Cisco Nexus N7K-M224XP-23L: High-Density 10G/1G Ethernet Module for Nexus 7000 Series

Product Overview

The Cisco Nexus N7K-M224XP-23L is a high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10G) and 1 Gigabit Ethernet (1G) switching module designed for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series chassis switches. This module provides 24x 10G SFP+ ports (with dual-rate 1G/10G support) and is optimized for enterprise data center access-layer deployments, server aggregation, and network virtualization.

As part of the Nexus 7000 Series, the N7K-M224XP-23L delivers scalable, low-latency connectivity with advanced QoS, security, and high availability, making it ideal for virtualized environments, cloud computing, and storage networking.

Key Specifications

✔ Port Configuration:

• 24x 10G SFP+ ports (each port supports 1G or 10G speeds)

• Supports 10G-SR/LR/ER and 1G-SX/LX optics

• 240G per-slot bandwidth

✔ Performance & Scalability:

• Up to 550Mpps forwarding rate

• Sub-microsecond latency

• Jumbo frame support (up to 9216 bytes)

✔ Compatibility & Software:

• Cisco NX-OS (supports VDC, VXLAN, FCoE, and OTV)

• Works with Nexus 7000 Series chassis (N7K-C7010, N7K-C7018, etc.)

✔ High Availability & Redundancy:

• Hot-swappable module

• 1+1 or N+1 redundancy support

• Non-disruptive software upgrades (ISSU)

✔ Security & Traffic Management:

• ACL, QoS, and NetFlow for granular traffic control

• Port security and DHCP snooping

Advanced Features

Flexible 1G/10G Connectivity

• Supports both 1G and 10G SFP/SFP+ optics for cost-effective migration

• Ideal for server access, virtualization, and storage networks

Unified Fabric Support

• FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) for converged storage networking

• VXLAN and OTV for multi-site connectivity

Enterprise-Grade Reliability

• Stateful switchover (SSO) for zero downtime

• Predictive failure analysis (PFA) for proactive maintenance

Automation & Programmability

• Python and REST API support

• Integration with Cisco DCNM (Data Center Network Manager)

Next-Generation Evolution: Cisco Nexus N7K-M240G-FX (Projected 2026)

Key Upgrades & Innovations

Higher Bandwidth & Port Density

• 48x 25G SFP28 ports (with 10G/25G auto-negotiation)

• 1.2Tbps per-slot bandwidth (5x improvement over N7K-M224XP-23L)

AI-Optimized Traffic Engineering

• Machine learning-based congestion avoidance

• Automated load balancing for dynamic workloads

Enhanced Security & Compliance

• MACsec encryption on every port

• Post-quantum cryptography support

Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

• 40% lower power consumption per port

• Smart cooling with dynamic airflow control

Why Upgrade to the N7K-M240G-FX?

✔ 5x higher bandwidth for modern virtualization and AI workloads
✔ AI-driven automation for self-optimizing networks
✔ Future-proof security with quantum-resistant encryption
✔ Seamless backward compatibility with Nexus 7000 chassis

Conclusion

The Nexus N7K-M224XP-23L is a versatile, high-density 10G/1G module that extends the Nexus 7000 Series for enterprise and cloud deployments. Its successor, the N7K-M240G-FX, introduces 25G ports, AI-driven traffic optimization, and quantum-safe security, ensuring the Nexus 7000 platform remains competitive in next-gen data centers.