Cisco Nexus N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender

Series: Nexus 2000

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender belongs to the Nexus 2000 series, which is a family of fabric extenders designed to provide flexible and scalable connectivity for data centers. The Nexus 2000 series offers a range of models with different port densities and capabilities to meet the needs of various deployment scenarios.

Flexible Connectivity

The Nexus 2000 series fabric extenders, including the N2248PQ-4-FEX, offer flexible connectivity options that enable organizations to easily adapt and expand their data center networks. These fabric extenders can be connected to Cisco Nexus switches using unified ports, allowing for seamless integration into the existing network infrastructure. With support for both copper and fiber connections, the Nexus 2000 series can accommodate a wide range of network configurations.

Scalable Architecture

The Nexus 2000 series fabric extenders utilize a scalable architecture that allows for easy expansion as the network grows. Organizations can add additional fabric extenders to their data center without disrupting the existing network infrastructure. This scalability ensures that the network can accommodate increasing demands for bandwidth and connectivity, providing a future-proof solution for evolving business needs.

Cost-Effective Solution

By leveraging the Nexus 2000 series fabric extenders, organizations can achieve cost savings compared to traditional network architectures. The fabric extenders eliminate the need for individual switches at each rack, reducing both capital and operational expenses. The centralized management and simplified cabling provided by the Nexus 2000 series further contribute to cost savings by reducing complexity and minimizing maintenance efforts.

Ports: 48

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender is equipped with 48 ports, offering ample connectivity options for data center environments. These ports can be used to connect servers, storage devices, and other network equipment, enabling seamless communication and data transfer within the data center.

High Port Density

The 48 ports provided by the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender allow for efficient utilization of rack space in data centers. With a high port density, organizations can connect a large number of devices without the need for additional switches or expansion modules. This helps optimize space utilization and simplifies network management.

Flexibility and Versatility

The 48 ports on the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender offer flexibility and versatility in network connectivity. Organizations can connect various types of devices, including servers, storage arrays, and network appliances, to these ports. The fabric extender supports both copper and fiber connections, providing compatibility with different network infrastructures and allowing for easy integration into existing environments.

Improved Performance

With 48 ports, the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender ensures that there is sufficient bandwidth available for data-intensive applications and high-performance computing environments. The increased number of ports allows for better distribution of network traffic, minimizing congestion and optimizing overall network performance. This ensures smooth operation of critical applications and supports seamless data transfers within the data center.

Power: AC

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender is powered by an AC power supply, offering reliable and efficient power delivery to support its operation and connected devices. The AC power option provides several benefits for users in terms of availability, convenience, and energy efficiency.

High Availability

AC power is widely available in most data centers, making it a convenient choice for powering network equipment like the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender. By utilizing AC power, organizations can ensure high availability and minimize the risk of power-related downtime. In the event of a power outage, backup power systems can be employed to maintain uninterrupted operation, safeguarding critical business processes.

Convenient and Easy to Deploy

AC power is easy to deploy and manage in data center environments. The availability of standard power outlets simplifies the installation process, allowing for quick deployment of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender. Additionally, AC power supplies are typically hot-swappable, enabling seamless replacement or addition of power modules without interrupting the operation of the fabric extender.

Energy Efficiency

AC power supplies for network equipment like the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender often incorporate energy-saving features. These power supplies are designed to optimize energy consumption by adjusting power output based on the actual load requirements. By utilizing AC power and leveraging energy-efficient power supplies, organizations can reduce their carbon footprint and lower energy costs in their data centers.

Speed: 10 Gigabit Ethernet

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) connectivity, which provides high-speed data transfer capabilities for demanding applications and bandwidth-intensive workloads. The 10 GbE speed offers numerous benefits in terms of performance, scalability, and future-proofing.

Enhanced Performance

With 10 GbE connectivity, the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender enables fast and efficient data transfers within the data center. The increased speed significantly reduces latency and improves application response times, enhancing overall system performance. This is particularly important for bandwidth-hungry applications such as video streaming, virtualization, and large-scale data analytics.

Scalability and Bandwidth Management

The 10 GbE speed of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender allows for seamless scalability and bandwidth management in data center environments. The higher bandwidth capacity enables organizations to accommodate increasing network demands without compromising performance. With 10 GbE, users can easily allocate and manage bandwidth resources, ensuring that critical applications receive the necessary network resources while maintaining optimal performance for all connected devices.

Future-Proof Solution

As data center requirements continue to evolve, the demand for higher network speeds will only increase. By adopting the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender with 10 GbE support, organizations can future-proof their network infrastructure and ensure compatibility with emerging technologies and applications. The 10 GbE speed provides the necessary foundation for handling upcoming demands, allowing organizations to stay ahead in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

Form Factor: Rack-mountable

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender features a rack-mountable form factor, making it suitable for deployment in standard data center racks. The rack-mountable design offers several advantages in terms of space utilization, ease of installation, and scalability.

Optimized Space Utilization

The rack-mountable form factor allows the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender to be conveniently installed in standard data center racks. By occupying only a limited amount of vertical space within the rack, organizations can maximize the utilization of their rack infrastructure. This is particularly important in large-scale data centers where space efficiency is crucial for accommodating a high density of equipment.

Easy Installation and Maintenance

The rack-mountable design simplifies the installation and maintenance process of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender. The fabric extender can be easily mounted on standard rack rails or cabinets, minimizing setup time and effort. Additionally, the rack-mountable form factor provides convenient access to the fabric extender for maintenance tasks, ensuring efficient management and troubleshooting.

