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Cisco Nexus DataCenter Products

In this Cisco Nexus Training , we will learn about Cisco Data Center Nexus switches Hardware Models like Cisco Nexus 7700, Nexus 7000, Nexus 5500, Nexus 9000 Switches , their hardware Architecture and its related topics.

This Cisco Nexus Training, Course enables you to have complete knowledge about Cisco Data Center Core, Distribution and Access Layer family. This Course also helps you to prepare for CCIE DC, CCNP – DC and CCNA –DC exams. This Nexus Course provides Best Cisco 350-601 Implementing Cisco Data center Core Technologies DCCOR training and helps in passing Cisco DCCOR 350-601 Exam. 

This Cisco Nexus LABS Course has been designed in such a way that, it includes not only theory but also traffic flow of each related topics and its associated LAB. This Nexus LAB couse also provide Best Cisco 350-601 Implementing Cisco Data center Core Technologies DCCOR labs along with Cisco 300-601 Designing Cisco Data center Infrastructure DCID labs material. 

Course Pedagogy for Cisco 350-601 Implementing Cisco Data center Core Technologies DCCOR & Cisco 300-601 Designing Cisco Data center Infrastructure DCID Training 

The Course Pedagogy will help you to learn the following concepts on Cisco Nexus Data Center Switches Hardware Platform which are part of Cisco DCCOR & DCID Exams. 

  • Cisco Nexus 7K , 9K , 5k , 2K Hardware Platform, its Architecture , Hardware Components details like Supervisor, Line cards, Fabric Module , VOQ.
  • Cisco Nexus Virtual Device Context concepts and its design Scenarios
  • Cisco Virtual Port Chanel on Nexus 7000 & 5500 and Nexus Fabric Extender 2000 scenarios like EVPC, Back to Back VPC , VPC failover Scenarios , VPC spanning tree behavior, Split Brain Scenarios, loop avoidance mechanism
  • Nexus Layer 2 technologies like Rapid PVST+, MST, Bridge Assurance
  • Nexus Layer 3 technologies like configuring EIGRP, OSPF, BGP on Cisco Nexus Platform
  • Cisco Fabric path design deployment and traffic flow along with vPC+ concepts
  • How to configure Multicast (PIM, IGMP, CGMP,) on Cisco Nexus switch Platform
  • Configure QOS on Cisco Nexus 7000 and Cisco Nexus 5500 series switches
  • Overlay transport virtualization (OTV) design deployment and traffic flow and OTV Configuration
  • Configuring HSRP, VRRP, and GLBP on Cisco Nexus 7000 switch platform
  • Configuring security Features on Cisco Nexus Data Center Switch platform
  • Full Cisco Nexus 7000 Labs

All above Course pedagogy you will find in Menu section after buying the subscription plan.

Data Center architecture 

Data Center combines the following components which includes Network Infrastructure, Storage Infrastructure, Computational Power, Applications, and End User Computing, Management Systems, Operating system and server virtualization technologies, Security Infrastructure, Desktop virtualization solutions and access clients.

Following are the Cisco Datacenter Fabric Family Switches and its brief description and its usage.

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches

  • Provide the switching platform for Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)
  • Per slot Switching capacity Support up to 1.92 terabits
  • Deliver high-density 1GE ,10GE , and 40GE and 100 GE in the future
  • Operate in following mode standard Cisco NX-OS and in ACI mode
  • Full virtual extensible LAN (VXLAN) bridging, routing, and gateway support

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches

  • Used for Data Center access, aggregation, and core deployments
  • Switching capacity up to 1.3 Tb per slot and more than 83 Tb per chassis
  • Provides advanced services, high availability, hitless In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU), vPC, Fabric path, OTV.
  • Provide high 1,10, 40, and 100 GE scalability

Cisco Nexus 6000 Series Switches

  • Best Suited for access- and space-constrained aggregation deployments
  • Provide line-rate and low-latency support for up to 96 ports of 40 GE or 384 ports of 10 GE and up to 160 unified ports
  • It support hardware VXLAN (Layer 2 and 3, gateway) function and is also Generic Routing Encapsulation (NVGRE)-capable
  • Support Cisco Fabric Extender architecture and true 40 GE Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) for LAN and SAN convergence

