DS-SFP-FC64G-SW Cisco 64G Fibre Channel SFP+ transceiver

Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW 64Gb Fibre Channel Transceiver Module

The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW is a high-performance 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel SFP+ transceiver engineered to provide reliable, high-speed optical connectivity for enterprise storage area networks (SANs). Designed for seamless integration with Cisco networking equipment, this hot-pluggable module delivers exceptional bandwidth, dependable data transmission, and low-latency communication for mission-critical storage applications.

Product Highlights

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Model Number: DS-SFP-FC64G-SW
• Product Category: Fibre Channel SFP+ Transceiver Module
• Speed: 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel
• Connector Interface: LC Duplex
• Media Type: Optical Fiber
• Maximum Throughput: 64 Gbit/s
• Form Factor: Hot-Pluggable SFP+ Module

Reliable Optical Performance

Built for short-wave optical communication, this transceiver provides consistent signal integrity while reducing latency and ensuring dependable data transfer across compatible fiber optic links.

• Optimized for Fibre Channel SAN deployments
• Stable high-bandwidth optical transmission
• Low-latency connectivity for storage applications
• Excellent reliability for enterprise environments

Technical Specifications

General Information

• Brand: Cisco
• Part Number: DS-SFP-FC64G-SW
• Product Type: Optical Transceiver Module
• Technology: 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel

Interface and Connectivity

• Total Network Ports: 1
• Connector Type: LC Duplex
• Port Configuration: 1 × 64Gb Fibre Channel (SW)
• Network Interface: Fibre Channel Optical Connection

Media and Network Performance

• Supported Media: Optical Fiber
• Network Technology: Fibre Channel
• Ethernet Speed: 64 Gigabit
• Maximum Data Rate: 64 Gbit/s

Physical Characteristics

• Compact Plug-in SFP+ Form Factor
• Hot-swappable installation
• Designed for enterprise networking hardware

Applications

• Enterprise Storage Area Networks (SAN)
• High-performance data centers
• Cloud computing infrastructure
• Virtualized server environments
• Mission-critical storage systems
• Business continuity and disaster recovery solutions

Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW Fibre Channel SFP+ Transceiver Module

The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel SFP+ Transceiver Module is designed for enterprise-class Storage Area Network (SAN) infrastructures that require exceptional bandwidth, dependable connectivity, and low-latency data transmission. As organizations continue to adopt data-intensive workloads, virtualization, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics, and mission-critical enterprise applications, storage networking hardware must provide the speed and reliability necessary to support these demanding environments. This 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel SFP+ transceiver module delivers high-performance optical communication between Fibre Channel switches, directors, storage arrays, and host bus adapters while maintaining compatibility with modern SAN architectures.

Built for short-range optical communication over multimode fiber (MMF), the Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module enables high-speed connectivity within enterprise data centers. It provides stable optical performance, superior signal integrity, and excellent interoperability with compatible Cisco Fibre Channel networking equipment. Enterprises that rely on uninterrupted access to business-critical data benefit from the consistent performance, low error rates, and robust engineering that characterize Cisco optical transceiver technology.

As storage capacities continue to expand and workloads become increasingly data-driven, organizations require networking components capable of supporting exponential growth while maintaining operational efficiency. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module addresses these evolving requirements by delivering reliable Fibre Channel connectivity with the scalability necessary for modern storage infrastructures.

Purpose of the Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW Transceiver Module

The primary function of the Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW transceiver module is to provide high-speed optical communication links within Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks. Unlike conventional Ethernet transceivers, Fibre Channel optical modules are specifically engineered for storage networking, prioritizing deterministic performance, ultra-low latency, and reliable data delivery.

Organizations deploy this transceiver to establish optical links between SAN switches, storage controllers, blade servers, rack servers, enterprise storage arrays, backup appliances, and disaster recovery infrastructure. The module enables seamless movement of storage traffic while maintaining the performance characteristics required for enterprise-class storage operations.

Its design supports high-performance workloads that include virtualization clusters, enterprise databases, software-defined storage platforms, backup environments, cloud storage, and business continuity solutions. The module plays an essential role in ensuring storage networks remain responsive under heavy workloads while maintaining high availability.

Understanding 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel Technology

Evolution of Fibre Channel Speeds

Fibre Channel technology has evolved significantly over the years, progressing through multiple generations to meet increasing storage bandwidth requirements. Organizations previously relied on 2G, 4G, 8G, 16G, and 32G Fibre Channel infrastructure before the introduction of 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel.

The 64G Fibre Channel standard represents another major advancement in SAN technology by delivering substantially increased throughput while preserving the reliability, efficiency, and protocol optimizations that have made Fibre Channel the preferred storage networking technology for enterprise environments.

Higher bandwidth allows organizations to consolidate workloads, reduce infrastructure bottlenecks, accelerate storage access, and support larger numbers of virtual machines, databases, and enterprise applications on shared storage platforms.

Benefits of Higher Fibre Channel Speeds

Moving to 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel significantly improves storage performance for demanding workloads. Larger data transfers complete faster, application response times improve, and storage resources become more efficiently utilized.

