Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series: C9500-24Y4C-A – High-Density 25G/100G Aggregation Switch

Jun 13 , 2025 173

Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series: C9500-24Y4C-A – High-Density 25G/100G Aggregation Switch

Product Overview
The Cisco C9500-24Y4C-A is a premium 1RU fixed-configuration switch designed for high-performance aggregation and core network deployments. This advanced switch combines high-density 25G/100G connectivity with full Cisco DNA capabilities, making it ideal for bandwidth-intensive enterprise and campus environments.

Key Features & Specifications

• Port Configuration:

• 24x 25G SFP28 ports (configurable as 6x 100G QSFP28 via breakout)

• 4x 100G QSFP28 uplink ports

• Hot-swappable power supplies and fans

• Performance Specifications:

• 1.6Tbps switching capacity

• 1.2Bpps forwarding rate

• <2μs latency (cut-through switching)

• Advanced Capabilities:

• Full Cisco DNA Premier licensing

• Segment Routing MPLS ready

• Cisco TrustSec with SGT propagation

• Flexible NetFlow with full visibility

• Programmable pipeline architecture

• Resilience Features:

• N+1 power redundancy

• ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade)

• Graceful Insertion and Removal (GIR)

Use Cases
✔ Campus Core: High-bandwidth backbone for large enterprises
✔ Data Center Edge: High-performance server connectivity
✔ Media/Entertainment: 4K/8K video distribution
✔ Research Networks: High-performance computing environments
✔ Service Provider: Metro Ethernet aggregation

Next-Generation Successor: C9600-48Y8D-B (Projected 2027 Release)

Evolutionary Improvements

Strategic Advantages of Next-Gen Model

1. Multi-Gigabit Ready: Native 50G/400G support

2. AI Networking: Predictive traffic engineering

3. Energy Smart: Dynamic power optimization

4. Cloud-Scale: Multi-cloud gateway functionality

5. Zero Touch: Fully autonomous provisioning

Migration Recommendations

1. Current Deployments: C9500-24Y4C-A remains excellent for 25G/100G networks

2. Future Planning: C9600-48Y8D-B for 400G+ requirements

3. Power/Cooling: Requires 208V power infrastructure

4. Feature Adoption: Phased AI/ML implementation

5. ROI Analysis: 5-year TCO advantage with energy savings

Conclusion
The C9500-24Y4C-A delivers exceptional high-density switching performance today, while the C9600-48Y8D-B represents the future of intelligent networking with:

• 8x port capacity

• Terabit-ready interfaces

• Self-learning network intelligence

• Quantum-resistant security

• Industry-leading 95% power efficiency

Alternative Title Options

1. "From 100G to 400G: Cisco's High-Density Switching Evolution"

2. "The AI-Powered Aggregation Switch: Cisco's 6.4Tbps Vision"

3. "Next-Gen Network Core: 400G and Beyond"

4. "Sustainable High-Performance Networking: The 50G/400G Era"