Cisco SNS-3615-K9 (ISE3615-K9) Full English Product Description
1. Short Official Part & License Label
SNS-3615-K9 (Commonly referenced as ISE3615-K9): Cisco Secure Network Server 3615 Small-Scale Physical Appliance for Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), 1U Rack-Mount UCS C220 M5 Server, Single Intel Xeon Silver 4110 (8 Cores / 16 Threads), 32GB DDR4 RAM, 600GB SAS Storage (RAID 0), 6×1GBASE-T Ethernet Interfaces, UEFI Secure Boot Locked for ISE OS, Supports up to 10,000 Concurrent Endpoints, Distributed ISE Persona Deployment, Integrated CIMC Out-of-Band Management, End-of-Sale SNS 3600 Series ISE Hardware Platform
2. Full Product Overview
The Cisco SNS-3615-K9 (market alias ISE3615-K9) is the entry-small physical appliance within the SNS 3600 Secure Network Server family, purpose-built dedicated hardware for running the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), the industry-leading zero-trust network access control (NAC) platform. It is built on the Cisco UCS C220 M5 1U rack server and exclusively optimized for ISE workloads; the hardware features UEFI Secure Boot restriction, which only allows signed Cisco ISE operating system images to boot, preventing installation of generic third-party operating systems.
Designed for small-to-medium enterprise campus networks, branch aggregation environments, and lab/proof-of-concept ISE deployments, the SNS-3615-K9 supports a maximum of10,000 monitored concurrent endpoints. It can be deployed as a standalone all-in-one ISE node or segmented into distributed personas: Administration Node (PAN), Policy Service Node (PSN), Monitoring Node (MnT), and pxGrid node for scalable multi-node ISE clusters.
The appliance runs Cisco ISE software, delivering unified identity policy enforcement across wired LAN, Catalyst wireless networks, remote VPN access, SD-Access fabric, and TrustSec microsegmentation. Key workloads include 802.1X authentication, MAC authentication bypass (MAB), web authentication, BYOD onboarding, guest access lifecycle management, endpoint posture assessment, and integration with Catalyst DNA Center, Catalyst 9800 wireless controllers, and ACI fabrics.
Lifecycle Status: SNS-3615-K9 reached End-of-Sale (EoS). Supported ISE releases up to 3.x; successor hardware is the newer SNS-3715 / SNS-3815 appliance generations. Interoperates with all modern Cisco switching, wireless and security infrastructure. Licensing is separate from hardware, governed by Cisco ISE Base, Plus, Apex software subscription licenses.
Key Differentiator vs SNS-3655-K9 / SNS-3695-K9: Entry-tier capacity for up to 10,000 endpoints, lower CPU/RAM and single-disk RAID0 storage. Compared to virtual ISE: Dedicated hardened physical server with CIMC out-of-band hardware control, predictable authentication performance, and secure boot protection not available on virtual deployments.
3. Complete Hardware Physical & Interface Specifications
Form Factor & Mechanical
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Rack Form Factor: Standard 1U 19-inch rack-mount chassis (UCS C220 M5 SFF)
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Dimensions: 44.45 mm (H) × 431.8 mm (W) × 711.2 mm (D) / 1.75 × 17 × 28 inches
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Unit Weight: 13.6 kg (30 lbs) single PSU configuration
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Cooling: Multiple hot-swappable redundant internal cooling fans
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Power Supply: Single 770W AC PSU standard; redundant PSU is optional upgrade
Rear Panel Interface Layout
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6×10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 Ethernet ports for ISE service traffic (RADIUS, CoA, pxGrid, logging)
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1× Dedicated RJ45 CIMC out-of-band management port for independent hardware administration
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RJ45 RS‑232 serial console port for local CLI installation and recovery
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USB 3.0 Type‑A ports for configuration file uploads and diagnostics
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Dual AC power supply slots (primary + optional redundant secondary PSU)
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Physical security lock slot for anti-theft security cable attachment
Front Panel LED Status Indicators
Global status LEDs: Power, System Health, Critical Fault Alarm, Fan Status, Disk Activity
Per-port Link/Activity LEDs for all six GbE data ports and CIMC management 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: 770 W fully loaded
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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
Hardware Base Configuration
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CPU: Single Intel Xeon Silver 4110, 2.1 GHz, 8 Cores / 16 Threads
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Memory: 32 GB DDR4 ECC RAM
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Storage: Single 600GB SAS HDD, RAID 0 configuration
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Firmware Security: UEFI Secure Boot, locked to Cisco-signed ISE images only
Verified ISE Scalability Limits
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Maximum concurrent monitored endpoints: 10,000
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Supported ISE Personas: PAN, PSN, MnT, pxGrid, Guest Services
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Authentication throughput: Up to 900 PAP authentications/sec (internal identity store)
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Supports standalone deployment or multi-node ISE cluster participation
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Log and session retention capacity determined by internal disk storage
4. Core Cisco ISE Software Feature Suite
1. Unified Network Access Control
802.1X wired/wireless authentication, MAB, web portal authentication, guest access management, self-service BYOD device registration and provisioning.
