Cisco N9K-C9504-FM-E Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Cisco N9K-C9504-FM-E:Cisco Nexus 9504 Cloud-Scale Hot-Swappable Fabric Module, 800 Gbps Per-Slot Bandwidth Capacity, Clos Architecture Interconnect Module for 4-Slot Nexus 9504 Modular Data Center Chassis, Optimized for 100G Workload Deployments, Dual NX-OS / ACI Operating Mode SupportedCisco

Core Definition

N9K-C9504-FM-E is a rear hot-pluggable Cloud-Scale fabric module exclusively designed for the 4-slot Cisco Nexus 9504 modular data center switch chassis. The Nexus 9500 series adopts a distributed Clos switching architecture; each fabric module acts as a high-speed crossbar that creates full-mesh direct interconnections between all front-panel line card slots within the chassisCisco.

This FM-E generation fabric module delivers 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking bandwidth for every line card slot, tuned to carry mainstream 100G Ethernet fabric workloads in enterprise and cloud data centers. All fabric modules installed in a single Nexus 9504 chassis must be identical FM-E models; mixed deployment of FM-E, FM-E2 or FM-G fabric modules is not supported and triggers hardware mismatch faultsCisco.

The module features carrier-grade reliability, hot-swap support for zero-downtime maintenance, and native compatibility with both NX-OS traditional IP leaf-spine fabrics and ACI Application Centric Infrastructure multi-tenant policy-driven fabrics.

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. N9K: Standard prefix for Cisco Nexus 9000 series modular chassis switch hardware
2. C9504: Chassis identifier, representing the 4-slot Nexus 9504 modular switch chassis
3. FM: Fabric Module, the core crossbar interconnection hardware for the Clos chassis architecture
4. E: E-series Cloud-Scale ASIC silicon variant, delivering 800 Gbps per-slot bandwidth optimized for 100G traffic flows
5. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only fabric module kits (N9K-C9504-FM-E=)Cisco

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2020
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Active production hardware as of 2026, no official EoS announcement released
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Model: N9K-C9504-FM-G (1.6 Tbps per-slot high-bandwidth FM-G fabric module)
• Minimum Supported NX-OS Software Version: NX-OS Release 9.3(16) and later; fully compatible with ACI Spine/Leaf OS releases
• Software Maintenance Status: Active Cisco TAC engineering support, regular feature updates and critical security patch releases available via Cisco DNA support contracts
• Legacy Status: Not end-of-life hardware; genuine spare parts, certified firmware upgrades and 24×7 technical support are fully accessible through authorized Cisco distribution channels

Mandatory Deployment Rules for Nexus 9504 Chassis

1. All fabric modules deployed in one chassis must be the identical FM-E model; mixing FM-E with FM-E2/FM-G is prohibitedCisco.
2. Minimum quantity requirement for full chassis bandwidth: At least four N9K-C9504-FM-E fabric modules must be installed in the rear fabric slots of the Nexus 9504 chassis to unlock full non-blocking switching throughput.
3. Redundancy mechanism: Traffic from each line card is load-balanced evenly across all active fabric modules. If one fabric module fails, remaining modules share all traffic load without chassis shutdown, only reducing overall system bandwidth capacity temporarilyCisco.

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

Each factory-sealed N9K-C9504-FM-E retail/spare package contains all hardware required for chassis installation:

1. N9K-C9504-FM-E base hot-swappable Cloud-Scale fabric module with integrated passive aluminum heat sink assembly
2. Chassis mounting retention screws and anti-static ESD handling storage bag
3. Quick-start hardware installation guide covering fabric module insertion, removal and replacement procedures
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

• Full-mesh Clos crossbar interconnection: Direct high-speed data forwarding paths between every front line card slot in the Nexus 9504 chassis
• 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking bandwidth per line card slot, optimized for 100G Ethernet fabric traffic flows
• Dynamic traffic load balancing: All data packets between line cards are evenly distributed across all installed fabric modules to avoid single-module congestion
• Hot-swappable zero-downtime maintenance: Fabric modules can be inserted or removed without powering off the entire Nexus 9504 chassis
• Fault isolation and redundancy: The chassis continues normal forwarding operation if a single fabric module fails; remaining modules automatically undertake full traffic load
• Dual operating mode compatibility: Native support for standard NX-OS traditional IP leaf-spine fabrics and ACI Spine/Leaf OS policy-driven multi-tenant data center fabrics
• Hardware forwarding acceleration: All inter-line-card traffic switching is fully offloaded to the built-in Cloud-Scale E-series ASIC, eliminating supervisor CPU bottlenecks
• Compatibility with all Cloud-Scale EX/FX generation hybrid leaf line cards (N9K-X97xxxxYC-EX/FX series) for the Nexus 9504 chassis

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core Bandwidth & Forwarding Performance

• Per-line-card-slot bidirectional switching bandwidth: 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking
• Internal ASIC port resources: Each FM-E fabric module integrates dedicated Cloud-Scale silicon ASICs with internal high-speed interconnection ports for all 4 line card slots of the Nexus 9504 chassisCisco
• Traffic optimization target: Tuned for high-volume 100G Ethernet bidirectional traffic flows in leaf-spine fabric architectures
• System full chassis non-blocking total throughput (4 FM-E modules installed): 3.2 Tbps total bidirectional chassis switching capacity
• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures): 829,890 hours, carrier-grade long-term operational reliability

