Cisco 3850 10g module

Types of cisco 3850 10g module

The Cisco 3850 10G module is designed for Cisco's 3850 series switches. This module enables organizations to expand their network connectivity options while providing high-speed and reliable connections. There are two main types of the Cisco 3850 10G module: the SFP+ and the QSFPP.

• SFP+ (Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus)

  The SFP+ transceiver is a compact and hot-pluggable device used for 10 Gigabit interfaces. Using the multimode fiber (MMF) or single-mode fiber (SMF), this module can cover long distances. The SFP+ module supports different 10 Gigabit Ethernet standards, including Ethernet (10GBase-SR), Ethernet (10GBase-LR), 10GBase-ER Ethernet, and 10GBase-ZR Ethernet. Each of these standards is designed for a specific range and type of optical network.

  For instance:

  • 10GBase-SR: This short-range module is suitable for chip-to-chip connections. It uses multimode fiber to achieve a maximum range of 400 meters on fiber-optic cables.
  • 10GBase-LR: The long-range module can be used for long-distance transmission, covering a maximum range of 10 kilometers using single-mode fiber.
  • 10GBase-ER: This extended range module can reach up to 40 kilometers on single-mode fiber.
  • 10GBase-ZR: This reach module can achieve between 32 to 80 kilometers range on single-mode fiber.

• QSFPP (Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus)

  A QSFPP transceiver is used to increase 10 Gigabit interface connectivity. This module is similar to the SFP+ transceiver but consumes less power. The Cisco 3850 series switch supports various QFSFP modules, including CISCO-QSFP-40G-SR4, QSFP-TR-MP-40G, and QSFP-40G-SR-QSFP. Each of these modules is designed to support 40 Gigabit Ethernet technology. The QSFPP module uses multimode fiber to achieve effective connectivity over short ranges up to 400 meters and long ranges up to 10 kilometers on single-mode fiber.

Functions and features of cisco 3850 10G module

The Cisco 3850 10G module is a valuable addition to the 3850 series of Catalyst switches. It offers superior features and various 10 Gb/s SFP+ interfaces for organizations looking to maximize network performance and reach the highest throughput levels.

Functions:

• Increased bandwidth to support mission-critical applications: This module provides services at high rates, which improvesservice delivery speed and response times. This results in increased productivity and operational efficiency.
• Scalable, flexible, and high-density solution: The 10G module addresses each organization's different needs and network requirements by providing various port configurations.
• Enables exceptional application performance: When the 10G module is used together with other Cisco solutions, it optimizes app performance and user experience.
• Provides services and applications that require higher throughput: The 3850 switch with the 10G module can handle demanding services and applications like video surveillance and virtualization and can support emerging technologies like the IoT.

Features:

• Superior performance and reliability: The module is built for mission-critical applications and can deliver consistent network performance while ensuring reliability and low latency.
• Compatibility with existing infrastructure: The Cisco 10G module works seamlessly together with other network modules, optimizing 10G infrastructure and enhancing capabilities and performance while providing return on investments.
• Enterprise-grade features: The module has features that can address various enterprise network challenges, like program real-time applications and data demands.
• Robust programmability and automation: The module allows network operators and administrators to efficiently manage the throughput, automate operations, and implement recent networking strategies while delivering flexible and agile networking.
• Application Visibility and Control (AVC): Cisco's application visibility and control technology is empowered by a 10G module, which provides managers with deeper insights into program performance and avails the means to optimize app traffic.
• Advanced network services support: Robust programmability and automation capabilities allow administrators to implement recent network service architectures like virtualization, service chaining, and network function integration.
• Multisite applications: The application network services support by the Cisco 10G module enhances performance for various sites by enabling load balancing and fast failover, improving mobile and remote worker experience.

Applications of Cisco 3850 10G module

The Cisco 10GBASE-R SFP+ module has several applications, such as:

• Data Centers

  SFP+ modules are deployed within data centers for high-speed, low-latency network connections between servers, storage devices, and switches. The modules enable 10 GE connectivity, which is crucial for supporting bandwidth-intensive applications such as cloud computing, virtualization, multimedia streaming, and big data analytics. They are also used for connecting to blade servers with integrated 10 GE network interface cards (NICs).

• Enterprise Networks

  Cisco 3850 10G modules are increasingly used in enterprise networks for upgrading existing infrastructure to support 10 GE connectivity, especially at the network core layer. They are also used for establishing high-speed links between aggregation switches, branch offices, and remote sites or offices. They provide the necessary bandwidth to support unified network services such as voice, video, and data.

