Cisco Cisco mds 9124 - fabric switch User manual

Data Sheet
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 9
Cisco MDS 9124 24-Port Multilayer Fabric Switch
The Cisco®MDS 9124 24-Port Multilayer Fabric Switch, with 24 ports capable of speeds of 4, 2, and 1
Gbps, offers outstanding value by providing flexibility, high-availability, security, and ease-of-use at an
affordable price in a compact 1-rack-unit (1RU) form factor. With its flexibility to expand from 8 to 24 ports
in 8-port increments, the Cisco MDS 9124 offers the densities required for both departmental storage area
network (SAN) switches and edge switches in enterprise SANs. The Cisco MDS 9124 supports quick
configuration and task wizards that allow it to be deployed quickly and easily in networks of any size.
Powered by Cisco MDS 9000 SAN-OS/NX-OS Software, it includes advanced storage networking
features and functions and is compatible with Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors and Cisco MDS
9200 Series Multilayer Fabric Switches, providing transparent, end-to-end service delivery in core-edge
deployments.
Highlights
●Exceptional flexibility and scalability—The Cisco MDS 9124 offers up to 24 autosensing Fibre Channel ports
capable of speeds of 4, 2, and 1 Gbps in a compact 1RU form-factor chassis with 4 Gbps of dedicated
bandwidth for each port and an aggregate platform bandwidth of 192 Gbps. The base configuration has 8
active ports with flexibility to upgrade onsite to 16 and 24 ports, in 8-port increments, with the Cisco MDS
9124 On-Demand Port Activation Licenses. The Cisco MDS 9124 is an ideal platform as a standalone
departmental SAN switch and as an edge switch in enterprise core-edge SANs. The 1RU compact design is
ideal for space-constrained environments where maximum port density per rack is imperative.
●Intelligent storage networking services at an affordable price—The Cisco MDS 9124, powered by Cisco MDS
9000 SAN-OS/NX-OS Software, offers intelligent storage networking capabilities such as virtual SANs
(VSANs), PortChannels, quality of service (QoS), and security for cost-effective design, deployment, and
management of departmental and enterprise SANs.
●Highly available platform for mission-critical deployments—The Cisco MDS 9124 is designed for
environments where downtime is not an option. It offers nondisruptive software upgrades, dual hot-swappable
AC or DC power supplies (with integrated FANs for optional redundancy), VSANs for fault isolation, and
PortChannels for Inter-Switch Link (ISL) resiliency.
●Comprehensive security framework—The Cisco MDS 9124 supports RADIUS and TACACS+, port security,
fabric binding, Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FC-SP) host-to-switch and switch-to-switch authentication,
Secure FTP (SFTP), Secure Shell Version 2 (SSHv2) and Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3
(SNMPv3) implementing Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), VSANs, hardware-enforced zoning,
broadcast zones, and per-VSAN role-based access control (RBAC).
●Simplified storage management—The Cisco MDS 9124 includes built-in storage network management, with
all features available through a command-line interface (CLI) or Cisco Fabric Manager, a centralized
management tool with task-based wizards that simplify management of a standalone switch or multiple
switches and fabrics.
●Sophisticated diagnostics—Industry-leading intelligent diagnostics such as Fibre Channel Ping, Fibre
Channel Traceroute, Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), Cisco Fabric Analyzer, and integrated call-home
capability enhance reliability, facilitate faster problem resolution, and reduce service costs.

