DS-X9224-96K9 Cisco 24-Port 8Gbps FC Switch Module

Cisco DS-X9224-96K9 Fibre Channel Switching Module Overview

The Cisco DS-X9224-96K9 module delivers a robust blend of performance, reliability, and scalability for modern storage networking environments. Featuring twenty-four 8 Gbps Fibre Channel ports, this plug-in switch module ensures seamless integration into enterprise-grade infrastructures while maintaining efficient data throughput and advanced traffic control.

Key Product Identifiers

• Brand: Cisco
• Model / SKU: DS-X9224-96K9
• Category: Fibre Channel Switching Module
• Port Count: 24 High-Speed Interfaces

Main Functional Attributes

Designed for demanding SAN environments, this module enhances connectivity and streamlines communication between storage devices and servers. Its architecture supports high-bandwidth workloads and ensures dependable data exchange across extensive Fibre Channel networks.

Highlighted Advantages

• Optimized for data-intensive operations and mission-critical workloads
• Powerful remote management capabilities for simplified administration
• Flexible authentication options for improved security
• Compact plug-in structure for easy integration into compatible chassis

Technical Specifications

Hardware & Form Factor

• Module Type: 24-Port Fibre Channel Switch
• Enclosure: Plug-in design for modular expansion
• Dimensions: 14 in (W) × 16 in (D) × 1.2 in (H)

Management & Security Support

• Remote Protocols: SNMPv3 and SSH-2 for secure monitoring
• Authentication Standards: RADIUS, TACACS+, and Secure Shell v2

Interfaces & Connectivity

Engineered for versatility, the Cisco DS-X9224-96K9 accommodates a variety of Fibre Channel technologies to align with evolving SAN requirements.

Available Interfaces

• 24 × SFP (mini-GBIC) Fibre Channel Ports
• High-speed 8 Gbps throughput per port

Supported Fibre Channel Protocols

This module supports an extensive list of Fibre Channel standards to ensure broad interoperability and smooth communication within heterogeneous storage environments.

Comprehensive FC Protocol Compatibility

• FC-AL, FC-AL-2, FC-BB, FC-BB-2, FC-BB-3
• FC-DA, FC-FS, FC-FS-2, FC-FS-3
• FC-FCP, FCP-2, FCP-3
• FC-GS-3, FC-GS-4, FC-GS-5, FC-GS-6
• FC-MI, FC-MI-2
• FC-PH, FC-PH-2, FC-PH-3
• FC-PI, FC-PI-2, FC-PI-4
• FC-PLDA, FC-SB-2, FC-SB-3
• FC-SW-2, FC-SW-3, FC-SW-4, FC-SW-5
• FC-Tape, FC-VI, FC-SP, FC-LS

Cisco DS-X9224-96K9 24 Ports 8 Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module

The Cisco DS-X9224-96K9 24 Ports 8 Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module represents a purpose-built fabric switching solution designed for mission-critical SAN environments where predictable latency, deterministic throughput, and enterprise-class resiliency are required. This category description focuses on the DS-X9224-96K9 as a member of the high-performance Fibre Channel switching family and expands across its technical attributes, operational benefits, deployment patterns, management and monitoring capabilities, integration with broader data center ecosystems, and practical guidance for procurement and lifecycle management.

Target Use Cases and Business Value

This switching module category is optimized for large enterprise storage area networks that support databases, virtualized server farms, backup and recovery operations, and storage consolidation projects. The DS-X9224-96K9 24 Ports 8 Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module is commonly selected where storage performance consistency is a priority, where multiple SAN islands must be interconnected, or where storage administrators require fine-grained control over zoning, virtual fabrics, and traffic isolation. The business value lies in reduced storage I/O contention, simplified SAN topologies compared with legacy direct-attached storage, and improved fault isolation during maintenance or failure scenarios. For IT teams planning storage refresh cycles, this category provides a predictable upgrade path that balances port density with per-port performance and deterministic delivery at 8 Gbps per port.

