Cisco Nexus Family of Products

The Cisco Nexus family of data center switches is designed to meet the stringent requirements of the next-generation data center. All Nexus switches use NX-OS Software, an operating system designed specifically for the data center and engineered for high availability, scalability, and flexibility. 

Not simply bigger or faster, Nexus switches offer the following advantages: • Infrastructure that can be scaled cost-effectively and that helps you increase energy, budget, and resource efficiency 

 • Transport that can navigate the transition to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and unified fabric and can handle architectural changes such as virtualization, Web 2.0 applications, and cloud computing

• Operational continuity to meet your need for an environment where system availability is assumed and maintenance windows are rare, if not totally extinct

Nexus Data Center Switches

• Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches - Modular switches with zero service loss architecture meet Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet needs and future unified fabric requirements.

•  Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switches - Rack switches deliver high-performance, low-latency 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Data Center Bridging (DCB), and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).

• Cisco Nexus 4000 Series Switches - High-performance, extremely low-latency 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Data Center Bridging (DCB), and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) blade switches for IBM BladeCenter servers.

 • Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders - Innovative platform provides a cost effective migration path from 1GbE to 10GbE while reducing TCO with simplified management and reduced cabling cost.

• Cisco Nexus 1000V Switch - This software switch integrates directly with the server hypervisor to deliver VN-Link virtual machine-aware network services.

Cisco NX Operating System (NX-OS)

Cisco NX-OS is a data-center-class operating system built to meet the demands of the virtualized data center. NX-OS 4.1 for Nexus Series switches maintains consistency with the rest of the Cisco Nexus family while delivering features critical to data centers such as a modular, flexible architecture, continuous system availability, and switch virtualization capabilities.

The advantages of NX-OS include:
• Unified data center operating system: NX-OS runs on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch, Nexus 5000 Series Switch, Cisco MDS Series Multilayer SAN Switch, and Cisco Nexus 1000V virtual switch for VMware ESX.

• Robust and rich feature set with a variety of Cisco innovations: Based on industry-tested Cisco IOS Software, Cisco SAN-OS Software, and acquisitions to unify data center operations.

• Flexible and scalable: Built with modularity, virtualization, and resiliency at its core.

• IP routing and multicast: Supports state-of-the-art implementations of IPv4 and IPv6 services, routing protocols, and IP Multicast features.

• Comprehensive security, availability, serviceability, and management features: Meets the challenges of the most demanding environments.

Key features and benefits of NX-OS include:
•  High security: Cisco NX-OS provides outstanding data confidentiality and integrity, supporting standard IEEE 802.1AE link-layer cryptography with 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cryptography.

• Virtual Port Channels (vPCs): Allows a server or switch to use a port channel across two upstream switches without an STP-blocked port to allow use of all available uplink bandwidth.

• Continuous system operation: Maintenance, upgrades, and software certification can be performed without service interruptions.

• Virtual device contexts (VDCs): Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches can be segmented into virtual devices based on business need.

How can Sirius help you with your data center needs?
Sirius is highly specialized in providing value-added services focused on your data center needs. We have a team of experienced and certified individuals to help you plan, design, deploy and maintain your data center. Sirius service offerings include:

• Data Center and Network Assessments
• Cisco Data Center Architecture Workshops
• Server Virtualization and Consolidation Assessment
• Security Assessments