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Cisco NX-OS is a solid option for your core
December 14, 2020

Cisco NX-OS is a solid option for your core

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco NX-OS

Cisco NX-OS is being used on core Nexus switches to tie together closets as well as tie in VM infrastructure. It is being used across the organization. Cisco NX-OS provides resilience to our infrastructure, because we have all closets tied into both Nexus switches. It also provides VPCs which are helpful with resilience.
  • In-service software upgrade
  • Non-stop forwarding
  • Virtual Port Channels
  • We had some issues with FCoE initially that we got resolved later on.
  • In general it has provided solid core infrastructure resiliency
  • You may have some vendor lock in with some features
  • Solid value in general
This has allowed us to add more wiring closets without worrying about if our core will be able to handle it. Cisco also provides equipment that is highly available and secure. We also know that we can contact TAC with any issues that may arise. We've found TAC to be useful when we did have an outage. They were responsive to help us.
Our switches running NX-OS have provided solid consistent throughput. We haven't had any issues with it not being able to handle what we threw at it. The latency is extremely low. It also has multiple management options that we hope to pursue in the future.
This obviously wouldn't replace a firewall, but for a core switch it supports plenty of security features that you may not see in other platforms. I would recommend NX-OS if you are looking for a secure core switch.
The security of NX-OS is solid overall. We have not experienced any major security related issues because of NX-OS.
I have tried out Aruba's core switches. I would say that Cisco NX-OS is a better option for a core switch if resilience is critical. You are also going to tend to spend more money on NX-OS.

Do you think Cisco NX-OS delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco NX-OS's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco NX-OS live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco NX-OS go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco NX-OS again?

Yes

Cisco NX-OS is an excellent option for a core switch if you need solid resilience. It provides a solid level of security for a core switch as well. If you aren't going to be running multiple connections from wiring closets or VM infrastructure then a less pricey option would be recommended unless you need the port bandwidth. Personally I think the VPC functionality within NX-OS is relatively easy to use and works well.