N2K-C2232TM-E Cisco Nexus 2000 Series 32 Ports Fabric Extender

Overview of Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E 32 Ports Expansion Module

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E Nexus 2000 Series 32 Ports Fabric Extender Expansion Module is a high-performance data center networking solution designed to extend Cisco Nexus switching fabrics while simplifying server connectivity and centralized management. Featuring 32 high-density 1/10GBASE-T host interfaces, eight 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ uplink ports, and enterprise-grade forwarding performance, this Fabric Extender is ideal for virtualization platforms, cloud computing, enterprise data centers, and mission-critical IT infrastructures.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Part Number: N2K-C2232TM-E
• Series: Nexus 2000 Series
• Product Type: Expansion Module

Technical Specifications

• Interface: 32 Ports Expansion Module
• Fabric Extender Host Interfaces: 32 × 1/10GBASE-T RJ-45 Ports
• Fabric Interfaces: 8 × 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ Uplink Ports
• Host Cabling: Standard Cat6a and Cat7 Copper Ethernet Cabling
• Form Factor: 1RU Rack-Mountable Chassis

Performance Specifications

• Fabric Speed: 80 Gbps Per Direction (160 Gbps Full Duplex)
• Hardware Forwarding Capacity: Up to 800 Gbps
• Forwarding Performance: Up to 595 Million Packets Per Second (Mpps)
• Oversubscription Ratio: 4:1

Power and Cooling

• Typical Operating Power: 210W at 30M
• Typical Operating Power: 240W at 100M
• Maximum Power Consumption: 300W
• Power Supplies: Dual Hot-Swappable 400W AC Power Supplies
• Cooling: Hot-Swappable Redundant Fan Modules

Physical Dimensions

• Height: 1.72 Inches (4.37 cm)
• Width: 17.3 Inches (43.94 cm)
• Depth: 17.7 Inches (44.96 cm)

Enterprise-Class Performance

• 800 Gbps hardware forwarding capacity
• 595 Mpps packet forwarding performance
• 160 Gbps full-duplex fabric bandwidth
• Low-latency communication
• Consistent high-speed data transmission

Data Center Technologies

• Lossless Ethernet
• Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
• Data Center Bridging (DCB)
• Support for storage networking
• Enhanced traffic reliability

Storage and Virtualization Benefits

• Optimized for virtualized environments
• Supports converged network infrastructures
• Reduces storage network complexity
• Improves application performance
• Ideal for cloud computing platforms

Redundant Hardware Design

• Dual hot-swappable AC power supplies
• Redundant cooling system
• Non-disruptive maintenance
• High availability architecture
• Reliable enterprise operation

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E Nexus 2000 Series Expansion Module

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E Nexus 2000 Series 32 Ports Fabric Extender Expansion Module is engineered to deliver enterprise-class networking performance with a design tailored for Cisco Nexus architectures. Built on Cisco’s advanced fabric extender technology, this module ensures scalable throughput, reliable integration, and seamless deployment in structured infrastructures. Its design supports modern workloads, delivering consistent bandwidth, optimized traffic management, and enhanced flexibility for mission-critical applications across diverse industries.

Integration with Cisco Nexus Switches

The expansion module integrates seamlessly with Cisco Nexus switches, offering flexible expansion options. This integration supports advanced traffic management, virtualization features, and high availability. Enterprises benefit from streamlined deployment, reduced complexity, and scalable solutions that adapt to evolving networking requirements across enterprise and data center environments with minimal disruption.

32x10GE Connectivity for Enterprise Networks

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E provides thirty-two 10GE ports, ensuring efficient communication across enterprise environments. With support for fiber-based connections, it delivers stable coverage and improved throughput. Enterprises benefit from reduced latency, enhanced responsiveness, and reliable performance for servers, storage systems, and applications operating simultaneously in demanding conditions.

Advanced Security Architecture

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E incorporates advanced security mechanisms to safeguard enterprise networks. Features such as secure boot, hardware root of trust, and encryption support protect against unauthorized access and cyber threats. Enterprises achieve compliance with industry standards, ensuring reliable protection for sensitive data and mission-critical applications with minimal risk exposure and enhanced resilience.

Optimized Performance for Virtualization Workloads

With support for SR-IOV and virtualization offloads, the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E enables versatile communication across enterprise networks. Its architecture ensures consistent bandwidth for diverse applications. Enterprises benefit from optimized traffic flow, reduced latency, and improved scalability in virtualization-centric environments where performance consistency is essential for mission-critical workloads and distributed infrastructures.

Traffic Management and QoS Capabilities

Quality of Service features allow administrators to prioritize critical applications such as storage traffic, voice, and video. The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E ensures that latency-sensitive workloads receive dedicated bandwidth, reducing jitter and packet loss. Enterprises achieve improved user experiences, optimized performance, and reliable communication across diverse applications with enhanced control over traffic distribution and prioritization.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Design

Energy-efficient design minimizes power consumption while maintaining high performance. The extender’s optimized thermal design ensures simplified deployment without overheating risks. Enterprises benefit from reduced cooling requirements, improved sustainability, and extended hardware lifespan in high-density environments where efficiency and reliability are critical for long-term operations.

