Cisco N2K-C2248TP Nexus 2000 Fabric Extender

Series: Nexus 2000

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender belongs to the Nexus 2000 Series, which is designed to provide highly scalable and flexible network connectivity for data center environments. This series offers a range of fabric extenders that help simplify network deployment and management, while also ensuring high performance and reliability.

Scalability

One of the key benefits of the Nexus 2000 Series is its scalability. With the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender, users can easily expand their network infrastructure as their business grows. The series supports up to 24 fabric extenders per Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch, allowing organizations to seamlessly add more devices without major disruptions to their existing network.

Flexibility

The Nexus 2000 Series offers users the flexibility to choose the appropriate fabric extender model based on their specific requirements. Whether it's a small business or a large enterprise, there are different options available to cater to different network sizes and configurations. This flexibility ensures that organizations can customize their network infrastructure to suit their unique needs and optimize performance.

Simplified Management

Managing a complex network infrastructure can be challenging, but the Nexus 2000 Series simplifies this task. The series is designed to work seamlessly with Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM), a centralized management tool that provides a unified view of the entire network. With DCNM, administrators can easily configure, monitor, and troubleshoot fabric extenders, reducing operational complexity and improving overall network efficiency.

Posts: 48

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender offers a total of 48 ports, making it an ideal choice for organizations that require multiple connections for their network devices. These ports provide the necessary connectivity for servers, storage devices, and other network equipment, enabling efficient data transfer and communication within the network.

Increased Connectivity

Having 48 ports allows organizations to connect a larger number of devices to the network without the need for additional switches or infrastructure. This increased connectivity is particularly beneficial for businesses that deal with high-volume data traffic or require a large number of connections in their data centers. With more ports available, organizations can easily accommodate their growing network demands without compromising performance.

Flexibility in Network Design

The 48 ports offered by the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender also provide flexibility in network design. Administrators can allocate ports based on specific requirements, such as dedicating ports for specific applications or creating separate VLANs for different departments. This flexibility allows organizations to optimize their network layout and ensure efficient data flow across different segments of the network.

Redundancy and High Availability

The availability of 48 ports also enables redundancy and high availability in network design. Organizations can utilize multiple ports to create redundant links between devices, ensuring that there is no single point of failure in the network. In case of a link failure, traffic can automatically be rerouted through an alternate path, minimizing downtime and maintaining uninterrupted network connectivity.

Speed: 1 Gigabit Ethernet

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender supports 1 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) speed, providing fast and reliable data transfer capabilities for network devices. The 1 GbE speed ensures efficient communication between devices, allowing for quick access to resources and reducing latency in data transmission.

Fast Data Transfer

The 1 GbE speed offered by the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender allows for fast data transfer rates, making it suitable for applications that require high bandwidth and low latency. This is especially crucial in data centers where large amounts of data are processed and transferred between servers, storage devices, and other network equipment. With faster data transfer, organizations can improve overall system performance and deliver a better user experience.

Support for Bandwidth-intensive Applications

Bandwidth-intensive applications, such as video streaming, virtualization, and large file transfers, can benefit greatly from the 1 GbE speed provided by the fabric extender. These applications require high network throughput to ensure smooth and uninterrupted operation. By supporting 1 GbE speed, the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender enables organizations to efficiently handle the demands of these applications without experiencing network bottlenecks or performance issues.

Future-proofing Network Infrastructure

The 1 GbE speed is widely adopted and supported by various network devices and equipment. By choosing a fabric extender that supports this speed, organizations can future-proof their network infrastructure. They can be confident that their network can accommodate future advancements in technology and easily integrate with new devices or systems that require high-speed connectivity.

Form Factor: Rack-mountable

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender features a rack-mountable form factor, making it suitable for data center environments where space optimization is key. The rack-mountable design allows for easy installation in standard server racks, ensuring efficient use of available space while providing a neat and organized network setup.

Space Optimization

Rack-mountable devices are designed to fit into standard server racks, which are commonly used in data centers to house network equipment. By choosing a fabric extender with a rack-mountable form factor, organizations can effectively utilize the available vertical space in their racks, minimizing the footprint of the network infrastructure. This space optimization is especially important in dense data center environments where every inch of space matters.

