DS-C9396S-96EK9 Cisco MDS 9396S Active 96 Ports with Side Exhaust 16Gbps FC Switch

Core Features of the Cisco DS-C9396S-96EK9 Fibre Channel Switch

The Cisco DS-C9396S-96EK9 stands out as a high-density Fibre Channel switch engineered for data centers requiring dependable performance, strong throughput, and streamlined management. Its architecture is optimized for environments where fast connectivity, consistent uptime, and simplified scaling are essential.

Key Product Details

• Brand: Cisco
• Model / SKU: DS-C9396S-96EK9
• Category: Fibre Channel Switch
• Port Density: 96 active ports

Connectivity & Port Architecture

This model is designed to enhance storage networking efficiency through a wide selection of high-speed interfaces, supporting demanding workloads and enterprise-class SAN infrastructures.

Network Port Capabilities

• Equipped with 96 × 16Gbps Fibre Channel SFP+ ports for robust and scalable connectivity
• Ideal for environments prioritizing high-bandwidth, low-latency data transfer

Management Options

• RJ45 management port for simplified admin access
• USB interface enabling quick configuration tasks
• RS-232 port for traditional console management workflows

Cooling Design & Airflow Direction

The switch incorporates a thermally efficient cooling strategy that helps maintain stable performance even during peak operations.

Fan Module Highlights

• One hot-swappable fan tray with integrated thermal and power monitoring
• Side-exhaust airflow (port-side exhaust) enhances rack-level air management

Power Redundancy & Reliability

The DS-C9396S-96EK9 is engineered for uninterrupted operation, featuring redundant components that minimize downtime risks.

Power Supply Details

• Includes dual hot-swappable power supplies for continuous availability
• Both units utilize port-side exhaust airflow for consistent cooling alignment

Deployment Flexibility

Whether used in an expanding SAN fabric or integrated into a high-performance storage environment, this switch ensures easy installation and versatile placement.

Rack Mount Information

• Comes with 2-RU rack mounts for quick and secure setup
• Compatible with modern data center rack configurations

Additional Benefits

• Designed for enterprise-grade reliability and long-term operational stability
• Enhanced scalability for growing storage networks
• Simplified administrative control through diverse management interfaces
• Optimized cooling and power redundancy for maximum uptime

Cisco DS-C9396S-96EK9 MDS 9396S Active 96 Ports with Side Exhaust 16Gbps FC Switch

The Cisco DS-C9396S-96EK9 MDS 9396S is a high-density Fibre Channel switch purpose-built for demanding storage area network environments where predictable performance, low latency, and enterprise-grade reliability are non-negotiable. This category centers on the 96-port Active model with side exhaust cooling and native 16Gbps Fibre Channel ports, designed to serve data centers, cloud providers, and enterprise storage architectures that require scalable, non-disruptive growth and tight integration with multi-vendor SAN ecosystems. The MDS 9396S family embodies Cisco's architectural approach to converged storage networking: a combination of robust hardware, granular software controls, and advanced management capabilities that optimize throughput and simplify lifecycle operations for storage administrators.

Hardware Architecture and Port Density

At the heart of this category is a chassis engineered for high port density and operational efficiency. The DS-C9396S-96EK9 delivers 96 fixed Fibre Channel ports at native 16Gbps performance, enabling consolidation of storage connectivity while minimizing the physical footprint in a data center rack. The active chassis design integrates forwarding ASICs and fabric components tuned to preserve line-rate switching across all ports. Side exhaust cooling is incorporated to meet diverse rack airflow configurations, enabling the switch to be deployed in environments with specific thermal design constraints without compromising reliability. The physical build and component selection focus on long lifespan, serviceability, and predictable thermal behavior, which together reduce the total cost of ownership across the switch lifecycle.

Performance Characteristics and Latency

Performance is a defining characteristic for this product category. The MDS 9396S's 16Gbps port speed provides significant improvements in raw throughput per port compared to previous generations while maintaining low, consistent latency that storage protocols rely on. For storage arrays delivering high IOPS and for host servers engaged in intensive read/write workloads, the switch’s wire-speed forwarding ensures minimal queuing and jitter. Additionally, features like optimized frame buffering and congestion management are engineered to preserve end-to-end application performance for transactional databases, virtualization platforms, and backup/restore operations. The predictable latency profile is especially valuable for latency-sensitive applications such as high-frequency data analytics, virtualization clusters, and high-performance computing storage tiers.