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches

  • Suited for 10 GE top-of-rack access deployments
  • Provides connectivity support which includes GE, 10 GE, 10GBASE-T, 40 GE, unified ports, Fibre Channel, and FCoE.
  • Support of Layer 2 and 3 features for LAN and SAN traffic

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches

  • This Model used for Python scripting, Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEM), and XML management tools
  • A comprehensive SDN solution, including Open Flow and Cisco One PK
  • Flexible, high density, and provide high performance for top-of-rack deployments
  • Mobility Support and tenant isolation with VXLAN

Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders

  • It has100 MB, and 1/10/40 Gigabit Ethernet server connectivity with 10/40 GE uplinks
  • Used for fabric extensibility with single point of management
  • Reduce data center cabling costs and footprint; optimize inter-rack cabling, Top of the rack Solution.
  • Supports LAN and SAN deployments and Cisco Nexus and MDS switching families
  • Offers high availability, virtualization services, and convergence

Platform use in the different Data Center layers

This section helps you to identify how Cisco Unified Data Center Products such as Nexus, Storage, and UCS are placed in different layers of Cisco Three tier Architecture as Core, Distribution, and Access layer. These products are now categorised below as per layer

Cisco DC Products in Single-Tier Ethernet Architecture

  • All core, aggregation and access layers devices are at one layer.
  • Cisco Nexus 7000 switches can be used for both access and core layer connection.
  • Nexus 5500 platform can also be used as core layer for L3 , but not support advance features such as MPLS.
  • The extension of single tier architecture can be done by connecting Nexus 2200 platform extender as TOR ( Top-Of-Rack ) design

Cisco DC Products in Dual -Tier Ethernet Architecture

  • All core, aggregation layers are used at one layer.
  • Cisco Nexus 7000 could be used for both aggregation and core layer connection in DataCenter Connectivity.
  • For EoR (End-Of-Row) design Cisco Nexus 5000 or 5500 could be used for access layer connection.
  • Nexus 2200 platform extender can be used to extend dual tier architecture by connecting it as TOR (Top-Of-Rack) design.
  • For Storage Layer Cisco MDS 9000 series Multilayer switches is used for  San connection at storage core layer.

Cisco Products in Three -Tier Ethernet Architecture

  • At Access layer Cisco Nexus 5000 or 5500 Platform along with the Nexus 2000 series Fex Extender solution for server or host connectivity.
  • Cisco MDS 9000 series Multilayer switches at access layer for San connection.
  • At core layer Cisco Nexus 7000 Platform is used for L3 and connectivity between Core and distribution layer.
  • At distribution layer Cisco Nexus 7000 Platform (VDC) or Cisco 5000/5500 platform is used.

Learning these Nexus Course & it Lab material will help you to prepare Cisco Nexus techonology which as a part of Cisco 350-601 Implementing Cisco Data center Core Technologies DCCOR & Cisco 300-601 Designing Cisco Data center Infrastructure DCID Exams. 

Note: ( Refer before Purchase )

  • We don't offer Any Hands-On labs for practice in this course.
  • Lab discussed here contains different Scenarios, task & Its recorded Solutions. 
  • Content of each page is 30-40% visible for Customer verification about content.
  • Before any purchase , verify content then proceed ,No refund Policy. 
  • For More Detail : Mail dclessons@dclessons.com , FAQ & TC page.

 

GENERAL FAQ

 

Cisco Nexus Switches comes with different Models , each used for different and specific requirement. They offer High Thrughput , Low Latency , Supports VXLAN, EVPN, Also has extended API support for Programmability, Support for Storage Networking , and prvides High Availability.  The main Cisco Nexus Switches are : Nexus 9000 , 7000, 5000, 3000, 6000 series.

Key Cisco Nexus Switch Series and their Features:

Nexus 9000 Series:

  • Modular and Fixed Configurations: The 9000 series offers both modular (Nexus 9500) and fixed (Nexus 9300 and 9200) configurations. 
  • High Performance:  1/10/25/40/100 Gbps connectivity. 
  • Scalability: Scales up to 60 Tbps of non-blocking performance. 
  • Flexibility:  can be used as  leaf, aggregation, and spine switches in various network architectures. 
  • ACI Support: Some Nexus 9000 switches support the Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) for policy-based network automation. 

