Built for Security, IoT, and Cloud

The Cisco^® Catalyst^® 9500 Series Switches are the next generation of enterprise-class core and aggregation layer switches, supporting full programmability and serviceability. Based on an x86 CPU, the Catalyst 9500 Series is Cisco's lead purpose-built fixed core and aggregation enterprise switching platform, built for security, IoT, and cloud. The switches come with a 4-core, 2.4-GHz CPU, 16-GB DDR4 memory, and 16-GB internal storage.

The Catalyst 9500 Series is the industry's first purpose-built 40 Gigabit Ethernet line of switches targeted for the enterprise campus. These switches deliver unmatched table scale (MAC/route/ACL) and buffering for enterprise applications. The Catalyst 9500 Series includes nonblocking 40G Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) and 10G Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus (SFP+) switches with granular port densities that fit diverse campus needs. The switches support advanced routing and infrastructure services (such as Multiprotocol Label Switching [MPLS] Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPNs, Multicast VPN [MVPN], and Network Address Translation [NAT]); software-defined access border capabilities (such as a host tracking database, cross-domain connectivity, and VPN Routing and Forwarding [VRF]-aware Locator/ID Separation Protocol [LISP]); and network system virtualization with Cisco StackWise^® virtual technology that are critical for their placement in the campus core. The platform also supports all the foundational high-availability capabilities such as patching, Graceful Insertion and Removal (GIR), Cisco Nonstop Forwarding with Stateful Switchover (NSF/SSO), redundant platinum-rated power supplies, and fans.

The foundation of Software-Defined Access

Advanced persistent security threats. The exponential growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Mobility everywhere. Cloud adoption. All of these require a network fabric that integrates advanced hardware and software innovations to automate, secure, and simplify customer networks. The goal of this network fabric is to enable customer revenue growth by accelerating the rollout of business services.

The Cisco Digital Network Architecture (Cisco DNA^™) with Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) is the network fabric that powers business. It is an open and extensible, software-driven architecture that accelerates and simplifies your enterprise network operations. The programmable architecture frees your IT staff from time-consuming, repetitive network configuration tasks so they can focus instead on innovation that positively transforms your business. SD-Access enables policy-based automation from edge to cloud with foundational capabilities. These include:

• Simplified device deployment
• Unified management of wired and wireless networks
• Network virtualization and segmentation
• Group-based policiesContext-based analytics

The Cisco^® Catalyst^® 9500 Series switches form the foundational building block for Software-Defined Access―Cisco's leading enterprise architecture.

• Cisco Unified Access™ Data Plane (UADP) 2.0 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) ready for next-generation technologies with its programmable pipeline, microengine capabilities, and template-based, configurable allocation of Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding, Access Control Lists (ACLs), and QoS entries.
• Intel® 2.4-GHz x86 CPU with up to 120 GB of USB 3.0 SSD storage for container-based application hosting.
• Up to 960-Gbps switching capacity (IPv4) with up to 1440 Mpps of throughput.
• Up to 24 nonblocking 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP ports.
• Platinum-rated AC power supplies.
• Up to 512,000 Flexible NetFlow (FNF) entries in hardware.
• Up to 32 MB of shared buffer per ASIC.
• Up to 64,000 routing entries for high-end campus access and aggregation deployments.
• IPv6 support in hardware, providing wire-rate forwarding for IPv6 networks.
• Dual-stack support for IPv4/IPv6 and dynamic hardware forwarding table allocations, for ease of IPv4-to-IPv6 migration.