N77-C7710 Cisco Nexus 7700 10 Slots Switch Chassis

Cisco N77-C7710 Nexus 7700 Series 10-Slot Switch Chassis

The Cisco N77-C7710 is a high-performance switch chassis designed for enterprise-grade networks. Engineered for scalability and reliability, this chassis forms the backbone of the Nexus 7700 series.

Manufacturer & Product Details

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Part Number / SKU: N77-C7710
• Product Category: Network Switch
• Sub-Type: Chassis

Technical Specifications

• Product Line: Nexus
• Series: 7000
• Model: 7710

Chassis Features

• Chassis Type: Switch Chassis
• Expansion Capability: 10 Expansion Slots
• Slot Compatibility: Supervisor Engine Slots

Networking & Communication

• Supported Network Layer: Layer 2
• Manageability: Fully manageable for enhanced network control

Power & Energy Specifications

• PoE (RJ-45) Support: Not available
• Power Supply: Standard power source
• Redundant Power Supply: Supported for maximum uptime

Included Components

• Nexus 7700 Switch 10-Slot Chassis
• Cooling Fan Tray

Cisco N77-C7710 Nexus 7700 10 Slots Switch Chassis Overview

The Cisco N77-C7710 Nexus 7700 10 Slots Switch Chassis is a high-performance, modular switch designed for data centers and large-scale enterprise networks. With a robust 10-slot chassis architecture, it provides unmatched scalability, resiliency, and performance. The Nexus 7700 series is part of Cisco’s data center switching portfolio, delivering multi-terabit throughput, advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 capabilities, and optimized operational efficiency. This chassis is ideal for organizations requiring extensive data center connectivity, high-density 10/40/100 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and flexible modular expansion options.

Modular Design and Slot Architecture

The N77-C7710 chassis features a modular design, allowing network engineers to install line cards, supervisor engines, and fabric modules as needed. The 10-slot architecture ensures ample room for growth, making it suitable for expanding networks without replacing the core chassis. Each slot can host a variety of line cards, enabling customized configurations that align with traffic demands and data center requirements.

Line Card Compatibility

One of the critical advantages of the Cisco Nexus 7700 chassis is its compatibility with multiple line card options. These include 10, 40, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet line cards, as well as specialized modules for storage networking, such as Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) cards. This flexibility allows data center administrators to optimize port density and network performance based on current and future workloads.

High-Density Ethernet Options

The N77-C7710 supports high-density Ethernet connectivity, which is essential for modern data centers handling massive volumes of east-west traffic. With line cards supporting 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet, organizations can consolidate networking infrastructure while maintaining low latency and high throughput. The high port density also reduces cabling complexity and operational costs.

FCoE and Storage Network Integration

Beyond traditional Ethernet, the Nexus 7700 chassis supports FCoE line cards, enabling unified storage and data networking. This integration simplifies network architecture by allowing the same physical infrastructure to carry both storage and data traffic. This is particularly beneficial for organizations deploying converged infrastructure or hyper-converged data centers, where efficiency and reduced operational overhead are critical.

Supervisor Engine Capabilities

The Cisco N77-C7710 chassis is powered by dual-redundant supervisor engines that provide high availability and consistent performance. Supervisor engines manage control plane operations, route processing, and overall system management. The dual-engine design ensures continuous operation even if one supervisor fails, providing seamless failover capabilities and minimizing network downtime.

Advanced Routing and Switching

Supervisor engines in the Nexus 7700 chassis support advanced routing protocols including OSPF, BGP, IS-IS, and multicast. Layer 3 switching capabilities allow large-scale data centers to route traffic efficiently, reduce latency, and optimize network paths. Layer 2 features, such as VLAN segmentation, spanning tree protocol enhancements, and VXLAN support, ensure scalable network designs for multi-tenant or cloud environments.

High Availability and Redundancy

Redundancy is a cornerstone of the Nexus 7700 series. The chassis supports redundant power supplies, supervisor engines, and fabric modules. In the event of a hardware failure, traffic is automatically rerouted, ensuring uninterrupted network services. This high-availability architecture makes the N77-C7710 an excellent choice for mission-critical data centers where downtime can result in substantial operational and financial impacts.

Fabric Modules and Scalability

The Cisco N77-C7710 chassis utilizes fabric modules to interconnect line cards and supervisor engines efficiently. Fabric modules provide a non-blocking, high-bandwidth backbone for the switch, ensuring optimal performance even under heavy traffic loads. This modular fabric architecture enables organizations to scale network capacity incrementally as demand grows.

