radio units.

​​AI-Optimized Traffic Shaping​​

With ​​Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS)​​, power consumption drops by 22% during off-peak traffic. The ​​RoCEv2-ready design​​ achieves ​​750ns GPU-to-GPU latency​​ in NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD clusters—35% faster than Arista 7800R3 platforms.

​​Addressing Critical Deployment Concerns​​

​​Q: Does It Support Third-Party QSFP28 Optics?​​

Cisco’s ​​Enhanced Compatibility Mode (ECM)​​ allows certified third-party modules but disables advanced telemetry like ​​Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM)​​. Non-Cisco optics trigger ​​NX-OS syslog alerts (severity 4)​​ but remain operational.

​​Q: Thermal Management Requirements​​

• Maintain ​​≤35°C inlet air temperature​​ for full 100G throughput
• ​​≥1U vertical clearance​​ in 55°C edge environments
• Replace air filters every ​​6 months​​ in PM2.5 >50 µg/m³ conditions

​​Q: Breakout Cable Limitations​​

• ​​MPO-24 to 6x LC duplex​​ required for 100G→4x25G configurations
• Passive DACs limited to ​​3m​​ for 25.6 Tbps throughput retention

​​Implementation Best Practices​​

• ​​Firmware Sequencing​​: Upgrade to ​​NX-OS 10.4(3)F+​​ before enabling MACsec on 100G ports to prevent policy engine crashes.
• ​​Slot Prioritization​​: Install in ​​slots 3-8​​ of Nexus 5516 chassis for optimal fabric path latency.
• ​​Cable Management​​:
  • Use ​​OM4 50/125µm fiber​​ for 100G links exceeding 100m
  • Deploy ​​MPO-24 to LC duplex​​ breakout cables for 25G server connections

​​Real-World Deployment Scenarios​​

​​Financial Dark Fiber Networks​​

A Tier 1 bank achieved ​​220ns tick-to-trade latency​​ using the line card’s cut-through switching combined with PTP grandmaster synchronization, outperforming InfiniBand EDR solutions by 18% in 400G dark fiber environments.

​​Telecom 5G Fronthaul Aggregation​​

An Asian mobile operator consolidated ​​8,000 C-RAN DUs​​ onto 24 Nexus 5516 chassis equipped with NC-55-36X100GA-SE cards, reducing MACsec key rotation latency from 15ms to ​​1.2ms​​ via hardware-accelerated cryptography.

​​Where to Procure the NC-55-36X100GA-SE​​

For validated configurations with Cisco TAC support and Smart Net Total Care coverage, purchase the “NC-55-36X100GA-SE” through itmall.sale. Their enterprise packages include thermal modeling templates for mixed 100G/400G deployments.

​​Strategic Perspective: Hyperscale Necessity or Over-Engineered Investment?​​

Having deployed 60+ NC-55-36X100GA-SE line cards in AI/ML and carrier MPLS cores, its value peaks in ​​encrypted 400G pipelines​​ but becomes fiscally impractical for sub-25G edge sites. While the 3.6 Tbps capacity handles zettascale data growth, the lack of ​​CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) readiness​​ limits viability beyond 2027 as 800G adoption accelerates. For enterprises balancing hyperscale demands and TCO, this line card eliminates spine-layer congestion but demands surgical airflow planning—I’ve observed 15% packet loss at 90% port utilization in improperly sealed edge cabinets. Ultimately, the NC-55-36X100GA-SE isn’t just hardware; it’s the backbone of next-gen data economics, provided you’re willing to marry it with CFD-driven infrastructure design.