Cisco N3K-C3172PQ-BA-L3 | Nexus 3100 48-Port 10G SFP+ Switch, 6x 40G QSFP+, Layer 3

Q: What licenses are included with the N3K-C3172PQ-BA-L3 bundle?
A: This bundle includes both the Base license (N3K-BAS1K9) and the LAN Enterprise license (N3K-LAN1K9), enabling full Layer 3 routing capabilities including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, PIM-SM, and advanced multicast protocols.

Q: What is reversed airflow and why is it important?
A: Reversed airflow (port-side intake) means air enters through the front ports and exits through the rear fan tray and power supplies. This is ideal for cold-aisle containment data center designs, drawing cool air from the cold aisle and exhausting warm air to the hot aisle.

Q: Can the QSFP+ ports be used for 10G connectivity?
A: Yes, each of the 6x QSFP+ ports can operate in native 40 Gbps mode or be broken out into 4x 10 Gbps connections using appropriate breakout cables, providing flexibility for mixed-speed deployments.

Q: Is this switch suitable for low-latency applications?
A: Absolutely. The Nexus 3172PQ is a phy-less switch optimized for ultra-low latency (sub-microsecond), making it ideal for high-frequency trading, financial services, and other latency-sensitive workloads.

Q: Does this model support redundant power supplies?
A: Yes, the switch supports dual AC or DC power supplies for full redundancy. This bundle includes dual AC power supplies for high availability in mission-critical environments.