Cisco DS-X9704 Full Official Product Description
1. Part Number & Naming Definition
Official Full Name
Cisco DS-X9704 MDS 9000 Family Hot-Swappable 4-Port 10-Gbps Fibre Channel Switching Module
Spare Part SKU: DS-X9704=
Naming Breakdown
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DS: Director Switch, designation for pluggable Fibre Channel line cards for MDS multilayer storage directors
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X97: 10Gbps Fibre Channel switching module platform for MDS 9500 Series
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04: 4 independent ports per module
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Suffix=: Standalone spare replacement unit for data center maintenance inventory
Core Product Positioning
The DS-X9704 is a high-performance hot-swappable 10-Gbps Fibre Channel line card exclusively designed for Cisco MDS 9500 series multilayer Storage Area Network (SAN) directors. It delivers native 10Gbps Fibre Channel connectivity, optimized for high-speed inter-switch ISL trunk links, long-distance stretched SAN fabrics, high-end enterprise storage arrays and mainframe environments.
This module utilizes X2 optical transceiver interfaces, providing five times higher bandwidth compared to legacy 2Gbps Fibre Channel hardware. It supports comprehensive MDS NX-OS feature suites including VSAN segmentation, FICON protocol, fabric security and advanced diagnostics, enabling seamless integration and expansion of modern enterprise SAN infrastructures.
2. Hardware & Platform Compatibility
Supported MDS Chassis
Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Directors: MDS 9506, MDS 9509, MDS 9513. Occupies one standard full line card slot.
Requirement: MDS 9513 chassis requires Fabric-2 backplane modules to fully support DS-X9704 10Gbps operation. Supervisor-2 or newer supervisor modules are mandatory.
Unsupported Platforms
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MDS 9700 series next-generation 16G/32G storage directors
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MDS 9100 / MDS 9200 fixed compact standalone SAN switches
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MDS 9500 chassis equipped only with Fabric-1 generation backplane modules
Supported Firmware Releases
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Minimum SAN-OS release: SAN-OS 3.3(x)
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Fully validated for mainstream NX-OS 4.x, 5.x, 6.x production firmware
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Supports non-disruptive ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade) for zero-downtime SAN fabric upgrades
Transceiver Compatibility
Hot-swappable X2 form-factor Fibre Channel optical transceivers (Optics sold separately):
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Short-wave multimode: DS-X2-FC10G-SR
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Long-wave single-mode: DS-X2-FC10G-LR
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Extended long-haul single-mode: DS-X2-FC10G-ER for up to 40km inter-site SAN connections
3. Physical & Electrical Technical Specifications
Form Factor
Single-slot hot-swappable FRU (Field Replaceable Unit), vertical front-panel insertion for MDS 9500 chassis, standard mechanical footprint for MDS high-speed Fibre Channel line cards.
Port & Bandwidth Performance
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4 independent X2 port slots, native 10.525Gbps Fibre Channel full line-rate forwarding
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Total aggregate full-duplex switching bandwidth: 80 Gbps
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Maximum 256 buffer credits configurable per individual port for long-distance SAN links
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Supported Fibre Channel operational port modes: F_Port, E_Port, SD_Port, TE_Port
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Native FICON and FICON CUP protocol support for IBM System z mainframe storage integration
Power Consumption
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Typical idle operating power draw: 75W
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Maximum full-load power consumption: 120W with all four X2 transceivers running full line-rate traffic
Environmental Operating Parameters
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Operating ambient temperature range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
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Storage / transportation temperature range: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
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Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
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Maximum operating altitude: 3000 meters above sea level
4. Key Fibre Channel & Software Feature Set
Hot-Swap OIR (Online Insertion and Removal)
The entire DS-X9704 line card can be inserted or removed while the host MDS 9500 director remains fully powered and operational. No chassis power cycle is required for hardware replacement or SAN capacity expansion. The supervisor module generates standardized syslog messages and SNMP trap alerts for all module insertion and removal events for centralized SAN fabric monitoring.
