10G Server Row - Will Nexus 7000 have 10Gbase-T line card in the future?

[dahua.huang]

Hi, all Cisco expert

We are upgrading our current Data Center from 1G Server Row to 10G ( 60 Rows)

Right now we have 12 server cabinets per row with a 6513 switch (L2) + 2 network cabinets in the middle

2 x S720-10G + 5 x WS-6748-GE-TX (Data Port) + 5 x WS-6148 (Admin Port)

uplink: 2x10G to D-layer.

Now we will deploy 10G Server Row.

We considered Nexus5010 over top per cabinet

or Nexus 7018 per row .

My question is

1. Any one have same experience to design a 10G Server Row.

   What device that you pick up and how to layout?

2. Does Cisco will provided 10GBase-T(RJ45) based line card for Nexus 7000 in the future?

Thanks a lot and have a great day.

[Jerry Ye]

Most of the designs I see lately are top of the rack (N2K for GE and N5K for 10GE) with N7K as aggregation.

If you want cooper now, you can try the twinax cable (SFP+ with cable assembly). They come with variety lenght (1M - 10M). You can check out this page for minimum release

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/interfaces_modules/transceiver_modules/compatibility/matrix/OL_6974.html

And this page will give you a picture of the twinax cale

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/modules/ps5455/data_sheet_c78-455693.html

HTH,

jerry

[dahua.huang]

We thought this design before.

2x5020 with YPC and 2 links connect to each cabinet's 5010.

see attachment

question is the

1. I/O are 20G only between each switch if we run more links.

2. Can not central management. ( we have to telent to each switch for config, not like 6513, just 4/xx )

3. License - We will run FCoE, each switch required a Storage license, over priced

4. But if we pick up Nexus 7018 with full of N7K-M132XP-12, 10GBase-SR cost will killing us

That's why we prefered nexus 7018 has a RJ45 10Gbase-T line card

[Jerry Ye]

The N5K are L2 and you are running a large STP domain on this design and it can get really messy and I am not sure I will use this approach. There isn't any cooper 10GE line cards /SFP (other than the twinax) that I am aware of right now.

Regards,

jerry

[dahua.huang]

that why we pop up a plan using nexus 7018 as a edge switch.

But based on that, we need almost 500 SFP-10G-SR per Row, and we have 60 Rows that cost will killing us

If you comes from Cisco. Do you know the road map of future line card for Nexus 7000?

I am very appreciate it.

[Jerry Ye]

I understand the SR are costly and a lots of people would like to go cooper. However, with cooper, it is very difficult to achieve 10GE result with patch cords and that is the reason Cisco comes out with the twinax solution. Unfortunately, twinax has a 10M limit and I think this could be very difficult for your environment.

In terms of road map, I can't discuss any of those here. This kind of stuffs require NDA. You should be able to ask this question to your Cisco account team, they should be able to help.

Regards,

jerry

[dahua.huang]

It looks Cisco does support RJ45 Copper 10G on 6500 right now. (CAT6A)

WS-X6716-10T-3C

But 6513 supports that line card from slot 9-13 only.

Max are 80 ports.

[Jerry Ye]

You can try the C6513E, it supports 80GE on all slots.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10824/

HTH,

jerry

[Leo Laohoo]

You can try the C6513E, it supports 80GE on all slots.

Q. Will you get 80 Gbps per slot with the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 720?
A. No. The Cisco Catalyst 6513-E chassis with the future Sup2T will support 80 Gbps per slot on all 13 slots. The Cisco Catalyst 6513-E with Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 720 will have the same bandwidth caveats that exist on the current non-E 6513 chassis. With a Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 720, the fabric channel connections for the Cisco Catalyst 6513-E and 6513 (non-E) are distributed the same: that is, slots 1 through 8 are single channel with 20 Gbps capacity, and slots 9 through 13 are dual channel, providing 40 Gbps/slot. So with the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 720, a Cisco Catalyst 6513-E will only support the 67xx line cards in slots 9 through 13.

[dharig]

Did this get answerd.  I am considering a 7000 also and find it odd that ciscos flagship core switch does not have a 10GBASE-T line card.   Our enviornment is all shilded 6a.  We are between HP and Cisco and 10GBASE-T support would be the tie breaker to the nexus.

[Leo Laohoo]

I am considering a 7000 also and find it odd that ciscos flagship core switch does not have a 10GBASE-T line card. 

If you are talking about the 6500 with the Sup2T, then YES.  It's the WS-X6716-10T.  Check out the data sheet using the link below:

Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series 10 Gigabit Ethernet Interface Modules

[dharig]

I am sorry,  I thought I mentioned it is the 7000 series in my post.  My mistake. 

[Leo Laohoo]

I am sorry,  I thought I mentioned it is the 7000 series in my post.  My mistake.

No apologies needed.  My mistake for not asking the right question or mis-reading your post.