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●Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO)—Common platform architecture and the use of Cisco MDS 9000
SAN-OS Software intelligent storage-networking services across all Cisco MDS 9000 family switches reduce
ongoing operating expenses by providing a consistent set of provisioning, management, and diagnostic
capabilities.
Figure 1. The Cisco MDS 9124
Key Features and Benefits
Exceptional Flexibility and Scalability
The Cisco MDS 9124 offers up to 24 autosensing Fibre Channel ports capable of speeds of 4, 2, and 1 Gbps in a
compact 1RU form-factor chassis. With 4 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth for each port, the Cisco MDS 9124 is
designed to meet the performance and scalability requirements of the most demanding environments.
The flexibility of the Cisco MDS 9124 is provided by the Cisco MDS 9124 On-Demand Port Activation License, which
allows expansion in 8-port increments. Customers can start with a base configuration of 8 ports and can upgrade
onsite to 16 and 24 ports using these licenses. With advanced storage networking capabilities built into the platform,
it is an ideal choice both as a standalone departmental SAN switch and as an edge switch in enterprise core-edge
SANs.
The Cisco MDS 9124 includes hot-swappable, Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP), LC interfaces. All SFP interfaces
are 4, 2, and 1 Gbps, with autosensing capabilities. Individual ports can be configured with either short-or long-
wavelength SFP optics for connectivity up to 500 meters (m) and 10 kilometers (km), respectively.
VSANs for Segmentation and Isolation
VSAN, an industry standard for fabric virtualization capabilities, allows more efficient storage network use by creating
hardware-based isolated environments within a single physical SAN fabric or switch. Upto 16 VSANs are supported
per switch. Each VSAN can be zoned as a typical SAN and maintains its own fabric services and management
domains for added scalability and resilience. VSANs allow the cost of SAN infrastructure to be shared among more
users, while helping ensure segregation of traffic and retaining independent control of configuration on a VSAN-by-
VSAN basis.
Advanced Traffic Management for High-Performance, Resilient SANs
Advanced traffic management capabilities integrated into the Cisco MDS 9124 simplify deployment and optimization
of core edge fabrics.
●Virtual output queuing helps ensure line-rate performance on each port, independent of traffic pattern, by
eliminating head-of-line blocking.
●Each port group consisting of 4 ports has a pool of 64 buffer credits, with a default of 16 buffer credits per
port. When extended distances are required, up to 61 buffer credits can be allocated to a single port within
the port group. This extensibility is available without additional licensing.

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●PortChannels allow users to aggregate up to 16 physical ISLs into a single logical bundle, providing
optimized bandwidth use across all links. The bundle can consist of any port from the switch, helping ensure
that the bundle remains active even in the event of a port failure.
●Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF)–based multipathing provides the intelligence to load balance across up to
16 equal-cost paths and, in the event of a switch failure, dynamically reroute traffic.
●QoS can be used to manage bandwidth and control latency, to prioritize critical traffic.
●Comprehensive port and flow statistics facilitate sophisticated performance analysis and service-level
agreement (SLA) accounting.
Advanced Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Tools
Management of storage networks requires proactive diagnostics, tools to verify connectivity and route latency, and
mechanisms for capturing and analyzing traffic. The Cisco MDS 9124 integrates the industry’s most advanced
analysis and debugging tools. Power-on self-test (POST) and online diagnostics provide proactive health monitoring.
The Cisco MDS 9124 provides the integrated hardware functions required to implement diagnostic capabilities such
as Fibre Channel Traceroute to detail the exact path and timing of flows and SPAN to intelligently capture network
traffic. After traffic has been captured, it can be analyzed with the Cisco Fabric Analyzer, an embedded Fibre
Channel analyzer. With the Cisco MDS 9124, Cisco delivers a comprehensive toolset for troubleshooting and
analysis of an organization’s storage network.
Comprehensive Security
Recognizing the need for unassailable security in storage networks, the Cisco MDS 9124 offers an extensive
security framework to protect highly sensitive data crossing today’s enterprise networks.
●VSANs are used to achieve higher security and greater stability by providing complete isolation among
devices that are connected to the same physical SAN.
●Intelligent packet inspection at the port level, including the application of access control lists (ACLs) for
hardware enforcement of zones, VSANs, and advanced port security features.
●Extended zoning capabilities help ensure that broadcasts are restricted to the selected zones (the broadcast
zones).
●FC-SP provides switch-to-switch and host-to-switch Diffie-Hellman Challenge Handshake Authentication
Protocol (DH-CHAP) authentication supporting RADIUS or TACACS+, to help ensure that only authorized
devices access protected storage networks.
This feature, in conjunction with management access and control plane security, makes the Cisco MDS 9000 family
among the most secure platforms of its kind.
High-Availability Platform for Mission-Critical Environments
The Cisco MDS 9124 is designed for mission-critical availability. Nondisruptive software upgrades; hot-swappable,
redundant fans and power supplies; and the unique ability to automatically restart failed processes combine to define
a new standard for fabric switch availability.
High availability is implemented at the fabric level through the industry’s most robust and highest-performance ISLs.
PortChannel capability allows users to aggregate up to 16 physical ports into one logical bundle. The bundle can
sustain the failure of any physical link without causing a reset. Additionally, FSPF multipathing provides the
intelligence to load balance across up to 16 equal-cost paths and, if a switch fails, to dynamically reroute traffic. The
Cisco MDS 9124 takes fabric-switch availability to a new level, minimizing TCO.