Nexus 7000 Series:

  • Modular Chassis: Offers a modular chassis design with multiple slots for various I/O modules and supervisor modules.
  • High Density: Provides high port density with high-speed connections.
  • Redundancy: Supports supervisor and fan tray redundancy for enhanced reliability. 

Nexus 5000 Series:

  • 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps Platforms: Available in 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps platforms.
  • High Capacity: Offers high switching capacity, with the 40 Gbps platform capable of up to 7.68 Tbps. 

Nexus 3000 Series:

  • Switch-on-a-Chip (SoC) Architecture: Built using a Switch-on-a-Chip (SoC) architecture, providing line-rate Layer 2 and 3 performance.
  • ToR Architecture: Well-suited for Top-of-the-Rack (ToR) deployments in data centers. 

Other Notable Nexus Switches:

  • Nexus 1000v: A virtual switch for use in virtual environments.
  • Nexus 2000: Fabric extenders for extending the network fabric.
  • Nexus Dashboard: A centralized dashboard platform for managing network infrastructure. 

 

Cisco Nexus switches support data center network architecture and design by offering a range of hardware, software, and services that enable efficient virtualization, high-performance computing, and a unified fabric. They provide features like high-bandwidth, low-latency, and scalable designs suitable for modern data centers, including those supporting AI/ML workloads. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

1. Hardware and Software:

  • Cisco Nexus 9000 Series:

This series provides hardware and software capabilities for optimal latency, congestion management, and telemetry, crucial for AI/ML applications. 

  • Software-Defined Networking (SDN):

Nexus switches offer features like Virtual Port Channels (vPCs) and Fabric Extenders (FEX) for enhanced flexibility and scalability. 

  • Cisco Nexus Dashboard:

This centralized dashboard platform simplifies management and provides a unified view of the network, making it easier to monitor, troubleshoot, and configure the network. 

2. Architectural Approach:

  • Unified Fabric:

Nexus switches enable the creation of a unified fabric, which integrates networking, storage, and computing resources into a single, efficient network. 

  • Hyperscale Design:

Cisco supports hyperscale data center designs, like spine-leaf architectures, which are designed for scalability and simplicity. 

  • Data Center Planning and Build Services:

Cisco offers services to help organizations plan and build data center architectures based on the Nexus platform, ensuring they meet business and technical goals. 

3. Key Features and Benefits:

  • High Performance and Low Latency:

Nexus switches are designed for high-performance and low-latency networking, crucial for modern applications. 

  • Scalability:

They offer scalable designs that can handle growing data center demands. 

  • Resiliency:

Features like vPC and FEX provide redundancy and high availability, ensuring network resilience. 

  • Automation:

Cisco Nexus Dashboard and other tools allow for automation of network configuration and management. 

  • AI/ML Support:

Nexus switches are optimized for AI/ML applications, providing the necessary bandwidth, latency, and visibility. 

In the context of Cisco Nexus switches, VPC (Virtual Port Channel) provides active-active redundancy and link aggregation between two switches, while FabricPath uses a routing-based approach for Layer 2 fabric architecture, and OTV (Overlay Transport Virtualization) extends VLANs across Layer 3 networks. 

vPC (Virtual Port Channel):

  • Function:

vPC allows two Nexus switches to appear as a single logical switch to connected devices, creating a highly available and redundant network. 

  • Mechanism:

It uses Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to aggregate multiple physical links between two switches, enabling traffic to flow across both links simultaneously. 

  • Benefits:

Eliminates the need for Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) in the vPC domain, uses all available bandwidth, and provides fast convergence in case of link or switch failure. 

  • Topology:

Can be configured in single-homed or dual-homed scenarios, connecting to Fabric Extenders or other devices. 

FabricPath:

  • Function:

FabricPath is a data center fabric architecture that uses routing principles at Layer 2, offering a scalable and manageable network fabric. 

  • Mechanism:

Employs Layer 2 IS-IS to learn shortest paths, using FabricPath-encapsulated traffic for network communication. 