2. Context-Aware Policy Enforcement
Combine user identity, device type, endpoint posture, location, time and network risk to enforce granular access policies. Supports dynamic VLAN assignment, ACL push, CoA re-authentication and session termination.
3. TrustSec Software-Defined Segmentation
Assign Security Group Tags (SGT) to endpoints; integrates with Catalyst switches, routers, wireless controllers and ACI fabrics for end-to-end group-based microsegmentation.
4. Endpoint Posture Assessment
Evaluate endpoint compliance (OS patches, antivirus, disk encryption, firewall status); quarantine non-compliant devices until remediation requirements are satisfied.
5. Threat Integration & pxGrid
Bidirectional integration with Cisco DNA Center, Stealthwatch, FTD firewalls; consume threat intelligence to dynamically isolate compromised endpoints.
6. Identity Federation
Integrates with Active Directory, LDAP, RADIUS, RSA SecurID, SAML SSO for centralized identity repository synchronization.
7. Monitoring, Reporting & Compliance
Centralized MnT logging, real-time session visibility, audit trails, customizable compliance reports for HIPAA, PCI DSS, and internal security governance.
8. High Availability & Operations
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Standalone mode or cluster member for distributed ISE architecture
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Node-level persona separation to scale authentication and monitoring workloads
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Scheduled configuration backup and restore
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Independent CIMC out-of-band power cycling, remote KVM and hardware diagnostics
9. Programmability & Orchestration
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Embedded HTML5 GUI, local CLI
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REST APIs for integration with automation platforms, ticketing systems and SIEM tools
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Supports Cisco ISE subscription licensing model
5. Typical Deployment Scenarios
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Small-to-medium enterprise primary or secondary ISE node for campus wired and Catalyst 9800 wireless NAC
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Distributed Policy Service Node (PSN) deployed at regional branch aggregation sites
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Lab, POC and pre-production testing environment for zero-trust and SD-Access validation
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TrustSec SGT enforcement point for medium-scale microsegmentation deployments
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Intermediate migration hardware before upgrading to newer SNS-3700 / SNS-3800 ISE appliance generations
6. Short Sales Listing Tagline
Cisco SNS-3615-K9 (ISE3615-K9) Legacy 1U Rackmount Small-Scale ISE Dedicated Secure Network Server, Built on UCS C220 M5, Single Xeon Silver 4110 (8C/16T), 32GB RAM, 600GB SAS Storage, 6×1GBASE-T Ports, Integrated CIMC Out-of-Band Management, UEFI Secure Boot Restricted for ISE OS, Supports up to 10,000 Concurrent Endpoints, Runs Cisco Identity Services Engine for NAC, TrustSec Microsegmentation & Zero-Trust Access, Deployable as Standalone or Cluster Persona Node, End-of-Sale Entry-Tier ISE Hardware for Small-to-Medium Enterprise Networks
Note: Official ordering part number isSNS-3615-K9, widely referenced in market listings as ISE3615-K9. Peer models: SNS-3655-K9 (Medium), SNS-3695-K9 (Large). Successor platforms: SNS-3715-K9, SNS-3815-K9.
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