Higher throughput also enables enterprises to reduce congestion within storage fabrics, minimize latency during peak utilization, and support future storage expansion without frequent infrastructure redesign.

Shortwave Optical Communication

Multimode Fiber Support

The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW transceiver is designed for shortwave optical communication using multimode fiber cabling. Multimode fiber remains widely deployed throughout enterprise data centers due to its cost-effectiveness and suitability for relatively short-distance connections between networking equipment.

Using multimode fiber allows organizations to leverage existing cabling infrastructure while upgrading network speeds. This approach minimizes deployment costs and simplifies migration to higher-performance Fibre Channel environments.

Optimized for Data Center Distances

Most enterprise SAN deployments involve connections within equipment rooms, server racks, or adjacent data center rows. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module is optimized for these environments, delivering stable communication over distances commonly found within enterprise facilities.

This makes it well suited for core SAN fabrics, storage pods, converged infrastructure, hyperconverged systems, virtualization clusters, and enterprise storage deployments.

Enterprise Storage Area Network Applications

Primary Storage Connectivity

Enterprise storage arrays depend on high-speed Fibre Channel links to deliver consistent application performance. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW transceiver provides reliable communication between storage controllers and Fibre Channel switches, ensuring mission-critical applications maintain uninterrupted access to storage resources.

Virtualized Infrastructure

Virtualization platforms generate substantial storage traffic as numerous virtual machines simultaneously access shared storage resources. High-speed Fibre Channel connections minimize storage latency while supporting efficient workload distribution across virtualization clusters.

Whether supporting private cloud deployments, enterprise virtualization, or virtual desktop infrastructure, this transceiver contributes to responsive storage performance.

Database Systems

Enterprise databases demand low-latency storage access to process transactions efficiently. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module supports rapid communication between database servers and storage arrays, enabling organizations to maintain consistent performance during high transaction volumes.

Backup and Recovery

Modern backup environments frequently involve transferring massive amounts of data within limited backup windows. High-bandwidth Fibre Channel connectivity reduces backup duration while accelerating restore operations during disaster recovery scenarios.

Integration with Cisco SAN Infrastructure

Compatibility with Cisco Fibre Channel Switches

The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module is designed specifically for compatibility with Cisco Fibre Channel networking equipment. This integration ensures reliable operation, proper optical calibration, accurate monitoring, and seamless interoperability within Cisco SAN deployments.

Organizations benefit from simplified deployment procedures, validated compatibility, and optimized operational performance throughout the storage network.

Support for Enterprise Directors

Large enterprise environments often deploy director-class Fibre Channel switches that serve as the backbone of mission-critical storage infrastructures. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module supports these enterprise-class platforms by delivering dependable optical connectivity for high-density storage networking.

Scalability for Growing Storage Requirements

Supporting Increasing Data Volumes

Enterprise data growth continues to accelerate due to analytics, IoT platforms, artificial intelligence, compliance requirements, multimedia content, and cloud services. Storage networking infrastructure must scale accordingly without compromising reliability.

The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW transceiver supports expanding storage environments by providing the bandwidth required for future workload growth.

Reducing Infrastructure Bottlenecks

As storage systems become faster, slower network links increasingly become performance bottlenecks. Deploying 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel connectivity helps balance storage performance with network bandwidth, allowing applications to fully utilize modern flash storage arrays.

Performance Advantages

High Throughput

The increased bandwidth offered by 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel enables faster movement of large datasets, improved application responsiveness, and better utilization of storage resources.

Low Latency

Latency plays a crucial role in storage networking performance. Fibre Channel protocols are engineered to minimize transmission delays, making them ideal for latency-sensitive enterprise applications.

Reliable Data Transmission

Enterprise storage environments require dependable communication with minimal transmission errors. Cisco optical modules undergo rigorous validation to ensure stable operation under continuous workloads.

Benefits for Flash Storage Arrays

Supporting NVMe Storage

Modern flash storage systems and NVMe-based storage architectures require extremely fast network connectivity to achieve their full performance potential. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module complements these high-performance storage platforms by providing the bandwidth necessary to support accelerated data access.

Maximizing SSD Performance

Solid-state storage devices offer dramatically faster performance than traditional hard drives. High-speed Fibre Channel networking prevents storage access from becoming constrained by slower network infrastructure.

Data Center Deployment Scenarios

Enterprise Data Centers

Large enterprises operate storage infrastructures supporting thousands of users, applications, databases, and business services. The Cisco DS-SFP-FC64G-SW module enables dependable communication across these complex environments.

Cloud Infrastructure

Private cloud platforms depend on highly available storage networks capable of serving dynamic workloads. High-speed Fibre Channel transceivers contribute to efficient cloud storage operations and resource allocation.

Financial Services

Financial institutions require deterministic storage performance for transaction processing, risk analysis, regulatory compliance, and high-frequency business operations. Reliable Fibre Channel connectivity supports these mission-critical environments.

Healthcare

Healthcare organizations process electronic medical records, diagnostic imaging, laboratory systems, and patient management applications that rely on continuous storage availability. Enterprise Fibre Channel infrastructure helps maintain dependable healthcare operations.