Introduction to cisco-nexus-9300-h-series-switches.pdf
This technical white paper details the architecture and operational capabilities of Cisco Nexus 9300 H-Series switches powered by Cloud Scale ASIC technology. Published in Q1 2025, the document provides implementation guidance for deploying 100/400G high-density switching solutions in hyperscale data center environments.
The paper specifically addresses network architects designing leaf-spine architectures requiring adaptive traffic engineering with granular telemetry collection. It supports Nexus 9300-H1/H2 platform variants running NX-OS 10.2(3)F or later, including the N9K-C9336C-FX2 chassis with Cloud Scale v2.5 ASICs.
Key Features and Improvements
1. ASIC Architecture Enhancements
- Detailed analysis of packet processing pipelines supporting 12.8Tbps full-duplex throughput
- Flow-aware load balancing improvements for VXLAN EVPN multi-site deployments
2. Advanced Telemetry Integration
- Enhanced In-band Network Telemetry (INT) with microsecond timestamp precision
- Cross-flow correlation capabilities for automated anomaly detection
3. Energy Efficiency Metrics
- 38% power reduction compared to previous generation ASICs
- Dynamic clock scaling algorithms for variable workload optimization
4. Security Implementation
- Hardware-accelerated MACsec encryption across all 400G interfaces
- TCAM rule compression techniques reducing ACL storage requirements
Compatibility and Requirements
| Component | Supported Specifications |
|---|---|
| Hardware Platforms | Nexus 9300-H1/H2 Series |
| NX-OS Version | 10.2(3)F or later |
| ASIC Generation | Cloud Scale v2.5/v3.0 |
| Chassis Models | N9K-C9336C-FX2, N9K-C93240YC-FX2 |
| Management Protocols | OpenConfig, NETCONF/YANG 1.1 |
This document requires understanding of spine-leaf topology design principles and assumes familiarity with Cisco ACI deployment methodologies. Compatibility notes specify exclusion of first-generation Nexus 9300EX/FX platforms.
Access Authorized Technical Documentation
Certified network architects can obtain this white paper through Cisco’s official partner portal or download directly from https://www.ioshub.net. Enterprises with active Smart Net Total Care contracts may request dedicated engineering briefings for architectural validation.
For bulk licensing of Cisco validated design packages or technical consultations, our certified data center specialists provide 24/7 support for critical infrastructure deployments.
This technical overview synthesizes critical details from Cisco’s official release documentation. Always verify hardware compatibility against Cisco’s Switch Platform Matrix before implementation.
References
: Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS 10.2(3)F Release Notes
: Cisco Cloud Scale ASIC Architecture Deep Dive
: Nexus 9300-H Series Power Efficiency Metrics
: Data Center INT Implementation Guide v4.1
Document version: 2.0 | Last updated: 2025-05-09
