High-Density 100G/400G Cisco Switch Modular Design , Low Latency
Nexus 9516
The Cisco Nexus 9516 (N9K-C9516) is a high-performance, modular
data center switch designed for high-density 100G/400G networking,
offering scalability, ultra-low latency, and advanced security for
modern cloud and enterprise environments. Built for large-scale
data centers, financial trading networks, and AI/ML workloads, this
Cisco switch delivers 60 Tbps of switching capacity with line-rate
throughput, ensuring seamless traffic flow even in
bandwidth-intensive applications.
Key Features & Benefits
✔ High-Density Connectivity – Supports up to 384x100G or 96x400G
ports, ideal for hyperscale cloud and 5G networks.
✔ Modular & Future-Ready – Flexible 16-slot chassis with
mixed-speed line cards (1G/10G/25G/40G/100G/400G).
✔ Ultra-Low Latency – Powered by Cisco Cloud Scale ASIC, reducing
delays for HFT, AI, and storage networks.
✔ Enterprise-Grade Security – Features MACsec encryption, Secure
Boot, and hardware-based trust anchors.
✔ SDN & Automation Ready – Supports VXLAN/EVPN, Cisco ACI, and
Ansible automation for software-defined networking.
✔ Carrier-Class Reliability – N+1 redundant power & cooling,
99.999% uptime for mission-critical deployments.
Technical Specifications (N9K-C9516)
| Category | Specification |
|---|
| Chassis Slots | 16 (2 for supervisors, 14 for I/O modules) |
| Max Ports | 384x100G or 96x400G (varies by line card) |
| Switching Capacity | 60 Tbps |
| Forwarding Rate | Up to 12 Bpps |
| Latency | Sub-microsecond (ASIC-accelerated) |
| Redundancy | Dual supervisor engines, hot-swappable PSUs/fans |
| Security | MACsec-256, TrustSec, Secure Boot |
| Software | Cisco NX-OS with REST API & Python scripting |
Ideal Use Cases
Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) – High-bandwidth spine/leaf
architectures
Financial Networks – Low-latency trading platforms
AI/ML & HPC – High-throughput data processing
Enterprise Data Centers – Secure, scalable private clouds
Why Choose the Cisco Nexus 9516?
As a leader in data center networking, Cisco’s N9K-C9516 combines
performance, flexibility, and automation in a single chassis.
Whether upgrading to 400G or consolidating legacy networks, this
modular Cisco switch ensures long-term scalability while reducing
operational costs.
