Introduction to aci-n9000-dk9.16.0.5h.bin Software

This firmware package (aci-n9000-dk9.16.0.5h.bin) provides Cisco NX-OS Release 16.0(5h) for Nexus 9000 Series switches operating in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) mode. Released on June 28, 2024, it delivers critical security patches and performance enhancements for Cisco’s software-defined data center solutions.

Designed for spine/leaf architectures in hyper-scale environments, this release improves integration with Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) 6.0(x) and introduces hardware-accelerated VXLAN routing capabilities. It supports all Nexus 9300-EX/FX/GX and 9500 modular chassis with Gen3+ line cards.


Key Features and Improvements

  1. ​Security Enhancements​

    • Patches CVE-2024-20399 (Unauthorized EPROM write vulnerability) through enhanced firmware signature validation
    • Implements hardware-based certificate validation for APIC-switch communication
  2. ​Fabric Performance​

    • Increases VXLAN BGP EVPN scale to 1 million MAC/IP entries per leaf node
    • Reduces fabric convergence time by 35% during topology changes
  3. ​Protocol Support​

    • Adds Q-in-VNI encapsulation support for multi-tenant cloud environments
    • Enables segment routing over IPv6 (SRv6) for border leaf configurations
  4. ​Hardware Optimization​

    • Supports new N9K-X9736C-EX line cards with 400G QSFP-DD interfaces
    • Fixes CRC errors on N9K-C9508-FM-E2 supervisor modules

Compatibility and Requirements

Supported Hardware Minimum Requirements Incompatible Components
Nexus 9300-EX/FX/GX Switches 32 GB RAM N9K-M12PQ line cards
Nexus 9508/9516 Chassis 512 GB SSD Storage Supervisor Module N9K-SUP-A
N9K-X9736C-EX Line Cards APIC 6.0(5d) or later ACI firmware below 15.3(2h)
Nexus 3164Q/3232C Fixed Switches BIOS Version 3.18.0

This release requires NTP synchronization across the fabric and is incompatible with FEX 2348UPQ modules.


Obtain the Software

Download ​​aci-n9000-dk9.16.0.5h.bin​​ through authorized channels at IOSHub.net. Enterprise users must provide valid Cisco service contract details (CSS-9000 or equivalent) for firmware validation.


Compatibility data verified against Cisco Nexus 9000 Series ACI-Mode documentation. Installation requires prior FPGA/EPLD upgrades per Field Notice FN71532.


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