Cisco recently introduced two new configurations of its recently launched Nexus 9000 switch, a new 40G Nexus switch. In addition, it is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its UCS servers.
Cisco also announced certification programs for its new Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), which includes the Nexus 9000 switches. ACI is Cisco's non-SDN response to the consolidation of software-defined networking that is sweeping the industry.
The 16-port Nexus 9516 and the 4-port Neus 9504 were highly anticipated and join the existing 8-port Nexus 9508. The Nexus 9516 is an aggregation-layer switch for service providers or high-demand environments, offering 576 wire-speed 40 Gbps Ethernet ports and 60 Tbps of throughput. It measures 21 RUs, supports 2,304 10G ports, consumes 11 watts per 40G port, and uses 2 to 4 Cisco line cards and/or Broadcom ASICs.
The Nexus 9504 is positioned as a tool for everything from core-aggregation-access to spine/leaf architectures. It reaches 7 RU, supports 144 40G and 576 10G ports, consumes 14 watts per 40G port, and uses 2 to 4 Cisco line cards and/or Broadcom ASICs.
The Nexus 9000 switch series serves as the transport backbone for its ACI, the core of its so-called Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), which enforces application performance policies on the ACI network. APIC is scheduled for release shortly.
Another new switch is the Nexus 3164Q. The 3164Q switch is based on Broadcom’s Trident II silicon and is designed for massively scalable data centers and big data applications. It supports 64 40G ports or 256 10G ports in a 2RU form factor, offering approximately 5 Tbps of throughput. It runs the Nexus 9000 software image for programming, including support for Cisco NX-API, Linux, XML/JSON APIs, Python configuration, OpenFlow, and Puppet/Chef for configuration and automation tools.
Cisco says that the Nexus 3164Q will not overlap with the Nexus 6004 40G programmable switch, as the 6004 has different feature sets and modularity to address different customer needs.
For the ACI specialization, Cisco is launching four new certifications specifically based on API programming job roles. They include:
Business Application Developer, to learn about the new data center environment
Designer or Architect, to ensure the ability to integrate application requirements into a programmable platform.
Engineer, to learn how to integrate and troubleshoot issues in the Developer environment
, to use ACI APIs to shape network behavior on behalf of the application.
On the fifth anniversary of its Unified Computing System (UCS) server platform, Cisco says it now has more than 30,000 UCS customers, including 75% of Fortune 500 companies. Cisco also states, citing IDC market data, that it ranks second worldwide in x86 blade server market share, with a 32% share in the U.S., and is among the top five server vendors globally.