Easy Installation and Maintenance

The rack-mountable design of the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender simplifies installation and maintenance processes. It can be easily mounted onto the server rack, allowing for quick and hassle-free integration into the existing network infrastructure. Additionally, the rack-mountable form factor facilitates cable management, ensuring that cables are neatly organized and easily accessible for maintenance or troubleshooting purposes.

Scalability and Modularity

Rack-mountable fabric extenders offer scalability and modularity in network design. As organizations expand their network infrastructure, they can easily add more rack-mountable devices to accommodate the increased demands. This modular approach enables organizations to scale their network resources as needed without major disruptions or costly infrastructure changes.

Power Supply: Internal

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender features an internal power supply, providing a convenient and efficient power source for the device. With an internal power supply, organizations can eliminate the need for external power bricks or adapters, simplifying installation and reducing clutter in the network environment.

Space Saving

An internal power supply eliminates the need for external power bricks or adapters that take up valuable space in the network setup. With a compact design, the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender can fit seamlessly into server racks or cabinets without adding additional clutter. This space-saving feature is particularly important in data centers where efficient use of space is crucial.

Reliability and Redundancy

By having an internal power supply, the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender ensures a reliable and uninterrupted power source for the device. With built-in redundancy mechanisms, such as power supply units with failover capabilities, organizations can maintain network availability even in the event of a power supply failure. Redundancy is crucial in mission-critical environments where downtime can result in significant financial losses or operational disruptions.

Ease of Installation and Maintenance

The internal power supply simplifies the installation and maintenance processes for the fabric extender. There is no need to deal with external power cables or adapters, reducing potential points of failure and making it easier to manage and troubleshoot the device. This streamlined approach saves time and effort for network administrators, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks.

Uplink Interfaces: 4 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender is equipped with four uplink interfaces that support 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) speed. These uplink interfaces provide high-speed connectivity for linking the fabric extender to other network devices or switches, enabling fast data transfer and ensuring seamless communication within the network.

High-speed Connectivity

The 10 GbE speed supported by the uplink interfaces ensures high-speed connectivity between the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender and other network devices. This allows for quick access to resources and efficient data transfer, making it ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications or environments where large amounts of data need to be processed and transferred rapidly.

Aggregation and Link Redundancy

The four uplink interfaces on the fabric extender allow for link aggregation, also known as port-channeling or EtherChannel. Link aggregation combines multiple physical connections into a single logical link, increasing overall bandwidth and providing redundancy. In the event of a link failure, traffic can be automatically rerouted through an alternate link, ensuring uninterrupted network connectivity and minimizing downtime.

Network Expansion and Flexibility

The presence of uplink interfaces on the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender offers network expansion and flexibility. Organizations can easily connect the fabric extender to other switches or devices, allowing for the expansion of their network infrastructure. This flexibility enables organizations to adapt to changing business needs and easily integrate new devices or systems into their existing network.

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

The Cisco N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender features a management interface with 10/100/1000Base-T speed. This interface provides a dedicated channel for managing and configuring the fabric extender, allowing administrators to effectively monitor and control its operation without impacting the performance of the main data traffic.

Efficient Network Management

The dedicated management interface ensures efficient network management by separating management traffic from data traffic. Administrators can access the fabric extender's management features without affecting the overall network performance. They can remotely configure and monitor the device, perform software upgrades, and troubleshoot any issues, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted operation of the network.

Out-of-band Management

The management interface on the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender provides an out-of-band management option. Out-of-band management allows administrators to access and manage the device even when the main data traffic is experiencing issues or congestion. This ensures that critical management tasks can still be performed, regardless of the state of the network, improving network resilience and reducing downtime.

Secure Management Access

The management interface supports secure access protocols, such as Secure Shell (SSH) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL), ensuring that management traffic is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access. This ensures the confidentiality and integrity of management data, preventing potential security breaches or unauthorized configuration changes.

