Nexus 7000
Q. Is the FAB1 module supported with SUP2 or SUP2E?
A. Yes, supported with both supervisors.
Q. What minimum software release do I need to support SUP2 or SUP2E?
A. NX-OS 6.1
Q. Can I still run NX-OS version 6.0 on SUP1?
A. Yes.
Q. Can I upgrade SUP2 to SUP2E?
A. Yes. You would need to upgrade both the CPU and memory on board.
[8/14/2014] update: after further investigation I found that the answer is no (upgrade is not possible).
Q. I need to enable high-availability (HA), can use one SUP1 with one SUP2 in the same chassis?
A. No, for high-availability the two supervisors must be of the same type so you would need to use either SUP1/SUP1 or SUP2/SUP2.
Q. How many I/O modules can I have in a 7004?
A. Maximum of 2. The other 2 slots are reserved for the supervisors and you cannot use them for I/O modules.
Q. FAB1 or FAB2 on 7004?
A. The Nexus 7004 chassis does not actually use any FAB’s. The I/O modules are connected back to back.
Q. How many FEX’s can the Nexus 7000 support?
A. 32 FEX’s with SUP1 or SUP2; and 48 FEX’s with SUP2E.
[8/14/2014] update: 64 FEXs with SUP2E or SUP2
Q. How many VDC’s can the Nexus 7000 support?
A. 4 VDC’s (including 1 VDC for management) with SUP1 or SUP2; and 8 + 1 (management) VDC’s with SUP2E.
Q. Which modules support FabricPath, FCoE, and FEX connectivity?
A. FabricPath is supported on all F1 and F2 modules. FCoE is supported on all F1 modules and F2 modules except on the 48 x 10GE F2 (Copper) module. FEX is supported on all F2 modules. Use this link from Cisco as a reference.
[8/14/2014] update: The F2e module supports FCoE, FEX, and FabricPath. The F3 module (12 port 40GE) supports FEX, FabricPath, FCoE, OTV, MPLS and LISP.
Q. Which modules support LISP, MPLS, and OTV?
A. All M1 and M2 modules support MPLS and OTV. LISP is supported only on the 32 x 10GE M1 module.
Q. Does the Nexus 7004 support SUP1?
A. No, the Nexus 7004 supports only SUP2 and SUP2E.
Q. Can I place an F2 module in the same VDC with F1 or M module?
A. No, the F2 module must be placed in a separate VDC so if you plan to mix F2 with F1, and M modules in the same chassis you would need a VDC license.
[8/14/2014] update: The F2e and F3 (12 port 40GE) modules can interoperate with the M-series in the same VDC.
Q. How can I upgrade from FAB1 to FAB2 modules during operation without any service disruption?
A. Yes, if you replace each module within a couple of minutes. Just make sure to replace all FAB1 with FAB2 modules within few hours. If you mix FAB1 with FAB2 modules in the same chassis for a long time, the FAB2 modules will operate in backward compatible mode and downgrade their speed to match the FAB1 modules peed. You can follow this link for step-by-step procedure for upgrading the FAB modules on the Nexus 7000.
Q. Can I use FAB1 modules in a 7009 chassis?
A. No, the Nexus 7009 uses only FAB2 modules.
Q. Does the Nexus 7000 support native Fibre Channel (FC) ports?
A. No, FC ports are not supported on the Nexus 7000. You would need either the Nexus 5500 or the MDS 9000 to get FC support.
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This is an interesting FAQ since we are planning to upgrade the switching platform to Nexus 7000 switches. Thanks Anas for posting.
Hi Raja,
Yes it’s 4+1 VDCs for Sup2 and 8+1 VDCs for Sup2E. However it is only 4 VDCs (admin VDC included) for Sup 1.
Hi Anas,
Thanks for the excellent information.
From version 6.2 onwards, the verified VDC support is 4+1 for sup1/2 and 8+1 for sup 2e, where additional one vdc is for Admin vdc. Am i right?
Regards,
Raja
I should have posted this earlier but after I further investigation I found out that an upgrade from Sup2 to Sup2e is no possible. I just updated the post above.
Anas
You are welcome Neil. I think the F3 module for the Nexus 7000/7700 makes things a lot easier as this module supports pretty much everything.
Anas
Anas
Excellent information….it’s exactly what I was looking for… a precise breakdown of what confusing mix of hardware and functionality does what.
Hopefully as Cisco develop the nexus line and get over the hardware limitations that cause this confusion, and that more importantly place so many gotchas and potential showstoppers (and thus risks to our employment) in the way, information like this is a critical resource.
Thanks
Neil
ok – I appreciate the follow up!
thank you,
Jason
Hi Jason,
I don’t have a link describing how you would do the upgrade and I have not done it before, however this issue was raised during one of the Cisco trainings last year and the Cisco team stated that it was possible to do the upgrade. Here is the link to the training, the replay is not available but you can read the Q&A that were raised during the session. The question about the Sup upgrade is half way thru the page.
https://communities.cisco.com/docs/DOC-31604 (Requires Login)
Can you really upgrade a SUP-2 to a SUP-2E ? I asked my Cisco SE – says it is not possible. Can you point me to a document/link from cisco stating this is possible ?
thank you,
Jason