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Simplified Management
The Cisco MDS 9124 provides three principal modes of management: the Cisco MDS 9000 family CLI, the Cisco
Fabric Manager, and integration with third-party storage management tools.
●Consistent, logical CLI—Adhering to the syntax of the widely known Cisco IOS®Software CLI, the Cisco MDS
9000 family CLI is easy to learn and delivers broad management capabilities. The Cisco MDS 9000 family
CLI is an extremely efficient and direct interface designed to provide optimal capabilities to administrators in
enterprise environments.
●Quick Configuration Wizard—The Quick Configuration Wizard helps eliminate management complexity and
creates a readily available SAN environment for small-and midsized-business applications. The wizard allows
server access to storage to be set up quickly and easily in a single step, using an intuitive GUI.
●Cisco Fabric Manager—Cisco Fabric Manager is included with the Cisco MDS 9124 for integrated,
comprehensive management of larger SAN environments. Cisco Fabric Manager is a responsive, easy-to-
use Java application that allows administrators to perform vital tasks such as topology discovery, fabric
configuration and verification, provisioning, monitoring, and fault resolution.
●The Cisco MDS 9124 provides an extensive API for integration with third-party and user-developed
management tools. The APIs are based on industry-standard protocols, including SNMP and the Storage
Networking Industry Association (SNIA) Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S).
Specifications
Minimum Software Requirement
●Cisco MDS 9000 SAN-OS Software Release 3.1(1)
Performance and Port Configurations
●Port speed—4-, 2-, and 1-Gbps autosensing with 4 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth per port
●Buffer credits—Up to 64 for a group of 4 ports, with a default of 16 buffer credits per port
●Ports per chassis—Up to 24 ports
Base configuration with 8 ports Additional ports in 8-port increments with the port activation license
●PortChannel—Up to 16 ports in a PortChannel
Supported Optics, Media, and Transmission Distances
Table 1 summarizes the interfaces and distances supported by the Cisco MDS 9124.
Table 1. Optics, Media, and Transmission Distances Supported by the Cisco MDS 9124
SFP Optics Wavelength
(nanometers) Fiber Type Core Size (microns) Giga Baud Rate (GBd) Cable Distance
62.5 1.0625 984 ft (300m)
62.5 2.125 492 ft (150m)
62.5 4.250 230 ft (70m)
50.0 1.0625 1640 ft (500m)
50.0 2.125 984 ft (300m)
4G FC-SW 850 MMF
50.0 4.250 492 ft (150m)
9.0 1.0625 13,123 ft (4 km)
9.0 2.125 13,123 ft (4 km)
4G FC-MR 1310 SMF
9.0 4.250 13,123 ft (4 km)

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SFP Optics Wavelength
(nanometers) Fiber Type Core Size (microns) Giga Baud Rate (GBd) Cable Distance
9.0 1.0625 32,808 ft (10 km)
9.0 2.125 32,808 ft (10 km)
4G FC-LR 1310 SMF
9.0 4.250 32,808 ft (10 km)
For SFP compatibility matrix please refer to
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/ps4159/ps6409/ps4358/product_data_sheet09186a00801bc698.html.
Product Specifications
Table 2 lists the product specifications for the Cisco MDS.
Table 2. Product Specifications for the Cisco MDS 9124
Item Specification
Security ●VSANs
●Zoning
◦
Hardware-enforced zoning
◦
Logical-unit-number (LUN) zoning and read-only zones
●FC-SP for host-to-switch and switch-to-switch authentication
●Port security
●Management access
◦
SSHv2
◦
SNMPv3
◦
IP ACLs
Compatibility Fibre Channel protocols
●FC-PH, Revision 4.3
●FC-PH-2, Revision 7.4
●FC-PH-3, Revision 9.4
●FC-GS-2, Revision 5.3
●FC-GS-3, Revision 7.01
●FC-FLA, Revision 2.7
●FC-FG, Revision 3.5
●FC-SW-2, Revision 5.3
●FC-AL, Revision 4.5
●FC-AL-2, Revision 7.0
●FC-PLDA, Revision 2.1
●FC-VI, Revision 1.61
●FCP, Revision 12
●FCP-2, Revision 7
●FC-SB-2, Revision 2.1
●FC-BB, Revision 4.7
●FC-FS, Revision 1.9
●FC-PI, Revision 13
●FC-MI, Revision 1.99
●FC-Tape, Revision 1.17
●IP over Fibre Channel (RFC 2625)
●Extensive IETF-standards-based TCP/IP, SNMPv3, and Remote Monitoring (RMON) MIBs
●Class of service: Class 2, Class 3, Class F
●Fibre Channel standard port types: E, F, FL
●Fibre Channel enhanced port types: SD, TE
Fabric Services ●Name server
●Registered state change notification (RSCN)
●Login services
●Public loop
●Broadcast
●In-order delivery
●Name-server zoning