Scalability for Enterprise Growth

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E provides scalability to meet growing enterprise demands. With thirty-two 10GE ports, businesses can expand their networks without significant infrastructure changes. Enterprises achieve cost-effective scaling, ensuring that networking capabilities evolve alongside organizational growth with minimal disruption and consistent performance across diverse workloads.

Mission-Critical Workloads

Reliability is a cornerstone of the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E design. Redundant architecture and robust connectivity ensure continuous operation even during hardware failures. Enterprises benefit from minimized downtime, consistent service availability, and enhanced resilience for mission-critical workloads requiring uninterrupted connectivity across distributed environments and global deployments.

Deployment Flexibility Across Environments

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E offers deployment flexibility across diverse environments. Its compatibility with Cisco modular platforms allows seamless integration into enterprise, campus, and branch networks. Enterprises can tailor configurations for redundancy, scalability, or performance optimization, ensuring adaptability to evolving business needs with simplified management and streamlined workflows.

High-Density Applications

High-density applications such as virtualization clusters and storage backbones benefit from the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E’s thirty-two port design and advanced networking capabilities. Enterprises achieve simplified cabling, reduced infrastructure costs, and improved manageability in environments requiring large-scale device connectivity with consistent performance delivery and reliable throughput across critical workloads.

Future-Proof Networking Solution

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E is designed as a future-proof solution, meeting evolving enterprise needs. Its compatibility, scalability, and advanced features ensure relevance as technology advances. Businesses can invest confidently, knowing the extender will support networking requirements for years to come across diverse industries with minimal upgrade requirements and enhanced adaptability.

Enhanced Performance for Storage Networking

Storage networking platforms benefit from the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E’s QoS and port support. Storage traffic receives prioritized bandwidth, ensuring clear communication and reduced latency. Enterprises achieve improved collaboration between storage systems, optimized performance, and reliable connectivity for mission-critical storage networks across global deployments with consistent quality and seamless integration.

Optimized for Cloud and Edge Deployments

Cloud and edge deployments require reliable connectivity and scalability. The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E provides secure integration for high-speed cloud adoption and edge device connectivity. Enterprises benefit from seamless cloud adoption, reduced latency, and improved efficiency in distributed environments with consistent throughput and reliable performance across diverse workloads.

Comprehensive Manageability Features

Manageability features such as centralized monitoring, configuration management, and diagnostics simplify administration. The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E ensures that IT teams can efficiently manage large-scale deployments. Enterprises achieve reduced operational overhead, improved visibility, and enhanced control over network infrastructures with streamlined workflows and simplified management processes across complex environments.

Support for Emerging Technologies

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E supports emerging technologies such as NVMe over Fabrics and advanced storage protocols. Its thirty-two port design ensures reliable connectivity, while advanced traffic management provides high-speed performance. Enterprises benefit from future-ready infrastructure, enabling seamless adoption of new technologies without significant upgrades or disruptions across diverse industries and global deployments.

Resilient Architecture for Enterprise Networks

The resilient architecture of the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E ensures consistent performance under demanding conditions. Redundant connectivity and advanced traffic management features safeguard enterprise networks. Enterprises achieve improved uptime, reduced risk, and enhanced reliability for mission-critical applications requiring continuous availability and consistent performance across distributed infrastructures.

Data-Intensive Workloads

Data-intensive workloads such as analytics and cloud applications benefit from the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E’s connectivity and QoS features. Enterprises achieve optimized performance, reduced latency, and improved scalability for workloads requiring consistent bandwidth and reliable communication across distributed environments and mission-critical infrastructures.

Enterprise-Class Reliability and Uptime

Reliability is a key advantage of the Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E. Its robust architecture ensures continuous operation even during hardware failures. Enterprises benefit from minimized downtime, consistent service availability, and enhanced resilience for mission-critical workloads requiring uninterrupted connectivity across diverse environments and global deployments with consistent performance.

Universal Device

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E is compatible with a wide range of Cisco Nexus platforms, ensuring seamless integration into diverse infrastructures. Enterprises benefit from deployment flexibility, reduced complexity, and enhanced scalability across enterprise and campus networks with simplified device onboarding and configuration.

Enterprise Growth

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E provides scalability to meet growing enterprise demands. With its universal design, businesses can expand their networks without requiring significant infrastructure changes. Enterprises achieve cost-effective scaling, ensuring that extender solutions evolve alongside organizational growth with minimal disruption and consistent performance across diverse workloads.

Reliable Performance in Demanding Conditions

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E ensures reliable performance even in demanding industrial conditions. Its robust construction and centralized management provide enterprises with confidence in their infrastructure, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity and consistent performance across mission-critical applications requiring continuous availability and resilience.

Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities

The Cisco N2K-C2232TM-E enhances monitoring by providing real-time visibility into network performance. Administrators can track device health, traffic patterns, and application usage, ensuring proactive management. Enterprises achieve improved efficiency, reduced risk, and enhanced reliability across diverse deployment scenarios with simplified troubleshooting and proactive alerts.

Secure Role-Based Access Control

The extender’s role-based access control ensures that only authorized personnel can configure or manage devices. Enterprises achieve improved security, reduced risk of misconfiguration, and enhanced compliance with industry standards across diverse environments with consistent enforcement of access policies.