In the Cisco Nexus 7000 series switches there are several features that are bound to the hardware, meaning that your module selection restricts the features you can run on the switch ports. Thus, here is once again a summarization of the module-dependent features:
Update 20-Apr-2013: Added OTV and LISP, clarified M1 FEX support.
Update 22-Jul-2013: Added Nexus 7000 F3 modules; note that Nexus 7700 has different specifications
| M1 series | M2 series | F1 series | F2 series | F2e series | F3 series | |
| L3 features | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MPLS | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| OTV | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| LISP | Yes (on 32-port 10G module only) |
No | No | No | No | Yes |
| VXLAN | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| MACsec | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes (last 8 ports only) |
No (?) |
| FEX support | Yes (on 32-port 10G module only) |
Yes (on 24-port 10G module only) |
No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FabricPath | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FCoE | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (XP only) |
Yes |
| MAC addresses | 128k | 128k | 16k/256k * | 16k/192k * | 16k/192k * | 64k (?) |
| Slot bandwidth ** | 46G/80G | 240G/200G | 230G | 480G | 480G | 600G |
* 16k MAC addresses for each SoC (Switch on Chip), 256k/192k MAC addresses per module
** Maximum bandwidth of the module, limited by the actual fabric module configuration in the chassis
Also remember that there are limitations or specific requirements regarding F2 and F2e series modules interoperability with other modules in the same VDC.
Currently available/announced modules:
| M1 series modules: | 1G modules: N7K-M148GT-11L, N7K-M148GS-11L 10G modules: N7K-M108X2-12L, N7K-M132XP-12L |
| M2 series modules: | 10G module: N7K-M224XP-23L 40G module: N7K-M206FQ-23L 100G module: N7K-M202CF-22L |
| F1 series modules: | 1G/10G module: N7K-F132XP-15 |
| F2 series modules: | 1G/10G module: N7K-F248XP-25 |
| F2e series modules: | 1G/10G modules: N7K-F248XP-25E, N7K-F248XT-25E |
| F3 series modules: | 40G module: N7K-F312FQ-25 100G module: N7K-F306CK-25 |
There are some ERSPAN limitations on the F2 as well. Might not be worth mentioning, but it’s something that bit me recently.
Colby, you are absolutely right, there really are other differences as well in the features. They may not seem big issues but once you hit them they usually matter at that point very much. Thanks for the comment, now that you said it, I need to inspect it myself as well a bit further. SPAN/ERSPAN limitations are very “strange” in Nexus 5500 series as well.
Markku, great post.
Just a further point about the F2 cards. True, F2 cards must reside in a VDC by themselves or with F2e.
Additionally, F2e cards cannot be in the same VDC as non F2(e) cards either. The roadmap for NX-OS 6.2 calls for a VDC type that will allow F2e, M1XL and M2 to coexist. Note I did not mention F1 in that list. As the F2e data sheet explains (http://goo.gl/NOYhy), when run in a VDC with M-series cards, the F2e will operate in Layer 2 only mode and proxy L3 functions to the M-series card.
I hope this is helpful to your readers.
Thanks Joel, you have a valid point there. In short: know what you are doing when implementing F2(e) modules with other modules 🙂 I reworded the note a bit.
Perhaps you also want to mention that full NetFLow is supported on the M-series models whereas only sampled NetFlow on F-series.
Can ERSPAN frames from the Nexus 5548 be forwared through the vpc up to the 7010 if the vPC interface on the 7010 is on a F1 series module?
Thanks,
SK
Hi SK, I don’t see any problem in that case. Are you thinking about some specific detail that would prevent the frames from being received correctly on the 7010?
And hear I am, learning on 22nd of December of 2014 that F3 module in Nexus 7700 is NOT capable of FCoE. DISASTER!