Cisco DN2-HW-APL-XL Full English Product Description
1. Short Official Part & License Label
DN2-HW-APL-XL: Cisco Second-Generation Catalyst DNA Center 112-Core Flagship Physical Appliance, 2U Rack-Mount UCS C480 M5 Server, Dual Network Adapters (2×10G SFP+ X710-DA2 + 4×10G SFP+ X710-DA4), Extra-Large Scale Intent-Based Network Automation & Assurance Platform, Orchestrates SD-Access Fabric, Wireless Assurance, Zero-Touch Provisioning, Multi-Host 3-Node Cluster Deployment, Integrated CIMC Out-of-Band Hardware Management, Cisco DNA Subscription Licensing, End-of-Sale Gen2 Top-Tier DNA Center Hardware
2. Full Product Overview
The Cisco DN2-HW-APL-XL is the flagship 112-core extra-large physical appliance forCisco Catalyst DNA Center (DNAC) Gen2, built on the UCS C480 M5 rack server platform. It serves as the centralized intent-based automation, assurance and policy orchestration hub for ultra-large enterprise campus networks, multi-pod Software-Defined Access (SDA) fabrics, global multi-site mixed wired/Wi‑Fi infrastructures and mid-tier service provider managed network environments.
This appliance runs the DNA Center application stack and ismandatorily deployed as a minimum 3-node cluster for production high availability. It delivers unified network lifecycle management, zero-touch device provisioning, streaming telemetry analytics, Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), end-to-end wireless assurance for Catalyst 9800 IOS-XE wireless controllers, and native integration with Cisco ISE for zero-trust microsegmentation workflows. The DN2-HW-APL-XL cluster supports up to24,000 total network devices and up to 300,000 concurrent monitored endpoints, supporting mixed workloads of wired switches, routers, SD-WAN gateways and thousands of Catalyst Wi‑Fi access points.
Hardware foundation: Four Intel Xeon Gold processors delivering total 112 CPU cores, maximum 768GB DDR4 enterprise memory, high-capacity SSD RAID storage. Network hardware includes dual 10G SFP+ NICs: Intel X710-DA2 (2×10G) and Intel X710-DA4 (4×10G), offering abundant 10G ports for enterprise traffic, cluster inter-node communication and dedicated management flows. The 2U chassis supports dual redundant AC power supplies and hot-swappable redundant fans to eliminate single points of hardware failure. It includes built-in Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) for independent out-of-band power control, remote KVM console and continuous hardware sensor monitoring, isolated from the DNA Center application operating system.
Lifecycle Status: DN2-HW-APL-XL reached End-of-Sale (EoS) December 14, 2024. Supported DNA Center software releases up to 2.x; it cannot run Catalyst Center 3.x and newer major releases. Successor hardware is the Gen3 DN3-HW-APL-XL appliance. It fully interoperates with Catalyst IOS-XE switches, ISR/ASR routers, Catalyst 9800 Wi‑Fi 6/6E controllers and legacy AireOS wireless platforms. Licensing follows the Cisco DNA Software Subscription model, separate from base hardware.
Key Differentiator vs DN2-HW-APL (44-core) / DN2-HW-APL-L (56-core): Flagship 112-core compute, maximum memory, expanded 10G port density and largest supported device/endpoint scale, designed for consolidated ultra-large campus and multi-pod SDA fabrics. Compared to all other Gen2 DNA Center appliances, it supports the highest AP scale and mixed wired/wireless workload consolidation.
3. Complete Hardware Physical & Interface Specifications
Form Factor & Mechanical
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Rack Form Factor: Standard 2U 19-inch rack-mount chassis (UCS C480 M5 SFF)
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Dimensions: 88.9 mm (H) × 482.6 mm (W) × 762 mm (D) / 3.5 × 18.98 × 30 inches
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Unit Weight: 22.7 kg (50 lbs) single PSU; up to 26.3 kg fully loaded with dual PSUs and drives
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Cooling System: Multiple hot-swappable redundant internal cooling fans
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Power Supply: Single AC PSU standard; optional second redundant AC PSU (80 Plus Platinum certified)
Rear Panel Interface Layout
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2×10G SFP+ ports (Intel X710-DA2; Supports SFP+ copper, SR, LR transceivers; LAG supported)
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4×10G SFP+ ports (Intel X710-DA4; Supports SFP+ copper, SR, LR transceivers; LAG supported)
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2×10GBase-T embedded LOM RJ45 ports
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1× 10/100/1000BASE-T dedicated Service Port for isolated management traffic
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1× CIMC RJ45 out-of-band management port for independent hardware administration
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RJ45 RS‑232 serial console port for local CLI access
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Type-A USB 3.0 ports for firmware upload and configuration exports
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Dual AC power supply input slots (primary + optional redundant secondary PSU)
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Physical security lock slot
Front Panel LED Status Indicators
Global status LEDs: Power 1, Power 2, System Health, Critical Fault Alarm, Fan Status, Drive Activity
Per-port Link/Activity LEDs for all 10G SFP+ uplinks, copper ports, service port and CIMC port
Power & Environmental Parameters
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Input AC Range: Universal 100–264 VAC, 47–63 Hz power input
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Maximum Total Power Consumption: 1100 W fully populated with dual PSUs
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Operating Temperature: 5°C to 40°C (41°F to 104°F)
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Storage Temperature: -40°C to 65°C (-40°F to 149°F)
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Humidity: 10%–90% non‑condensing (operation & storage)
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Regulatory Certifications: UL 60950‑1 safety, CE, FCC Class A EMC, ICES‑003, VCCI
Verified Scale Limits (3-Node Production Cluster)
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Maximum supported total network devices: Up to 24,000 managed network nodes (switches, routers, WLCs)
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Maximum concurrent monitored endpoints: Up to 300,000 endpoints
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Maximum supported lightweight APs: Up to 18,000 Catalyst/Aironet access points
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Supported topology: Large campus LAN, multi-pod Software-Defined Access (SDA) Fabric, FlexConnect global multi-branch wireless, SD-WAN integration
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Mandatory multi-host clustering (minimum 3 nodes for production HA quorum)
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Retained telemetry and assurance data capacity governed by internal enterprise SSD storage array
4. Core DNA Center Software Feature Suite
1. Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
Automatic onboarding of Catalyst switches, routers and wireless controllers; automated day-0 configuration, bulk image upgrades and policy deployment. Supports PnP discovery via DHCP Option 43.
