C1-N5K-C5596UP-FA Cisco One Nexus 5596UP 2RU, 2PS, 4 Fans, 48 Fixed 10GE Ports

Product Overview

The Cisco C1-N5K-C5596UP-FA Nexus 5596UP Switch Chassis is a high-performance, enterprise-grade networking solution designed for modern data centers. Built within a compact 2RU form factor, this switch delivers scalability, reliability, and advanced Layer 3 capabilities to support demanding network environments.

General Product Information

Manufacturer and Identification

• Manufacturer: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Part Number: C1-N5K-C5596UP-FA
• Product Line: Nexus
• Series: 5000 Series
• Model: 5596UP

Expansion and Slot Configuration

Scalability Options

The Cisco Nexus 5596UP offers excellent scalability through multiple expansion options, making it ideal for growing network infrastructures.

• Total expansion slots: 6
• Supports future upgrades and enhanced network flexibility

Networking and Communication Capabilities

Layer Support

This switch supports Layer 3 networking, enabling advanced routing, segmentation, and traffic management across the network.

High-Speed Connectivity

• 48 fixed 10GE ports for low-latency data transmission
• Designed for bandwidth-intensive applications

Management and Control Features

Comprehensive Manageability

The Cisco Nexus 5596UP is fully manageable and offers a wide range of industry-standard management protocols for efficient administration.

Supported Management Interfaces

• Command Line Interface (CLI)
• SNMP versions 1, 2, and 3
• RMON for advanced monitoring
• Telnet access
• DHCP support
• Syslog for event logging

Advanced Network Features

• Quality of Service (QoS) for traffic prioritization
• VLAN support for network segmentation
• MIB integration for enhanced monitoring

Key Highlights of Cisco Nexus 5596UP

• 48 fixed 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) ports for high-speed connectivity
• Redundant components including dual power supplies and multiple cooling fans
• Optimized for data center aggregation and core switching
• Robust management and monitoring features

Power and Reliability

Power Supply Details

Designed for continuous operation, the Nexus 5596UP ensures maximum uptime with redundant power options.

• Input voltage support: 110V AC and 220V AC
• Dedicated power supply source
• Redundant power supply support for high availability

Architectural Overview and Hardware Specifications

The Cisco C1-N5K-C5596UP-FA is a fully-configured system out of the box, designed for immediate deployment. Its robust physical construction and intelligent internal layout are built to support continuous operation in high-availability environments.

Chassis and Physical Configuration

The Nexus 5596UP utilizes a compact 2-rack-unit (2RU) form factor, maximizing port density within a minimal footprint. The "-FA" suffix in the part number indicates this specific bundle includes two hot-swappable AC or DC power supplies (2PS) and four hot-swappable fan modules (4 Fans), ensuring full power and cooling redundancy from day one. This configuration is essential for maintaining uptime, as either power supply can carry the full load, and the fan trays provide N+1 cooling redundancy.

Fixed Port Array: The 10GE Foundation

The defining hardware feature is its 48 fixed 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ ports. These ports offer wire-rate Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding on all ports simultaneously, providing a non-blocking architecture. The use of SFP+ optics provides tremendous flexibility; administrators can populate these ports with 1GbE SFP, 10GbE SFP+ SR/LR optics, or direct-attach copper (DAC) twinax cables, allowing for cost-effective connectivity tailored to the distance and speed requirements of each server or uplink.

Expansion Capabilities: Fabric Extender and I/O Modules

Beyond the fixed ports, the 5596UP's true power lies in its expandability. It features eight additional expansion slots that can be used in two key ways:

Fabric Extender (FEX) Ports: By installing Fabric Extender modules (like the 2200 Series FEX), the switch can manage hundreds of additional downstream server ports as a single logical entity, dramatically simplifying management and scaling server access layers.
Uplink/Storage Modules: The slots can also host high-speed uplink modules, including 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP or converged network adapter (CNA) modules that support Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), enabling true unified fabric operations.

This dual-purpose expansion makes the 5596UP incredibly versatile, serving as either a high-density ToR switch or a powerful aggregation node.

Core Technology and Performance Features

The Nexus 5596UP is more than just a collection of ports; it is powered by Cisco's NX-OS and specialized hardware to deliver cutting-edge data center features.

Cisco NX-OS: The Robust Operating System

At its core, the switch runs Cisco NX-OS, a mature, purpose-built data center operating system. NX-OS provides carrier-class reliability, with features like:

In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU): Allows for software upgrades without disrupting network operations, a critical feature for 24/7 environments.
Virtual Device Contexts (VDC): Enables logical partitioning of a single physical switch into multiple independent logical switches, providing operational isolation for multi-tenant or departmental separation.
Comprehensive Management Suite: Managed via CLI (similar to Cisco IOS), SNMP, XML API, and Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) for granular control and automation.

Unified Fabric and Storage Integration

A hallmark of the Nexus 5500 platform is its ability to converge LAN and SAN traffic onto a single wire.

Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and DCB

The switch supports full Data Center Bridging (DCB) standards, including Priority Flow Control (PFC), Enhanced Transmission Selection (ETS), and DCB Exchange (DCBX). This allows it to natively transport Fibre Channel frames over the Ethernet infrastructure (FCoE), enabling the consolidation of NICs and HBAs into CNAs and reducing cabling, adapter count, and switch ports at the server edge.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The flexibility of the Cisco Nexus 5596UP allows it to excel in several key data center roles.

High-Density Top-of-Rack (ToR) Server Aggregation

This is its most common deployment. Installed in each server rack, it provides 10GbE connectivity to a dense collection of physical servers, blade chassis, or storage arrays. Its low latency is crucial for server-to-server communication, and its FEX capability allows for seamless expansion within the rack.

Middle-of-Row (MoR) or End-of-Row (EoR) Unified Fabric Aggregation

When equipped with FCoE and high-speed uplink modules, the 5596UP acts as a powerful aggregation switch. It consolidates traffic from multiple ToR switches (including FEXes), performs routing functions, and provides a unified uplink to the data center core and SAN. Its ability to handle both IP and storage traffic makes it an ideal consolidation point.

Scalable Virtualized Data Center Pod

In environments heavily utilizing VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM, the combination of the 5596UP's high 10GbE port density, VM-FEX technology, and VDC capabilities creates an ideal pod architecture. Network administrators can build scalable, policy-driven blocks of compute and storage that are easy to manage, secure, and replicate.

Key Considerations for Implementation

Successfully integrating the Nexus 5596UP requires planning around several technical factors.

Licensing and Feature Activation

The switch utilizes Cisco's licensing model for enabling advanced features. The base NX-OS license includes standard Layer 2 and Layer 3 features. Additional license pods are typically required for functionalities like:

Advanced routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP).FCoE/Unified Fabric capabilities.
Enhanced system scalability (e.g., for larger routing tables).

Verifying the required license entitlements for your specific use case is a critical pre-deployment step.

Compatibility and Interoperability

The 5596UP offers broad compatibility but requires validation for optimal operation:

Optics and Cables: While designed for Cisco SFP-10G-SR and similar, it often supports third-party or compatible optics. Using Cisco-branded or certified optics is recommended for full support.
Fabric Extenders: Compatible with Nexus 2200 Series FEXes (e.g., 2248TP, 2232PP). The specific NX-OS version dictates the supported FEX models and features.
Storage Networks: For FCoE deployment, compatibility with upstream MDS or Nexus FC switches and supported CNA models on servers must be confirmed.