920-9N42C-00RB-7C0 Nvidia Spectrum-4 SN5400 64Ports 400 Gigabit QSFP56-DD SFP28 Airflow Switch

Nvidia Spectrum-4 SN5400 High-Performance Network Switch

Engineered for ultra-fast data throughput and enterprise-grade reliability, the Nvidia Spectrum-4 SN5400 sets the standard for next-gen data center connectivity. With advanced airflow design and compact 2U form factor, it ensures efficient thermal management and optimal rack space utilization.

Additional Identifiers

Hardware Specifications and Design

• Port Configuration: Equipped with 64 QSFP56-DD 400G interfaces and 2 additional 25G SFP28 ports.
• Form Factor: 2U rack-mount chassis with front-to-back cooling direction, ideal for dense deployments.
• Device Category: Layer 2/3 high-speed Ethernet switch supporting 66 total ports.
• Construction: Designed with standard depth and secure boot mechanism for added system integrity.

Internal Architecture & Memory

• System Memory: 32 GB of high-capacity RAM ensures fast data processing and low latency.
• Storage: Integrated 160 GB flash memory for system files and configurations.
• Integrated Cooling: Features four built-in high-efficiency cooling fans.

Connectivity and Expansion Options

• Management Interfaces: Includes 100/1000Base-T RJ-45 for network admin access, a serial RJ-45 port, and USB 3.0 Type-A for peripheral connectivity.
• Compliance: Certified to meet international standards including RoHS, FCC, VCCI, RCM, and more.
• Rack Kit: Comes with a pre-packaged mounting kit for immediate installation.

Power and Redundancy Configuration

• Power Modules: Dual internal power supply units configured in 1+1 redundancy mode.
• Voltage Support: Operates within 208–264V AC, 50–60 Hz range.
• Reliability: Fault-tolerant power architecture designed to minimize downtime.

Software & System Environment

• Operating System: Bundled with Cumulus Linux for robust, scalable network management.
• Platform Requirements: Compatible with standard x86 architecture environments.

Environmental Performance

• Operating Temperature: Functional between 32°F and 104°F, suitable for standard server rooms.
• Storage Conditions: Handles extreme conditions with storage temp ranging from -40°F to 158°F.
• Humidity Tolerance: Designed for 5–85% humidity (non-condensing).

Product Dimensions and Build

• Width: 17.2 inches
• Depth: 28.3 inches
• Height: 3.4 inches

High-Performance Data Center Switching with Nvidia Spectrum-4 SN5400

The Nvidia Spectrum-4 SN5400 64-port 400 Gigabit switch represents the pinnacle of next-generation Ethernet switching technology, purpose-built for high-demand data center environments. Featuring QSFP56-DD and SFP28 compatibility, this 1U rack-mountable device provides uncompromising speed, dense port availability, advanced telemetry, and low-latency performance for modern workloads.

Cutting-Edge Hardware Architecture

At the heart of the SN5400 is the Spectrum-4 ASIC, Nvidia’s most advanced Ethernet switch chip, designed to deliver up to 51.2 Tbps of throughput. The SN5400 supports 64 ports of 400GbE, each via QSFP56-DD, with flexible breakout options for 200GbE, 100GbE, and 50GbE using compatible optics. This offers the ultimate flexibility in top-of-rack (ToR) and spine-leaf configurations.

Optimized for Scale-Out Fabric Designs

The switch is ideal for leaf-spine data center topologies and scale-out architecture where massive east-west traffic dominates. Its ultra-high port density and bandwidth make it suitable for hyperscale environments, cloud-native infrastructure, and AI-driven workloads that demand seamless horizontal scaling.

1U Rack-Mount Form Factor

With a compact 1U design, the SN5400 saves valuable rack space while delivering unmatched performance. Designed for modern, space-constrained data centers, its front-to-back (or back-to-front) airflow options support hot aisle/cold aisle optimization, improving energy efficiency and thermal dynamics.

400GbE Capability and Interface Compatibility

The SN5400 leverages QSFP56-DD ports for 400 Gigabit Ethernet, supporting dual-density optics. These ports can interoperate with various transceivers, DACs, and AOCs, including backward compatibility with QSFP28 and QSFP+ modules via adapter cables, ensuring seamless integration into mixed network environments.

Breakout and Port Configuration Flexibility

Administrators can split each 400G port into multiple lower-speed ports using breakout cables, allowing combinations such as 2x200G, 4x100G, or 8x50G. This flexibility enables granular bandwidth provisioning, especially useful in multi-tenant and high-density rack deployments.

SFP28 Sideband Ports

In addition to QSFP56-DD ports, the switch features SFP28 sideband management interfaces that provide additional control, management, and telemetry integration. These auxiliary ports support 25G Ethernet and are ideal for out-of-band management or specific control-plane traffic routing.

Advanced Software and Network Operating System Integration

The SN5400 is compatible with Nvidia Cumulus Linux and Nvidia Onyx, offering flexibility depending on customer needs. With support for containerized network functions (CNFs), zero-touch provisioning, and automated configuration, this switch seamlessly integrates into DevOps and NetOps workflows.

Cumulus Linux: Open and Programmable

For enterprises seeking open network infrastructure, Cumulus Linux provides a fully programmable, Linux-based NOS that integrates easily with modern automation tools such as Ansible, Puppet, and Chef. It supports FRRouting (FRR), enabling dynamic routing protocols like BGP, OSPF, and EVPN.