2. Intent-Based Network Automation
Centralized template management, configuration drift detection, scheduled configuration deployment, Software Image Management (SWIM) for coordinated firmware upgrades across large multi-site networks.
3. Network Assurance & Streaming Telemetry
Real-time topology visualization, fabric health scoring, fault aggregation, performance statistics, on-demand packet capture and long-term historical analytics. Full wireless assurance for Catalyst 9800 Wi‑Fi 6/6E controllers, RF monitoring and rogue wireless threat visibility.
4. Software-Defined Access (SDA) Orchestration
Single-pane control for multi-pod SDA fabric: fabric discovery, VRF segmentation, EPG mapping, distributed anycast gateway, LISP mobility and cross-pod fabric coordination. Native integration with Cisco ISE for dynamic endpoint policy enforcement and zero-trust access.
5. Unified Wireless Lifecycle Management
Centralized management plane for fleet-scale Catalyst 9800 wireless controllers; synchronized RF templates, global WLAN policy management, mobility group orchestration and centralized guest access workflows.
6. Security & Identity Integration
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Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA): Detect threats hidden within encrypted flows without full packet decryption
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Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for multi-admin enterprise operations
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Native REST API integration with Cisco ISE for end-to-end zero-trust access policy
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Persistent audit logging to meet PCI DSS, HIPAA compliance requirements
7. High Availability & Operations
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3-node multi-host cluster for distributed redundancy and quorum protection against single-node failure
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Synchronized database and application services across all cluster members
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In-Service Software Upgrade (ISU) for rolling non-disruptive controller updates
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Full fabric configuration backup and restore capability
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Independent CIMC out-of-band hardware troubleshooting, separate from DNAC OS
8. Programmability & Orchestration
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Embedded HTML5 GUI, Bash-style local CLI
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REST API, GraphQL for integration with Ansible, Terraform and third-party IT automation platforms
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Integration with VMware vCenter, SCVMM, Cisco Prime Infrastructure
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Operates under Cisco DNA Subscription licensing model
5. Typical Deployment Scenarios
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Ultra-large enterprise multi-building campus DNA Center cluster managing massive wired and Wi‑Fi 6 networks
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Multi-pod Software-Defined Access (SDA) fabric orchestration for global distributed organizations
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Consolidated hybrid campus + FlexConnect worldwide multi-site wireless architectures
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Mid-tier service provider managed network operations for multi-tenant enterprise customers
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Legacy network transformation migrating large-scale AireOS CUWN deployments to modern IOS‑XE intent-based architecture
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Lab and proof-of-concept environments for multi-pod SDA, zero-trust and high-density wireless validation
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Intermediate migration platform before upgrading to Gen3 DN3-HW-APL-XL hardware
6. Short Sales Listing Tagline
Cisco DN2-HW-APL-XL Legacy 2U Rackmount Gen2 Catalyst DNA Center Flagship 112-Core Intent-Based Network Automation Appliance, Built on UCS C480 M5 Server, 2×10G SFP+ + 4×10G SFP+ Multi-Port NICs, Integrated CIMC Out-of-Band Hardware Management, Supports up to 24,000 Network Devices & 300,000 Concurrent Endpoints, Zero-Touch Provisioning, Multi-Pod SD-Access Fabric Orchestration, Full Wireless Assurance, ETA Encrypted Traffic Analytics, Mandatory 3-Node Cluster Deployment, Managed via HTML5 WebUI, CLI and REST APIs, End-of-Sale Top-Tier Gen2 DNA Center Platform for Ultra-Large Enterprise, Multi-Pod SDA and Global Multi-Site Consolidated Networks
Note: DN2-HW-APL-XL = Gen2 flagship 112-core DNA Center hardware. Gen2 lineup: DN2-HW-APL (44-core), DN2-HW-APL-L (56-core), DN2-HW-APL-XL (112-core). Successor platform: DN3-HW-APL-XL Gen3 Catalyst Center appliance.
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