Cisco Nexus 9500 vs Cisco Catalyst 6500 - Comstor

1 Cisco Nexus 9500 vs Cisco Catalyst 6500 . 1/10 GbE. INTRO. As the Nexus 9500 is a pure Data Center switch, there are 1/10 Gbase-T and 1/10 GbE SFP+ linecards The Nexus 9500 and Catalyst 6500 are both highly available. The Catalyst 6500 platform, which is reliable core switches but serve a different purpose. aimed for the campus, still focusses on pure gigabit Catalyst 6500 Switching platform is a perfect fit for interfaces but also has 10 GbE linecards for connecting the campus core/backbone, where the Nexus 9500 . the aggregation/access switches. Switching Series is aimed for the Data Center core/. aggregation. The Nexus 9500 can run in both classic But for 10 GbE, the Nexus 9500 has a number of NX-OS or ACI mode; Cisco s next generation Application high-density 10 GbE options available that the Centric Infrastructure. Catalyst 6500 does not, such as a 48-port SFP+ as well as a 48 port 10 GBase-T line cards.

2 The Catalyst 6500 . ARCHITECTURE. only has 4-, 8-, or 16-port 10 GbE line cards available. The Catalyst 6500 supports both centralized forwarding, where the supervisor makes the forwarding decision, or FEATURES. distributed forwarding, where the line card makes the Both the Nexus 9500 and Catalyst 6500 share a forwarding decision. Cisco Nexus 9500 Series performs common set of high-end L3 switching features, all data plane processing on the I/O modules and such as full routing protocol support and QoS. fabric modules. This frees up the supervisor to focus capabilities. However, each platform has unique exclusively on scaling the control plane, which is capabilities that often influence which platform to important in large scale Data Centers. use. Below are some platform-specific features: SWITCH FABRIC. VSS (Virtual Switching System). Virtual Switching System (VSS) mode is a Cisco The Nexus 9500 has the switch fabric or fabric modules clustering technology that join two Catalyst 6500 .

3 Located in a separate part of the chassis, independent Series Switches into a single virtual switch with a of other cards. Due to this architecture, the Nexus 9500 . unified control plane. The advantage of this design supervisors are only managing the control plane. is a multi-chassis link aggregation and high availability The linecards on the the Catalyst 6500 are integrated in without Spanning Tree concerns. VSS members are the switch fabric onto the supervisor itself. connected by virtual switch links (VSLs) using standard INTERFACES Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections between the VSS members. 100 GbE. VSS simplifies network configuration and operation The Nexus 9500 platform has a 8-port 100 Gigabit by providing a loop-free Layer 2 topology using two Ethernet CFP2 line card, designed for use in an Catalyst 6500 switches acting as one big Virtual aggregation switch role. switch. 40 GbE.

4 VPC (Virtual Port-Channel). The modern Data Centers are going from a 10 GbE to a A virtual PortChannel (vPC) allows links that are 40 GbE transition and the Nexus 9500 support different physically connected to two different Cisco Nexus 40 GbE QSFP+ line cards. The Catalyst 6500 now also devices to appear as a single PortChannel to a third has the possibility to add a 40 GbE line card. device. The third device can be a switch, server, or any is an innovative architecture that radically simplifies, other networking device that supports EtherChannel. optimizes, and accelerates the entire application A vPC provides Layer 2 multipathing, eliminates deployment lifecycle. Spanning Tree Protocol blocked ports, allows you to create redundancy by increasing bandwidth, enabling Cisco ACI uses a holistic systems-based approach, multiple parallel paths between nodes and traffic load with tight integration between physical and virtual balancing in cases in which alternative paths exist.

5 VPC, elements, an open ecosystem model, and innovation- compared to VSS, doens't rely on a unified control spanning application-specific integrated circuits plane so they operate independently. (ASICs), hardware, and software. This unique approach uses a common policy-based operating model across Service Modules ACI-ready network, and security elements (computing, The Catalyst 6500 platform has the capability to add a storage in future), overcoming IT silos and drastically number of service module line cards that can extend reducing costs and complexity. the capabilities of the system. Some examples of service modules are the ASA-SM card, which provides Cisco ACI redefines the power of IT, enabling IT. high throughput firewall capabilities, ACE cards that to be more responsive to changing business and provide load-balancing or Wireless Service Controllers, application needs, enhancing agility, and adding that are able to manage up to 1000 Access Points.

6 Business value. WAN and Services Interfaces SOFTWARE AND LICENSING. Through the use of the Shared Port Adapter Interface Processor (SIP) Modules, the Catalyst 6500 can support IOS is running on the Catalyst 6500 plaform, providing a wide range of WAN interfaces, allowing great the same CLI command set as any other Catalyst flexibility in how the switch can be used. For applications Switch. The licensing is based on the software that demand fine-grained QoS or additional Ethernet version you buy (Advanced Enterprise vs Advanced IP. services, some of the 7600 Ethernet Services cards are services, ). also supported. The Nexus 9500 runs NX-OS, a full-featured, modular, Fabric Extenders and scalable network operating system has a easy The Nexus 9500 supports the use of the Nexus licensing scheme. The 9500 platform has only two 2200/2300 Series Fabric Extenders to expand the licenses available in NX-OS mode: L3 enterprise system ports and provide a large-scale virtual chassis license (OSFP, BGP, L3 IS-IS, PIM, GRE, VXLAN, EIGRP, in the data center.)

7 Fabric Extenders can be seen as a BGP eVPN, ) and the Network Services license which remote linecard and are managed by the Nexus 9500 , enables Intelligent Traffic Director (ITD), a layer 4 load which simplifies administration/management. balancing mechanism. VXLAN and ACI MORE INFO. The Nexus 9500 has support for Virtual Extensible LAN. (VXLAN; an overlay network protocol) bridging and For more information about Data Center Solutions, routing, supporting and accelerating communication contact your local Comstor Account Manager. between virtual and physical servers across multiple data centers. The Nexus 9000 series support both the classic NX-OS Wouter De Prins mode and the ACI (Application Centric Infrastrucure) Product Manager DC&V EMEA. mode. Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Email.