Scalability and Flexibility

The rack-mountable form factor enables seamless scalability and flexibility in data center deployments. Organizations can easily add or remove fabric extenders as their network requirements change, without the need for extensive reconfigurations or additional infrastructure investments. This scalability allows organizations to adapt their data center networks to evolving business needs, ensuring long-term viability and flexibility.

Management Interface: 1 x 10/100/1000Base-T

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender is equipped with a management interface that supports 1 x 10/100/1000Base-T connectivity. This interface allows for easy and efficient management of the fabric extender, offering users comprehensive control and monitoring capabilities.

Remote Management

The 10/100/1000Base-T management interface enables remote management of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender. Administrators can access and configure the fabric extender from a central location, simplifying network management tasks. This remote management capability is particularly beneficial for large-scale data centers with distributed deployments, allowing administrators to efficiently monitor and control multiple fabric extenders from a single point of access.

Comprehensive Control and Monitoring

The management interface provides comprehensive control and monitoring capabilities for the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender. Administrators can configure various network settings, monitor device performance, and troubleshoot issues using the management interface. This granular control ensures optimal performance, facilitates proactive maintenance, and helps identify potential network bottlenecks or security vulnerabilities.

Integration with Network Management Systems

The 10/100/1000Base-T management interface of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender allows for seamless integration with network management systems. Administrators can leverage existing management platforms to centrally manage and monitor the fabric extender, streamlining network operations and reducing management complexity. This integration enables organizations to leverage their existing investments in network management tools and ensures compatibility with industry-standard management protocols.

Uplink Interface: 4 x 40 Gigabit QSFP+

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender features a high-speed uplink interface with 4 x 40 Gigabit QSFP+ ports. This uplink interface provides fast and reliable connectivity between the fabric extender and the upstream network, offering enhanced performance, scalability, and flexibility.

High-Speed Uplinks

The 40 Gigabit QSFP+ uplink ports deliver high-speed connectivity for data transfers between the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender and the upstream network. The increased bandwidth capacity of these ports ensures optimal performance for bandwidth-intensive applications and workloads. With high-speed uplinks, organizations can meet the demands of data-intensive environments, such as virtualization, big data analytics, and cloud computing.

Scalability and Flexibility

The 4 x 40 Gigabit QSFP+ uplink ports provide scalability and flexibility for network expansion. Organizations can easily connect the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender to Cisco Nexus switches or other compatible devices using these high-speed uplinks. This flexibility allows for seamless integration with existing network infrastructures and supports future growth requirements, ensuring a scalable and adaptable network solution.

Redundancy and Load Balancing

The multiple 40 Gigabit QSFP+ uplink ports on the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender enable redundancy and load balancing capabilities. Organizations can configure link aggregation groups (LAGs) to combine the bandwidth of multiple uplink ports, improving network resilience and increasing overall throughput. This redundancy and load balancing functionality ensures high availability and efficient utilization of network resources, enhancing the reliability and performance of the data center network.

Features: Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 routing, Unified Fabric

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender offers a range of advanced features that enhance network performance, security, and flexibility. These features include Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 routing, and support for Unified Fabric, providing organizations with a comprehensive set of capabilities for their data center networks.

Layer 2 Switching

The Layer 2 switching feature of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender enables efficient communication between connected devices within the same network segment. Layer 2 switching ensures that traffic is forwarded based on MAC addresses, facilitating fast and accurate delivery of data packets. This feature is essential for creating virtual LANs (VLANs) and implementing network segmentation, enhancing security and optimizing network performance.

Layer 3 Routing

The Layer 3 routing feature extends the capabilities of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender by allowing it to route traffic between different network segments or subnets. Layer 3 routing enables efficient interconnectivity between VLANs or IP networks, facilitating communication between devices in different parts of the data center. This feature enhances network flexibility and simplifies network management by enabling the fabric extender to act as a router within the data center environment.

Unified Fabric

The Unified Fabric feature of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender combines data and storage networking into a single infrastructure, simplifying network design and management. Unified Fabric allows organizations to converge their Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks, reducing complexity and eliminating the need for separate network fabrics. This convergence improves resource utilization, streamlines network operations, and reduces costs associated with maintaining separate network infrastructures.

Compatibility: Cisco Nexus Switches

The Cisco N2248PQ-4-FEX Fabric Extender is designed to be compatible with Cisco Nexus switches, ensuring seamless integration and interoperability within the Cisco ecosystem. This compatibility offers numerous benefits in terms of ease of deployment, scalability, and support.

Seamless Integration

The compatibility with Cisco Nexus switches allows for seamless integration of the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender into existing Cisco network infrastructures. The fabric extender can be easily connected to Nexus switches using unified ports, enabling plug-and-play deployment and hassle-free configuration. This seamless integration ensures that organizations can leverage their existing investments in Cisco networking equipment while expanding their data center capabilities.

Scalability and Interoperability

The compatibility with Cisco Nexus switches provides scalability and interoperability for the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender. Organizations can easily scale their data center networks by adding additional fabric extenders or connecting to higher-end Nexus switches as their needs evolve. The interoperability between the fabric extender and Nexus switches ensures smooth communication and operation across the entire network infrastructure.

Vendor Support and Ecosystem

By choosing the N2248PQ-4-FEX fabric extender, organizations benefit from the extensive support and ecosystem provided by Cisco. The compatibility with Cisco Nexus switches ensures access to comprehensive technical support, documentation, and software updates. Additionally, the wide adoption of Cisco networking equipment in the industry means that organizations can easily find skilled professionals familiar with Cisco technologies, simplifying network management and troubleshooting processes.