Cisco Nexus 5596UP-FA Switch : 96-Port 10G , FCoE Support , And VMware Integration

The Cisco Nexus 5596UP-FA (N5K-C5596UP-FA) is a high-performance, top-of-rack (ToR) or end-of-row (EoR) data center switch designed for scalable 10G networks, storage convergence (FCoE), and seamless virtualization support. With 96 flexible 10G ports, it enables unified fabric for LAN, SAN, and virtualized workloads while reducing infrastructure costs.

Key Features & Benefits:

✅ High-Density 10G Connectivity:

• 48x SFP+ (1/10G) + 48x 10G Base-T copper ports in a compact 2RU form factor.

• 1.92 Tbps switching capacity with low latency for demanding applications.

✅ Unified Storage with FCoE:

• Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) support consolidates LAN and SAN traffic over a single network.

• Reduces cabling and storage switch costs while maintaining FC reliability.

✅ VMware & Virtualization Ready:

• Native VMware vSphere integration (Nexus 1000V) for virtual network management.

• Supports VXLAN/NVGRE for multi-tenant cloud environments.

✅ Enterprise-Grade Reliability:

• vPC (Virtual Port Channel) for active-active uplinks and no single point of failure.

• Dual hot-swappable power supplies (AC/DC) and ISSU for zero-downtime upgrades.

✅ Scalable & Automated:

• FEX (Fabric Extender) technology scales to thousands of ports.

• Cisco DCNM/ACI compatible for policy-based automation.

Technical Specifications (N5K-C5596UP-FA)

Ideal Use Cases:

• Data Center Server Aggregation: High-density 10G connectivity for rack servers.

• Unified Storage Networks: FCoE-enabled SAN/LAN convergence.

• Private/Hybrid Cloud: VMware integration and automation for virtualized workloads.

For IT teams seeking a scalable, low-latency Cisco switch with FCoE and VMware support, the Nexus 5596UP-FA balances performance and efficiency in modern data centers.