Non-Blocking Architecture

The non-blocking fabric design ensures that all ports can operate at full line rate simultaneously. This is particularly important for data centers handling high volumes of east-west traffic between servers, storage systems, and virtualized environments. Non-blocking switching eliminates bottlenecks, reduces latency, and enhances application performance.

Incremental Scalability

Organizations can scale the Nexus 7700 chassis incrementally by adding additional line cards and fabric modules. This investment protection strategy allows network teams to expand capacity without replacing the entire chassis, thereby reducing capital expenditures and enabling smoother growth planning. Whether supporting tens of servers or hundreds of thousands of virtual machines, the N77-C7710 can scale to meet evolving network demands.

Power and Cooling Considerations

High-performance switches generate significant heat, and the Cisco N77-C7710 chassis is engineered with optimized airflow and cooling mechanisms. Redundant power supplies ensure consistent power delivery, while intelligent thermal management monitors temperature and adjusts fan speeds to maintain safe operating conditions. Proper power and cooling strategies are crucial for maintaining chassis reliability and extending the lifespan of installed line cards and supervisor engines.

Network Automation and Software Features

Cisco Nexus 7700 switches, including the N77-C7710 chassis, are equipped with advanced software features that simplify network automation, monitoring, and management. These capabilities allow IT teams to reduce manual configuration, minimize errors, and optimize operational efficiency.

Cisco NX-OS Operating System

The N77-C7710 runs on the Cisco NX-OS operating system, a modular, high-performance OS designed for data center environments. NX-OS provides a stable, resilient platform for deploying advanced networking features such as VXLAN, Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV), and Virtual Port Channel (vPC). This ensures seamless integration with cloud architectures, virtualization platforms, and software-defined networking (SDN) environments.

Automation with Cisco ACI

For organizations implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), the N77-C7710 chassis can serve as an integral component of a policy-driven, automated data center. By leveraging ACI, network teams can deploy consistent policies across physical and virtual environments, enabling faster application provisioning, improved security, and simplified operational workflows.

Programmability and API Support

NX-OS supports programmability through APIs, Python scripting, and integration with third-party orchestration tools. This enables organizations to automate repetitive tasks, streamline configuration changes, and improve troubleshooting efficiency. Programmability features are particularly valuable in large-scale data centers and service provider networks, where manual network management can become error-prone and inefficient.

Security and Compliance

Security is a critical consideration for any enterprise network, and the Cisco Nexus 7700 chassis includes multiple features to ensure data protection and regulatory compliance. Role-based access control (RBAC), access control lists (ACLs), and advanced threat detection capabilities protect against unauthorized access and malicious activity. Additionally, features like MACsec encryption provide end-to-end security for Ethernet traffic within the data center.

Segmentation and Isolation

The N77-C7710 supports network segmentation through VLANs, VXLANs, and private VLANs. These capabilities allow organizations to isolate traffic, enforce multi-tenant security policies, and enhance compliance with industry regulations. Segmentation is particularly important in environments that host sensitive data or operate in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or government sectors.

Monitoring and Analytics

Advanced telemetry and monitoring capabilities allow IT teams to gain real-time visibility into network performance, traffic patterns, and potential bottlenecks. Tools such as Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) provide comprehensive dashboards and analytics, enabling proactive maintenance, faster troubleshooting, and informed capacity planning.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The Cisco N77-C7710 Nexus 7700 chassis is suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios, from enterprise data centers to cloud providers and service providers. Its modularity, scalability, and performance make it a versatile choice for networks with demanding workloads and high reliability requirements.

Enterprise Data Centers

Large enterprises can deploy the N77-C7710 as the core switch in campus or data center networks. Its high port density and Layer 3 capabilities enable efficient routing, reduced latency, and support for virtualization and private cloud environments. Enterprises benefit from simplified management, modular scalability, and enhanced redundancy, ensuring mission-critical applications remain available.

Cloud Service Providers

Cloud providers rely on scalable and high-performance network infrastructure to deliver reliable services to customers. The N77-C7710 chassis supports multi-tenant environments, high-density Ethernet, and automation capabilities, allowing providers to efficiently manage large-scale deployments while maintaining consistent performance and security standards.

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

In HPC environments, low latency, high throughput, and deterministic performance are critical. The non-blocking architecture, high-speed line cards, and advanced routing capabilities of the Cisco Nexus 7700 make the N77-C7710 chassis an ideal choice for supercomputing clusters, research labs, and scientific data centers.