Key Technical Attributes

The technical design of the DS-X9224-96K9 24 Ports 8 Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module emphasizes port-level performance and fabric-level intelligence. The module contains 24 full-speed Fibre Channel ports capable of 8 Gbps operation, supporting a blend of end-host connectivity and inter-switch links. Fabric services common to this family include zoning for access control, VSANs to create virtualized fabric partitions, NPIV support for virtual machine to storage port mapping, and advanced management features such as SNMP and CLI-based automation. Latency characteristics are engineered to be low and consistent to ensure database transaction times and VM storage I/O patterns remain stable even under heavy load.

Performance and Throughput Characteristics

Performance in the DS-X9224-96K9 category is defined both by raw per-port speeds and by fabric switching capacity. Each 8 Gbps port supports the line-rate for typical SAN traffic profiles, ensuring that common storage workloads such as sequential backups and random OLTP patterns are accommodated without undue buffering or retransmission. Aggregate switching capacity is provisioned to avoid oversubscription at typical deployment scales; design best practices recommend monitoring interface utilization and distributing hot data streams across multiple ports or link aggregates when necessary. Quality of service mechanisms in the switching module help prioritize storage replication or backup traffic if required by operational policies.

Scalability and Port Economics

While the DS-X9224-96K9 provides 24 ports, the category is often evaluated not just on raw port count but on how those ports integrate into larger fabrics. IT architects consider expansion through additional modules, stacking techniques, or by deploying multiple fabrics for scale and redundancy. The unit economics of the 24-port design allow purchasers to match port needs to the immediate server and storage population, avoiding the cost of larger fixed-density chassis when only moderate port growth is expected. For environments that anticipate rapid growth, guidance includes planning for inter-switch links, ensuring sufficient uplink capacity, and reserving ports for future replication or disaster recovery connections.

Reliability, Availability and Serviceability (RAS)

High availability is central to this switching module's role in enterprise SANs. The DS-X9224-96K9 category supports non-disruptive operations where possible, allowing maintenance actions such as software upgrades and configuration changes to be performed without extended outages. Redundant power and cooling are design considerations at the chassis level that the module leverages to ensure continuous operation. From a serviceability perspective, hot-swappable components and predictable fault diagnostics help storage administrators isolate and remediate issues quickly. The module’s hardware and firmware ecosystem typically align with Cisco’s support and software maintenance programs to ensure timely security patches and enhancements.

Fabric Resiliency and Path Redundancy

In enterprise deployments, resiliency is achieved through multiple dimensions: multi-pathing at the host level, dual fabric designs for failover, and link-level redundancy inside the fabric. The DS-X9224-96K9 24 Ports 8 Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module supports all typical SAN topologies, enabling dual-homed server connections to different switches or even different fabrics. This configuration minimizes the blast radius of single failures and supports continuous I/O to critical applications. Switch-level features including fabric failover, dynamic path rebalancing, and automatic zoning synchronization (where supported) further reduce the potential for I/O interruptions.

Security and Compliance Considerations

Data confidentiality, integrity, and access control are critical in storage fabrics. The DS-X9224-96K9 category supports zoning, which limits which initiators can see which storage targets, thereby enforcing a layer of access control at the fabric level. Administrative access should be secured through role-based access control, strong authentication methods, and management plane encryption. Logging and audit trails are important for compliance; administrators should forward logs to centralized SIEM systems and maintain change records to satisfy regulatory requirements. When integrating the module into a regulated environment, consider data retention, encryption at rest on storage arrays, and secure replication channels for offsite disaster recovery.

Interoperability and Compatibility

Compatibility is a core procurement question. The DS-X9224-96K9 module is designed to interoperate with a broad range of vendor storage arrays and host bus adapters, but successful interoperability depends on matched firmware, supported feature sets, and validated configurations. Administrators should consult vendor interoperability matrices when in doubt, pay attention to link negotiation behaviors between different vendors and speed support, and validate multi-vendor zoning configurations in a lab before production rollout. For mixed-speed fabrics, the module’s handling of 2, 4 and 8 Gbps devices is a key consideration, and proper auto-negotiation settings and port speed configuration prevent performance mismatches.