Scalability and SAN Growth Strategies

Scalability is a core theme across the MDS 9396S product category. By concentrating 96 high-speed ports within a single chassis, organizations can expand SAN capacity without multiplying chassis count or increasing management complexity. The active switch supports large fabrics and is designed to integrate into existing SAN topologies—whether the deployment is a core-edge design, a collapsed core, or a fabric merged across multiple sites. Growth strategies typically leverage the switch’s high density to reduce inter-switch hops, enabling lower latency paths between initiators and targets while simplifying zoning and performance tuning. For enterprises pursuing non-disruptive scaling, the platform facilitates modular expansion through predictable deployment patterns that minimize reconfiguration of host and storage zoning.

Reliability, Redundancy, and High Availability

For critical storage networks, the DS-C9396S-96EK9 emphasizes downtime mitigation and continuous operation. Redundancy mechanisms are embedded at multiple layers: redundant power supply options, fault-tolerant control planes, and resilient fabric failover behaviors ensure uninterrupted connectivity even during component replacement or maintenance. The hardware is engineered for hot-swap serviceability so that line cards and power modules can be replaced without fabric-wide disruptions. Coupled with software capabilities that support in-service software upgrades and stateful process restarts, the platform supports continuous operation models that are central to enterprise SLAs and retention of business continuity for data stores.

Management, Automation, and Operational Simplicity

Ease of management is another central pillar for this switch category. The MDS family integrates with Cisco management frameworks and open APIs that streamline deployment, monitoring, and automation of routine tasks. Administrators can leverage a combination of CLI, web-based GUIs, and programmable interfaces to script repetitive operations, provision zoning changes, and automate health checks. Integration with higher-level orchestration tools and storage management platforms reduces manual intervention and helps standardize operational procedures across large-scale SAN environments. The switch’s telemetry features and historical performance metrics enable proactive capacity planning and rapid troubleshooting when anomalous behavior is detected.

Advanced Fabric Services and SAN Features

This product category brings comprehensive SAN services to bear on complex deployment scenarios. Fabric-level capabilities such as intelligent zoning, multipath optimization, traffic prioritization, and fabric-based security policies are provided to maximize data integrity and operational clarity. Features that accelerate common administrative workflows—such as persistent zoning, fabric-wide name services, and secure device authentication—help reduce configuration errors and improve auditability. Moreover, the platform supports fabric services that are optimized for modern storage arrays and backup systems, ensuring compatibility with both legacy Fibre Channel deployments and contemporary NVMe over Fibre Channel initiatives as network architectures evolve.

Security and Data Protection

In an era where data protection is paramount, the DS-C9396S-96EK9 category emphasizes secure connectivity and fabric hygiene. The switch supports authentication mechanisms to validate device identities and to prevent unauthorized access to storage resources. Zoning and access control policies are enforced in a way that isolates storage traffic between tenants or application domains while preserving performance. The hardware and software include mechanisms for logging and event correlation that feed into broader security information and event management workflows. These protections reduce the attack surface within the SAN and contribute to regulatory compliance programs by ensuring that access to sensitive datasets is restricted and traceable.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Considerations

Despite its high port density and performance capabilities, the switch family is engineered with energy efficiency in mind. The active chassis and side exhaust layout are optimized to balance cooling effectiveness with power consumption. Intelligent power management and component-level efficiency minimize operational costs across large deployments. For facilities with constrained cooling or mixed airflow patterns, the side exhaust option provides deployment flexibility, enabling operators to align switch placement with existing data center airflow strategies while maintaining thermal stability and hardware longevity.

Interoperability and Multi-Vendor Environments

Interoperability is a critical factor for organizations operating heterogeneous storage ecosystems. The Cisco MDS 9396S series is designed to interoperate with a wide range of storage arrays, host bus adapters, and backup appliances from multiple vendors, facilitating a gradual migration strategy or mixed-vendor procurement policy. Protocol conformance, adherence to Fibre Channel standards, and validated compatibility with common storage platforms ensure predictable behavior within multi-vendor fabrics. This broad compatibility reduces procurement friction and enables organizations to select the best storage solutions for performance, capacity, and cost without having to commit to a single-vendor lock-in for switching infrastructure.

Use Cases: Virtualization, Databases, and Backup Consolidation

The MDS 9396S category suits a range of important use cases. Virtualized server farms that demand high aggregated throughput and consistent latency benefit from the switch’s ability to support dense host connectivity and aggressive multipathing. Bandwidth-intensive database clusters see improved transaction performance when paired with a stable, high-speed SAN fabric. Backup consolidation and replication workflows also benefit from the platform’s high port count and throughput, enabling simultaneous, non-intrusive backup windows and more efficient disaster recovery topologies. The architecture supports both traditional block storage workflows and evolving requirements that may include NVMe over Fibre Channel, making it relevant for both current and emerging storage paradigms.