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Item Specification
Diagnostics and
Troubleshooting Tools
●Power-on self-test (POST) diagnostics
●Online diagnostics
●Internal loopbacks
●SPAN
●Fibre Channel Traceroute capability
●Fibre Channel Ping
●Fibre Channel Debug
●Cisco Fabric Analyzer
●Syslog
●Port-level statistics
Management ●Access methods
◦
Out-of-band 10/100 Ethernet port
◦
EIA/TIA-232 serial console port
◦
In-band IP over Fibre Channel
●Access protocols
◦
CLI
◦
SNMP
◦
SMI-S
●Security
◦
RBACL using RADIUS or TACACS+ authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) functions
◦
VSAN-based roles
◦
SSHv2
◦
SNMPv3
●Management applications
◦
Cisco MDS 9000 family CLI
◦
Cisco Fabric Manager and Device Manager
◦
Cisco Fabric Manager Server (optional; requires Cisco Fabric Manager Server license)
Availability ●Nondisruptive software upgrades
●Stateful process restart
●Per-VSAN fabric services
●Redundant, hot-swappable power supply and fans (optional)
●Hot-swappable SFP optics
●PortChannels aggregating up to 16 ports
●Online diagnostics
Serviceability ●Configuration file management
●Call home
●Port beaconing
●System LEDs
●SNMP traps for alerts
Environmental ●Ambient operating temperature is 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)
●Ambient nonoperating temperature is –40 to 158°F (–40 to 70°C)
●Physical dimensions (H x W x D) of 1 RU
◦
1.75 x 17.5 x 16 in. (4.5 x 44.5 x 40.6 cm)
●Weight
◦
Switch with dual power supplies: 18.5 lb [8.4 KG]

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Item Specification
Power and Cooling AC Power supplies (300W) (maximum of two per switch):
●Input: 100 to 240 VAC nominal (+/–10% for full range)
◦
Input current maximum 20A
●Input current steadystate
◦
4A @ 110 VAC
◦
2A @ 220 VAC
◦
50 to 60 Hz nominal (+/–3 Hz for full range)
●Output:
◦
Consumption: 80W, 0.73A@110V, 0.36A@220V
DC Power supplies (300W) (maximum of two per switch):
●Input: 8A @ -48V to -60V
●Output: 25A @ 12VDC
Airflow:
●Front to rear
Safety ●UL 60950 -1
●CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950 -1
●EN 60950 -1
●IEC 60950 -1
●AS/NZS 60950
●IEC 60825
●EN 60825
●21 CFR 1040
EMC ●FCC Part 15 (CFR 47) Class A
●ICES-003 Class A
●EN55022 Class A
●CISPR22 Class A
●AS/NZS CISPR22 Class A
●VCCI Class A
●EN55024
●ETS300 386
●EN50082-1
●EN61000-3-2
●EN61000-3-3
●EN61000-6-1
●CISPR24
●NEBS
◦
GR-63-Core NEBS Level 3
◦
GR-1089-Core NEBS Level 3
●ETSI
◦
ETS 300 019 Storage Class 1.1
◦
ETS 300 019 Transportation Class 2.3
◦
ETSI 300 019 Stationary Use Class 3.1
Ordering Information
Table 3 provides ordering information for the Cisco MDS 9124.
Table 3. Ordering Information for the Cisco MDS 9124
Product Description Part Number
Cisco MDS 9124 24-Port Fabric Switch with 8 4-Gbps active ports, VSANs, PortChannels, and Cisco Fabric Manager with
one AC Power Supply and 8 4/2/1-Gbps Fibre Channel-SW SFP transceivers DS-C9124AP-K9
Cisco MDS 9124 24-Port Fabric Switch with 8 4-Gbps active ports, VSANs, PortChannels, and Cisco Fabric Manager with
one AC Power Supply DS-C9124-K9
Cisco MDS 9124 24-Port Fabric Switch with 8 4-Gbps active ports, VSANs, PortChannels, and Cisco Fabric Manager with
one DC Power Supply DS-C9124DC-K9
Cisco MDS 9124 24-Port Fabric Switch with 8 4-Gbps active ports, VSANs, PortChannels, and Cisco Fabric Manager.
Option to order 8 SW SFPs and Additional PS with box DS-C9124-0-K9

