Cisco Catalyst 9000

Cisco Catalyst 9000
Name	Cisco Catalyst 9000
Manufacturer	Cisco Systems
Family	Catalyst
Introduced	2017
Type	Enterprise network switch
Os	IOS XE

Cisco Catalyst 9000 The Cisco Catalyst 9000 series is a family of enterprise-class network switches developed by Cisco Systems for campus, branch, and data center environments. The platform integrates hardware advances by Intel Corporation and Broadcom Inc. with software features drawn from IOS XE, enabling integration with automation efforts by Ansible, Puppet (software), and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Designed to support initiatives championed by Digital transformation leaders such as Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, and Sundar Pichai, the series aims to meet demands from institutions including Stanford University, Bank of America, and Amazon.com.

Overview

The Catalyst 9000 line targets enterprise networking needs articulated in frameworks from Gartner and Forrester Research and aligns with standards from IEEE 802.3 and IETF. It emphasizes programmability through OpenConfig models and API driven operations used by organizations like Salesforce and Facebook. With modular designs influenced by vendors such as Juniper Networks and Arista Networks, the series competes in markets served by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Extreme Networks.

Models and Hardware Platforms

Hardware variants include fixed-configuration campus switches analogous to offerings from Dell EMC and chassis-based modular systems comparable to lines from HPE Aruba Networks. The family incorporates silicon from Broadcom Inc. and CPU subsystems from Intel Corporation, alongside power systems influenced by suppliers such as Delta Electronics and Mean Well. Specific models serve aggregation roles for universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and enterprise customers like Walmart and Verizon Communications.

Software and Features

The Catalyst 9000 runs IOS XE and supports model-based telemetry standards promoted by IETF and tooling by Grafana and Prometheus. Features include intent-based networking concepts derived from research at MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and automation integrations used by firms like Accenture and Deloitte (company). It supports segmentation via technologies adopted by VMware, Inc. and Microsoft Azure, interoperability with SD-WAN solutions from VMware and Cisco SD-WAN, and programmability through RESTful APIs and standards such as NETCONF and gNMI.

Deployment and Use Cases

Enterprises deploy Catalyst 9000 switches in campus networks at organizations like Harvard University, data centers operated by Equinix, and branch offices for retailers such as Target Corporation. Telecommunications providers including AT&T and T-Mobile use the family for edge aggregation in conjunction with orchestration frameworks from OpenStack and Kubernetes. Use cases span voice and video services used by Zoom Video Communications, secure IoT connectivity for Siemens and General Electric, and high-density Wi‑Fi backhaul in venues like Madison Square Garden.

Security and Management

Security features integrate with products from Cisco Umbrella and identity platforms such as Okta, Inc. and Microsoft Entra ID. The series supports protocol-level protections aligned with standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology and threat intelligence collaborations with vendors including Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike. Management is facilitated through Cisco DNA Center and APIs usable by automation projects run by Red Hat and consultancy teams at Capgemini.

Performance and Scalability

Performance metrics compare with high-performance offerings from Arista Networks and Juniper Networks, providing line-rate switching and hardware-accelerated tunneling used by hyperscalers like Google LLC and Microsoft Azure. Scaling strategies reflect designs employed at cloud providers including Amazon Web Services and Alibaba Group to support east-west traffic patterns and multicast workloads similar to those at Netflix and YouTube.

History and Development

Announced amid enterprise pushes for intent-based networking that involved thought leaders from Cisco Systems and analysts at Gartner, the Catalyst 9000 series emerged as part of broader industry shifts also influenced by initiatives at Intel Corporation and open-source projects like Open vSwitch. Adoption accelerated through partnerships with systems integrators such as IBM and Accenture, and through procurement by public institutions including U.S. Department of Defense and municipal deployments in cities like San Francisco.

Category:Network switches Category:Cisco products