Full Native Fibre Channel Protocol Support
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Supports standard Fibre Channel Classes of Service: Class 2, Class 3, Class F (fabric control plane traffic)
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Hardware-isolated VSAN (Virtual Storage Area Network) segmentation for logical multi-tenant SAN partitioning, independent zoning policies per VSAN
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Comprehensive Fibre Channel zoning: Hard zoning, soft zoning, WWPN/WWNN device-based zoning
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ISL trunking with E_Port trunk groups to build aggregated, resilient inter-fabric links
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IVR (Inter-VSAN Routing) support for cross-VSAN data forwarding across segmented storage fabrics
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Transparent FICON protocol forwarding for IBM mainframe storage deployments
Enterprise-Grade SAN Security Features
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Port security: Restrict port access to predefined storage device WWPN identifiers
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DH-CHAP mutual authentication for all inter-switch ISL links; full FC-SP Fibre Channel security protocol support
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Fibre Channel frame storm suppression and port lockdown capabilities
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RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) fully integrated with MDS supervisor management plane
Advanced SAN Diagnostics & Management
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Built-in DOM (Digital Optical Monitoring) support for X2 optical transceivers; real-time monitoring of transmit/receive optical power, laser temperature and supply voltage
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Per-port real-time performance counters, CRC error statistics and link fault logging
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Built-in diagnostic utilities: FC ping, FC traceroute, SAN SPAN port mirroring
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Native integration with Cisco DCNM, Fabric Manager and Device Manager for unified end-to-end SAN lifecycle management
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Call Home automated fault notification for 24/7 data center monitoring
5. Typical Enterprise SAN Deployment Use Cases
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High-Speed Inter-Switch ISL Trunks: Deploy E_Port connections to build high-bandwidth backbone links between multiple MDS directors, consolidating legacy low-speed ISL connections
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Long-Distance Stretched SAN Infrastructure: Utilize ER X2 transceivers to implement disaster recovery SAN connectivity across campus or metro locations
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High-End Storage Array Attachment: F_Port connections for high-performance enterprise storage subsystems requiring 10Gbps low-latency throughput
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IBM Mainframe SAN Backbone: Leverage native FICON protocol capability to construct high-speed mainframe storage fabrics
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SAN Technology Migration Path: Upgrade legacy 2G/4G Fibre Channel fabrics to higher-speed 10Gbps infrastructure within existing MDS 9500 chassis
6. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications
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Electrical Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No.60950-1, IEC/EN 60950-1
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EMC & EMI Compliance: CE Mark, FCC Part 15 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, VCCI Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, CISPR 24, EN 61000 series ESD, surge and radiated immunity compliance
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Environmental Directives: EU RoHS 2.0 compliant, EU WEEE compliant
7. Standard Factory Packaging Contents
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DS-X9704 4-port 10Gbps Fibre Channel switching line card
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Integrated metal extraction lever and captive retention screws for secure chassis slot installation
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ESD anti-static protective bag and ESD wrist strap for static-safe hardware handling
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Hardware installation quick-start guide covering OIR hot-swap procedures, X2 transceiver installation and basic Fibre Channel port configuration CLI commands
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Complete global regulatory compliance and safety certification documentation packet
End-of-Life Status Note
The DS-X9704 has reached Cisco official End-of-Sale (EoS). Cisco TAC hardware fault support remains available for customers with active Cisco Smart Net Total Care service contracts. Recommended migration replacement hardware includes MDS 9700 series 16Gbps / 32Gbps Fibre Channel line cards.
UNSPSC Classification Code
43222602 – Cisco DS-X9704 hot-swappable 4-port 10-Gbps Fibre Channel switching line card for Cisco MDS 9500 series multilayer storage directors, supporting OIR hot-swap maintenance, hardware-isolated VSAN segmentation, Inter-VSAN Routing, native FICON mainframe support, full Fibre Channel zoning, DH-CHAP fabric security, DOM optical transceiver diagnostics, designed for high-speed inter-switch ISL trunking, disaster recovery stretched SAN and high-performance enterprise storage network deployments.
Standard Hardware Warranty
All factory-new DS-X9704 line cards include a 1-year limited hardware warranty covering manufacturing defects under rated operating environmental conditions. Cisco Smart Net Total Care extended service contracts deliver 24×7 priority Cisco TAC technical support, advance genuine spare hardware replacement service, validated stable SAN-OS/NX-OS firmware upgrade releases, and comprehensive end-to-end SAN fabric fault troubleshooting support.
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