Data Sheet
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Product Description Part Number
Cisco MDS 9124 24-Port Fabric Switch with 16 4-Gbps active ports, VSANs, PortChannels, and Cisco Fabric Manager.
Option to order 16 SW SFPs and Additional PS with box DS-C9124-1-K9
Optional redundant AC power supply DS-C24-300AC=
Optional redundant DC power supply PWR-C49-300DC=
Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) Optics Options
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4/2/1-Gbps Fibre Channel-SW, SFP, LC DS-SFP-FC4G-SW
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4/2/1-Gbps Fibre Channel-SW, SFP, LC, spare DS-SFP-FC4G-SW=
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4/2/1-Gbps Fibre Channel-SW, SFP, LC, 4-pack, spare DS-SFP-4G-SW-4=
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4/2/1-Gbps Fibre Channel-MR (4 km), SFP, LC, spare DS-SFP-FC4G-MR=
Cisco MDS 9000 Family 4/2/1-Gbps Fibre Channel-LW (10 km), SFP, LC, spare DS-SFP-FC4G-LW=
Optional Licenses
Cisco MDS 9124 On-Demand Port Activation License; activates increments of 8 ports M9124PL8-4G=
Cisco MDS 9124 8 port upgrade Kit; On-Demand Port Activation license to activate increment of 8 ports and 8 4/2/1-Gbps
Fibre Channel-SW SFP transceivers M9124PL8-4G-AP=
Cisco MDS 9000 Family Enterprise Package, spare M9100ENT1K9=
Cisco MDS 9000 Family Fabric Manager Server Package, spare M9100FMS1K9=
Power Cords
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A IRAM 2073 Plug, Argentina CAB-9K10A-AR
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A 3112 Plug, Australia, Spare CAB-9K10A-AU
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A GB1002 Plug, China, Spare CAB-9K10A-CH
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A CEE 7/7 Plug, EU, Spare CAB-9K10A-EU
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A SI16S3 Plug, Israel CAB-9K10A-ISR
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A CEI 23-16/VII Plug, Italy, Spare CAB-9K10A-IT
Power Cord, 125VAC 13A KSC8305 Plug, Korea, Spare CAB-9K10A-KOR
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A SABS 164/1 Plug, South Africa, Spare CAB-9K10A-SA
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A, Straight C15, MP232 Plug, SWITZ, Spare CAB-9K10A-SW
Power Cord, 125VAC 15A CNS10917-2, Taiwan, Spare CAB-9K10A-TWN
Power Cord, 250VAC 10A BS1363 Plug (13 A fuse), UK, Spare CAB-9K10A-UK
Power Cord, 125VAC 13A NEMA 5-15 Plug, North America, Spare CAB-9K12A-NA
Cabinet Jumper Power Cord, 250 VAC 13A, C14-C15 Connectors, Spare CAB-C15-CBN
Service and Support
Cisco offers a wide range of services programs to accelerate customer success. These innovative services
programs are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, resulting in high
levels of customer satisfaction. Cisco services help you protect your network investment, optimize network
operations, and prepare the network for new applications to extend network intelligence and the power of your
business. For more information about Cisco Services, see Cisco Technical Support Services or Cisco Advanced
Services.
For More Information
For more information about the Cisco MDS 9124, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/9124 or contact your local account
representative.

Data Sheet
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Printed in USA C78-375316-11 08/09