Cisco N9K-X9636Q-R | Nexus 9500 R-Series 36-Port 40G QSFP+ Line Card, 1.4 Tbps, 12GB Buffer

Q: Which Cisco Nexus chassis is this line card compatible with?
A: The N9K-X9636Q-R is compatible with Cisco Nexus 9500R Series modular chassis, including the 9504, 9508, and 9516 models. It requires compatible R-Series fabric modules (N9K-C95xx-FM-R) for operation, with 4+1 fabric modules recommended for maximum bandwidth and redundancy.

Q: What makes this a buffer-optimized line card?
A: The N9K-X9636Q-R features 12GB of deep packet buffer capacity, making it ideal for workloads that require burst absorption, traffic management, and lossless data transmission. This deep buffer architecture is particularly beneficial for storage networks, real-time analytics, and high-performance computing environments where packet loss must be minimized.

Q: Can this line card support speeds other than 40G?
A: Yes, the QSFP+ ports can support multiple speeds including 1G, 10G, 25G, and 40 Gigabit Ethernet using appropriate optics or breakout cables. This flexibility allows network architects to optimize port density and bandwidth allocation based on specific deployment requirements.

Q: What operating system mode does this line card support?
A: The N9K-X9636Q-R operates in Cisco NX-OS mode on the Nexus 9500 platform, supporting foundational routing and switching features as well as advanced technologies like VXLAN, BGP-EVPN, segment routing, and MPLS. It can be deployed in spine-leaf or traditional three-tier data center architectures.

Q: How does this line card fit into a scalable data center design?
A: With 36 high-speed ports delivering 1.4 Tbps of forwarding capacity per slot, the N9K-X9636Q-R enables high-density, multi-terabit data center architectures. It can serve as a core, aggregation, or end-of-row switch, and supports N+1 fabric redundancy for enhanced reliability and non-disruptive maintenance.