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical fabric module operating power draw under medium chassis traffic load: ~140 Watts
• Maximum full-load power consumption under chassis full traffic pressure: ~180 Watts
• Power delivery: Powered exclusively through the Nexus 9504 chassis rear backplane; no external power supply connectors on the fabric module

Thermal & Environmental Operating Parameters

• Certified continuous operating temperature range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) standard data center environment
• Extended validated short-term operating temperature: 0°C to 55°C (32°F to 131°F)
• Storage & transport temperature range: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
• Operating relative humidity: 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing
• Operating altitude: Certified operational range -150 m to 2,000 m (-500 ft to 6,500 ft); extended validated range up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft)
• Cooling design: Passive aluminum heat sink assembly mounted on the fabric module PCB; cooling airflow is supplied by the host Nexus 9504 chassis rear fan trays
• Airflow direction: Port-side intake (rear fabric slot intake), front exhaust standard airflow design

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard Nexus 9504 rear hot-swappable vertical fabric module form factor, dedicated for 4-slot N9K-C9504 chassis only
• Bare fabric module net weight (without mounting accessories): Approximately 2.1 kg

3. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications

Fully compliant with global international industry, safety, EMC, and carrier-grade standards when installed inside certified Nexus 9504 modular chassis:

1. Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, GB 4943 Chinese national safety standard
2. EMC & EMI Standards: FCC CFR Title 47 Part 15 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, ICES003 Class A
3. Carrier-Grade Compliance: NEBS Level 3 (GR-1089-CORE, GR-63-CORE), ETSI ETS 300 386-2, EN 50121-4 railway EMC compatibility
4. Environmental Directive: EU RoHS 2 hazardous substance restriction compliance

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Optimized 800 Gbps Per-Slot Bandwidth for 100G Fabrics: The FM-E fabric module delivers 800 Gbps full-duplex bandwidth per line card slot, perfectly matching the throughput demand of mainstream 100G QSFP28 leaf line cards deployed in medium-scale enterprise and cloud leaf-spine data center fabrics.
2. Full-Mesh Clos Crossbar Redundancy & Load Balancing: The distributed Clos architecture creates direct interconnection paths between all line card slots, and traffic is evenly load-balanced across all installed fabric modules. Single fabric module failure will not interrupt chassis forwarding services, only moderately reduce overall system throughput, significantly improving data center fabric reliability.
3. Hot-Swap Zero-Downtime Maintenance Compatibility: The fabric module adopts a fully hot-swappable design. Network administrators can insert, remove or replace faulty fabric modules without shutting down the entire Nexus 9504 chassis, eliminating costly data center fabric downtime during hardware maintenance and upgrade operations.
4. Dual NX-OS / ACI Fabric Operating Mode Support: This FM-E fabric module is fully compatible with both traditional NX-OS IP leaf-spine fabrics and Cisco ACI policy-driven multi-tenant data center fabrics. The same fabric module hardware can be reused for legacy IP data centers and modern ACI cloud fabrics, maximizing hardware asset flexibility and reducing hardware refresh investment costs.
5. Exclusive Dedicated Compatibility with Nexus 9504 Chassis: Custom-designed for the 4-slot Nexus 9504 modular switch chassis, it perfectly matches the chassis backplane interconnection specifications and airflow cooling layout, avoiding hardware mismatch faults caused by cross-chassis fabric module mixing.
6. Long-Term Carrier-Grade Reliability & Low Power Consumption: The fabric module features a passive heat sink design without built-in fans, reducing mechanical failure points, paired with ultra-low power consumption to cut data center cooling energy expenditure. Its MTBF of over 820,000 hours meets strict carrier-grade long-term continuous operation requirements.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

43222612 (Hot-swappable Cloud-Scale E-series ASIC fabric crossbar module for Cisco Nexus 9504 4-slot modular data center switch chassis, N9K-C9504-FM-E, 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking bandwidth per line card slot, optimized for 100G Ethernet leaf-spine fabric workloads, Clos full-mesh interconnection architecture, hot-swap zero-downtime maintenance support, dual NX-OS / ACI fabric operating mode compatibility, for medium-scale enterprise, cloud and carrier data center modular core switch chassis interconnection deployments).

K9 Security Compliance Note

All N9K-C9504-FM-E supported NX-OS and ACI Spine/Leaf OS firmware releases implement AES 128-bit encrypted remote CLI, web management portal, SNMP, and NETCONF management traffic, meeting Cisco K9 secure network hardware classification standards required for government, military, healthcare, and financial industry regulated data center deployments.

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms

Standard 1-year limited hardware warranty coverage for brand-new factory-sealed N9K-C9504-FM-E fabric module spare kits purchased through official Cisco authorized global distribution channel partners. Extended 3-year / 5-year hardware support contracts are available as optional add-ons via Cisco DNA Support Services, covering spare part replacement, 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support, and certified NX-OS / ACI Spine/Leaf OS firmware upgrade releases.