Cisco Nexus - The Data Center Switch for the Next Generation
Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Nexus
Pros
- These switches are easily programmable. If you are looking at SDN but aren't quite there yet, this switch line is a great starting point. They support DevOps tools, which make automation extremely quick and efficient.
- There are so many options in this product line, making Nexus a great switch for pretty much any deployment. You can stack switches or use the modular switch, whatever fits your need.
- These switches support VXLAN, allowing for a multi-tenant network environment, and is perfect for cloud services.
Cons
- The Nexus can run in two different modes, which can make it very difficult to configure. ACI mode is controller based, which is the direction Cisco is going. NX-OS mode is more classic switching.
- While the NX-OS mode is more classic, some configurations can still be different. For example, you have to turn features on before actually using them (dhcp, tacacs, etc)
- The licensing model is completely different. It is a learning curve.
- While the capex may be higher than traditional switches, the ability to automate and manage the network with a single pane of glass, and use 3rd party apps to automate, makes the opex extremely low.
- With the ease of automation and multi-tenancy, you can get the business units what they need in a matter of minutes and not hours.
- There is a higher learning curve, and a lot of training needed to get the most out of the Nexus switches. So the ROI may not be realized until well after deployment, for newer engineers.
- Once implemented, I anticipate these switches should support the business units for at least 10 years.
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