Onyx OS: Purpose-Built for Performance

Nvidia’s Onyx OS delivers a high-performance, closed-source network OS tailored for ultra-low latency environments and AI fabrics. It supports RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), enhanced congestion control (ECN), and fine-tuned Quality of Service (QoS), essential for AI/ML and HPC environments.

Network Automation and Telemetry

Both operating systems include native telemetry support, with options for streaming telemetry, SNMP, sFlow, and NetFlow. These capabilities enable real-time traffic analysis, anomaly detection, and proactive network management at scale.

Scalability for Modern Workloads and Applications

The SN5400 is engineered for the exponential data growth driven by AI, machine learning, big data analytics, high-frequency trading, and virtualized environments. With 64x400G ports, it offers enough bandwidth to eliminate bottlenecks in next-generation workloads.

AI and HPC Optimized

Nvidia Spectrum-4 switches are built to work in concert with the Nvidia AI stack, including DGX servers, NVLink, and InfiniBand-to-Ethernet translation. The SN5400 enables massive parallelism and deterministic performance necessary for training large language models and deploying real-time inference pipelines.

Latency and Packet Processing

Offering sub-microsecond latency and deterministic performance even under congestion, the SN5400 reduces jitter and packet drops through hardware-based congestion management. Features like ECN, DCBX, and PFC further ensure optimal throughput for RDMA and low-latency applications.

Large-Scale Layer 2 and Layer 3 Fabric

The switch massive L2 and L3 scalability, including VXLAN overlays, EVPN control planes, and MLAG configurations. It enables seamless multi-tenancy, micro-segmentation, and high-availability deployments across distributed cloud data centers.

Airflow, Power Efficiency, and Thermal Design

Data center switches must operate efficiently in high-density environments. The SN5400 is designed with high-efficiency fans, redundant power supplies, and configurable airflow (front-to-back or back-to-front) to align with standard hot/cold aisle setups.

Hot-Swappable Redundancy

Redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and fan trays ensure uninterrupted service and easier maintenance. PSU options include both AC and DC variants, accommodating global data center standards and offering operational flexibility.

Energy Optimization for Dense Racks

The 920-9N42C-00RB-7C0 features dynamic fan speed control and component-level power gating to minimize energy use without compromising performance. These features are critical for sustainability-minded enterprises and those working within power/cooling budget constraints.

Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios

The SN5400 supports a wide range of deployment models and industry verticals, including hyperscale cloud providers, enterprise core networks, financial trading platforms, and AI supercomputing clusters.

Leaf and Spine Topologies

Perfect as a spine switch in medium-scale environments or a leaf switch in hyperscale deployments, the SN5400 enables scalable, non-blocking network architectures. Its rich port density ensures futureproof scalability.

Service Provider and Edge Deployments

With support for advanced MPLS, SRv6, and segment routing capabilities, the SN5400 is ideal for edge routing, 5G backhaul, and broadband aggregation use cases. It supports high availability, low-latency switching for real-time services.

Virtualized and Containerized Environments

The switch offers full integration with orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and OpenStack through its NOS APIs and standard network fabric drivers. It supports SR-IOV and NVMe-oF traffic with deterministic latency for mission-critical virtualization tasks.

Security and Compliance Capabilities

The SN5400 offers extensive security features, ensuring safe and compliant operations in multi-tenant and enterprise environments. These include secure boot, MACsec, user-based access control, and hardware-level isolation.

MACsec and Secure Boot

Hardware-level 920-9N42C-00RB-7C0 MACsec encryption ensures traffic confidentiality and integrity across Layer 2 links, preventing snooping and injection attacks. Secure Boot validates software images and prevents tampering during device startup.

Role-Based Access and AAA

Support for RADIUS, TACACS+, and LDAP enables granular role-based access control. System logs and CLI auditing ensure administrators can meet strict security governance and compliance standards like ISO 27001 or SOC 2.

Telemetry for Security Monitoring

Real-time telemetry provides anomaly detection and forensic analysis capabilities, enabling rapid incident response and proactive threat mitigation in large-scale environments.

Optics, Cabling, and Accessories Compatibility

The SN5400 is compatible with a wide range of Nvidia-certified and third-party transceivers, DACs, and AOCs. It supports QSFP-DD and SFP28 form factors, ensuring versatility across data center configurations.

400G Optics Portfolio

Supported optics include QSFP-DD SR8, DR4, FR4, LR4, and ZR modules, covering short to long-reach interconnects. Nvidia also certifies optics for interoperability in multi-vendor environments.

Breakout Cables for Versatile Configurations

The SN5400 920-9N42C-00RB-7C0 supports a variety of breakout configurations using high-quality DACs and fiber cables, enabling connections to 100G or 50G devices without compromising signal integrity.

Transceiver Management and Diagnostics

Real-time diagnostics via DOM (Digital Optical Monitoring) help detect link issues early, providing voltage, temperature, and signal quality readings from the optic layer directly in the NOS CLI or telemetry interface.

Lifecycle Management and Support Services

Nvidia offers comprehensive lifecycle management tools and support plans for the SN5400, ensuring reliability from deployment through EOL. Features include automated firmware upgrades, device health dashboards, and predictive failure analysis.

Deployment and Consulting Services

Nvidia and its partners offer professional services including data center assessment, architecture design, switch deployment, and post-deployment validation. These services reduce time-to-value and ensure optimal configuration.

Cloud-Based Management and Monitoring

Integration with Nvidia’s network management platforms provides centralized visibility across multiple SN5400 switches, enabling proactive monitoring, software management, and real-time analytics at scale.