• Service Provider Networks

  Service providers use these modules for building and upgrading their broadband and backbone networks. They are used for enhancing network capacity and facilitating higher-speed service delivery to business and residential customers. Their low latency and high throughput enable the aggregation of multiple customer connections at network edge and high-speed interconnects between geographically dispersed points of presence (PoPs).

• Financial Institutions

  For institutions that handle massive transaction volumes, low-latency networking is a priority. Such institutions deploy SFP+ modules to interconnect trading servers, market data feeders, and order entry systems. Optimizing network infrastructure with 10 GE connectivity enables them to respond rapidly to market changes and minimize latency in trade execution.

• High-Performance Computing (HPC)

  Organizations that employ supercomputers and clusters of servers to perform complex scientific and technical computing tasks use the SFP+ modules to create low-latency, high-throughput interconnects between computing nodes. The modules help to reduce job completion time by astonishingly increasing data transfer rates between storage and computing resources.

• Storage Area Networks (SANs)

  These modules work well with Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) technologies for connecting storage devices and routers within SANs. They provide great bandwidth for supporting data backup, storage replication, and high-speed data transfers, which are required for virtualization, big data, and other storage-intensive applications.

• Campus Networks

  In large enterprise buildings or campuses, the modules are used to establish high-speed links between distribution and access layers for aggregating pot connections from wired and wireless endpoints. They also support the convergence of multiple network services, including voice, video, data, and various applications such as IoT.

How to Choose Cisco 3850 10G Module

There are a few things to consider when selecting a right 10G module for Cisco 3850 switches. They are;

• Compatibility: The 10G modules selected should be compatible with the existing hardware and network infrastructure. Therefore, before selecting any 10G module for a Cisco switch, ensure that it is explicitly compatible with the switch model and manufacturer. This will help avoid interoperability issues and ensure seamless connectivity.
• Networking needs: For effective communication, businesses need to determine and identify their networking requirements. This involves thoroughly understanding the tasks, applications, and bandwidth requirements. After that, they can choose the right 10G module that will meet their specific needs in terms of performance, distance and interfaces.
• Compliance with standards: Businesses should make sure that the chosen 10G module complies with industry standards, such as MSA (Multisource Agreement), which guarantees interoperability with different vendors’ devices.
• Form factor: Different businesses have different preferences regarding network devices and infrastructure arrangements. It is upon organizations to identify their preferences and choose a right 10G module that will meet their specific requirements in terms of form factor and compatibility.
• Application: It is important for businesses to determine and identify their specific application needs before selecting any 10G module. Basically, different types of 10G modules are designed to support various applications like data center interconnection, high frequency- trade, virtualization and media processing.
• Distance and mode: Distance, environmental conditions and application needs are some of the factors that determine the type of fiber optic cable to be used in the network. Therefore, businesses should first identify their environmental conditions and application needs to choose the right cable.
• Power and Budget: When selectingCisco 3850 10G modules, businesses need to consider their power budget and ROI (Returns on Investment). They should choose a module that meets the tolerance in terms of optical power level.

Q&A

Q1: What are some advantages of the Cisco 3850 10G module?

A1: Some key advantages are low latency necessary for real-time apps, high-density enabling many users on a single module, and optical reach that allows long-distance connections. Support for Network Slicing and SD-WAN also adds to the advantages.

Q2: How many 10G modules can be installed in a Cisco 3850?

A2: The number of 10G modules that can be installed in a Cisco 3850 depends on the model. It can install up to six 10G modules in some models.

Q3: What is the optical reach of the 3850 10G modules?

A3: The optical reach for the 3850 10G modules varies for each module. For the SFP+, it is up to 150m on the Cisco 3850-24T-SW with Cat 5e cable/10Gbase-T and on the 3850-Z chassis, it is up to 300m with the cable type supported by the transceiver. For the LR/PB LR, it is 10km on OM3/OM4 fibers, and for the LR 1310, it is 10/25 km on SMF.

Q4: What are some applications of Cisco 3850 10G modules?

A4: Cisco 3850 10G modules have various applications, including connecting to 10GBASE-T networks, constructing Top-of-Rack (ToR) switches in data center environments that are cloud-based, and building networks that are high density for facilities that require low latency.