Features

Layer 2 Switching

The N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender supports Layer 2 switching, allowing for efficient forwarding of Ethernet frames within the local network. Layer 2 switching enables devices to communicate with each other using MAC addresses, ensuring fast and reliable data transmission. This feature is essential for creating local network segments and facilitating interconnectivity between devices.

Improved Network Performance

Layer 2 switching enhances network performance by reducing latency and minimizing the processing overhead associated with Layer 3 routing. Since Layer 2 switches operate at the data link layer, they can quickly forward frames based on MAC addresses, without the need for complex routing protocols. This results in faster data transfer and improved overall network performance.

Efficient Network Segmentation

Layer 2 switching enables efficient network segmentation through the use of virtual LANs (VLANs). VLANs allow administrators to logically divide a physical network into multiple virtual networks, each with its broadcast domain. This segmentation improves network security, simplifies network management, and enhances overall network efficiency by reducing broadcast traffic.

Layer 3 Routing

In addition to Layer 2 switching, the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender also supports Layer 3 routing. Layer 3 routing enables communication between different IP subnets or networks by forwarding packets based on IP addresses. This feature is crucial for organizations that require interconnectivity between different network segments or need to route traffic between VLANs.

Interconnectivity and Network Expansion

Layer 3 routing facilitates interconnectivity between different network segments, allowing devices in separate subnets to communicate with each other. This enables organizations to expand their network infrastructure while maintaining efficient data transfer and communication. Layer 3 routing also provides flexibility in network design, allowing administrators to implement complex routing policies and optimize traffic flow.

Improved Network Security

Layer 3 routing enhances network security by enabling the implementation of access control lists (ACLs) and firewall rules at the network layer. Administrators can define granular security policies based on IP addresses or subnets, restricting access to specific resources or protecting sensitive data. Layer 3 routing also enables the deployment of virtual private networks (VPNs) for secure remote access or site-to-site connectivity.

VLAN Support

The N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender offers VLAN support, allowing administrators to create and manage virtual LANs within the network infrastructure. VLANs provide logical segmentation of a physical network, improving network performance, security, and manageability.

Enhanced Network Security

VLANs enhance network security by isolating traffic within individual virtual networks. Each VLAN operates as a separate broadcast domain, preventing unauthorized access or eavesdropping between different VLANs. Administrators can restrict communication between VLANs using access control mechanisms, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected.

Improved Network Performance

VLANs improve network performance by reducing broadcast traffic and optimizing bandwidth utilization. By segregating devices into different VLANs based on their functional requirements or security policies, administrators can minimize the amount of unnecessary broadcast traffic that travels across the network. This reduces network congestion and improves overall performance.

Quality of Service (QoS)

The N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender supports Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms, which prioritize network traffic based on predefined policies. QoS ensures that critical applications or services receive the necessary bandwidth and network resources, guaranteeing optimal performance and user experience.

Optimized Network Performance

QoS allows administrators to allocate network resources based on the priority of different types of traffic. By assigning higher priority to latency-sensitive applications, such as voice or video data, organizations can ensure that these applications receive sufficient bandwidth and are not affected by network congestion. This optimization improves overall network performance and user satisfaction.

Efficient Bandwidth Management

QoS enables efficient bandwidth management by controlling and regulating the flow of network traffic. Administrators can define policies to limit or prioritize specific types of traffic, preventing bandwidth-intensive applications from monopolizing network resources. This ensures fair access to network resources for all users and prevents congestion or performance degradation.

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Support

The N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender provides support for the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), a network protocol that prevents loops in Ethernet networks. STP plays a crucial role in maintaining network stability and preventing broadcast storms or packet collisions.

Loop Prevention and Network Redundancy

STP prevents loops in Ethernet networks by dynamically selecting a subset of active paths while blocking redundant paths. This loop prevention mechanism ensures that there is only one active path between any two devices, eliminating the possibility of broadcast storms or packet duplication. STP also enables network redundancy by automatically rerouting traffic through alternate paths in case of a link failure.

Network Resilience and Availability

By supporting STP, the N2K-C2248TP Fabric Extender enhances network resilience and