  • Benefits:

Reduces network complexity, provides efficient traffic forwarding, and enables high-speed, low-latency networks. 

  • Topology:

Connects Fabric Extenders, other Nexus devices, and can be used in conjunction with vPC+. 

OTV (Overlay Transport Virtualization):

  • Function:

OTV extends VLANs across a Layer 3 network, enabling network virtualization and allowing different data centers to share the same VLAN assignments. 

  • Mechanism:

Uses a control plane protocol (IS-IS) to learn and propagate MAC routing information across the overlay network. 

  • Benefits:

Provides network virtualization, allows for VLAN extension across Layer 3 networks, and supports various transport infrastructure types (e.g., MPLS, IP-routed WAN). 

  • Topology:

Connects different data centers over a Layer 3 transport network. 

Cisco Nexus switches enhance Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking in data centers by offering advanced features and technologies for both functions. They support Layer 2 switching for MAC address forwarding and VLANs, and Layer 3 switching for IP routing and inter-VLAN communication. Key features include virtual device contexts (VDCs) for logical separation of network functions, virtual port channels (vPCs) for high availability, and routing protocols for inter-subnet communication. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Layer 2 Enhancements:

  • MAC Address Forwarding:

Nexus switches efficiently forward data packets based on their MAC addresses within a Layer 2 domain, enabling communication between devices within the same broadcast domain. 

  • VLANs:

Nexus switches support VLANs, allowing logical segmentation of the network into multiple broadcast domains, improving security and network efficiency. 

  • vPC:

Virtual Port Channel (vPC) allows for high availability by presenting two physical switches as a single logical Layer 2 device, enabling link aggregation and failover mechanisms. 

  • Data Center Bridging (DCB):

DCB provides features like lossless fabrics and I/O convergence on a unified fabric, enhancing network performance and reliability in data centers. 

Layer 3 Enhancements:

  • IP Routing:

Nexus switches can act as Layer 3 routers, forwarding packets between different IP subnets, enabling communication between devices in different VLANs. 

  • Routing Protocols:

They support various routing protocols like BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP, enabling dynamic routing and network discovery. 

  • Virtual Device Contexts (VDCs):

VDCs allow for the creation of multiple isolated routing domains within a single switch, providing flexibility and control over network segmentation. 

  • VXLAN:

Nexus switches support VXLAN, a Layer 2 overlay network technology that allows for the extension of VLANs across multiple physical switches. 

  • Quality of Service (QoS):

Nexus switches offer QoS features to prioritize and manage network traffic, ensuring reliable performance for critical applications. 

  • Advanced Security:

Layer 3 switches provide advanced security features like Access Control Lists (ACLs) for filtering and controlling traffic based on IP addresses, protocols, and ports, enhancing network security. 

Cisco Nexus training helps prepare for several certifications and exams that are highly relevant to data center networking and infrastructure. Here are some key certifications and exams:

  1. CCNP Data Center: This certification is recommended for professionals working with Cisco Nexus switches. It includes various exams that cover in-depth knowledge of data center technologies, including Cisco Nexus platforms  .
  2. CCNP Data Center: This certification focuses on data center technologies and includes exams such as:

    • 300-610 DCID: Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure.
    • 300-615 DCIT: Troubleshooting Cisco Data Center Infrastructure.
    • 300-620 DCACI: Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure.
    • 300-625 DCSAN: Implementing Cisco Storage Area Networking.
    • 300-630 DCMSI: Implementing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing  .
  3. CCIE Data Center: This expert-level certification is designed for professionals who want to demonstrate their skills in planning, designing, implementing, and troubleshooting complex data center networks. The certification involves a written exam and a lab exam 

     

  4. Cisco Certified Specialist - Data Center Core: This certification validates skills in data center technologies, including Cisco Nexus switches. It involves the 350-601 DCCOR exam, which covers core data center topics 

These certifications and exams are designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage and optimize data center networks using Cisco Nexus switches.


Comment

  • AT

    Very nice articulation

    • DC

      Thanks Anoop!!!!


  • NI

    Good website for Nexus Data Center course


  • VG

    Very nice explanation


  • PS

    Dclessons has top-tier Nexus courses. Clear, concise, and very informative.


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