We know that fiber optic cable and transceiver are important components to complete the whole optical link. In addition, there is another core component in data center—switch, which is the nerve center of the whole network deployment. This article will introduce two Cisco switches—Cisco Nexus 7010 switch and Cisco Nexus 7710 switch, and make a comparison between the two network switches.
Overview of Cisco Nexus 7010 Switch And Cisco Nexus 7710 Switch
Characterized by high availability and scalability, comprehensive Cisco NX-OS Software data center switching feature set, Cisco Nexus 7010 switch and Nexus 7710 switch is designed to satisfy the demand for high switching capacity in data centers. As Cisco Nexus 7700 Series switches are the latest extension to the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches, there are similarities and differences between 7010 and 7710 switch. How much do you know about them? Keep reading and you will find the answer. The following figures show Cisco 7010 and 7710 switch.
Figure 1. Cisco Nexus 7010 switch
Figure 2. Cisco Nexus 7710 switch
Cisco Nexus 7010 Vs. Nexus 7710
From the above figures, we can have a basic knowledge of the two network switches. And the following part will focus on the similarities and differences between them.
- Both of them are 10-slot chassis switch with 2 dedicated supervisor modules and 8 I/O modules.
- Both of them are structured with 384 x 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Both of them utilize front-to-back airflow which can ensure that switch addresses the requirement for hot-aisle and cold-aisle deployments to help provide efficient cooling.
- Both of their I/O modules and supervisor modules are accessible from the front, and fabric modules and fan trays are accessible from the back of the chassis.
- Both of their fan trays are composed of independent variable-speed fans which can automatically adjust to the ambient temperature, and this helps reduce power consumption in well-managed facilities while enables optimum operation of the switch.
- Both of their systems not only allow hot swapping without affecting the system, but also support air filter to promote clean airflow through the system.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch has 48 x 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and 16 x 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports. While Cisco Nexus 7710 switch has 192 x 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and 96 x 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch has 5 fabric module slots and 3 power supply slots. While Cisco Nexus 7710 switch has 6 fabric module slots and 8 power supply slots.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch supports Fabric—1 and Fabric—2 modules while Cisco Nexus 7710 switch supports only Fabric—2 modules.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch is designed with 21RU height, bigger than Cisco Nexus 7710 switch’s 14RU height.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch uses dual system and fabric fan trays for cooling. While Cisco Nexus 7710 switch uses three redundant fan trays for cooling.
- The maximum inter-slot switching capacity with the Cisco Nexus 7010 switch is 550 Gbps while Cisco Nexus 7710 switch can achieve the maximum inter-slot switching capacity of 1.2 Tbps.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch supports F1, F2 and F2e line cards while Cisco Nexus 7710 switch supports F2e and F3 line cards.
- Cisco Nexus 7010 switch supports SUP1, SUP2 and SUP2E supervisors while Cisco Nexus 7710 switch supports only SUP2E supervisor engines.
- Cisco N7K-C7010-FAN-Sis US $1,100.00 on eBay while Cisco N77-C7710-FAN is US $1,299.99.
Which One to Choose?
Both the two network switches are designed to meet the scalability requirements of the largest cloud environments. As for which one to choose, it all depends on your individual requirements. If you need higher switching capacity and smaller size, you can choose Cisco Nexus 7710 switch; if your budget is tight, Cisco Nexus 7010 switch is a good option; if you want your switch to support F1 line card and SUP1 supervisor engineer, you have to buy Cisco Nexus 7010 switch. FS.COM provides large stock single mode fiber patch cables and multimode fiber patch cables. Also, you can find various types of Cisco compatible transceiver modules for your Cisco network switch. For more details, please visit our site.
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