N5K-C5010P-BFS Cisco N5K 1RU Switch Chassis
Cisco N5K-C5010P-BFS Nexus 5010 1RU Switch Chassis
Low-Latency 10GbE and FCoE Data Center Switch with Back-to-Front Airflow
The Cisco Nexus N5K-C5010P-BFS is a high-performance 1RU data center switch designed to deliver low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity for modern enterprise and cloud environments. Equipped with 20 fixed 10-Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ ports supporting Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), this switch enables unified fabric architecture by carrying both LAN and SAN traffic over a single network infrastructure. This capability helps organizations simplify network design, reduce cabling complexity, and lower overall infrastructure costs.
Built for demanding data center workloads, the Cisco Nexus 5010 provides an impressive switching capacity of 520 Gbps and a forwarding rate of 390 million packets per second (Mpps). Its cut-through switching architecture ensures ultra-low latency of approximately 3.2 microseconds, making it ideal for latency-sensitive applications such as high-performance computing (HPC), virtualization platforms, and real-time analytics environments.
The N5K-C5010P-BFS model features Back-to-Front airflow (port-side exhaust), which is optimized for hot aisle/cold aisle data center cooling designs where switch ports face the rear of the rack. This airflow configuration improves thermal efficiency and supports advanced data center containment strategies.
Designed for scalability and flexibility, the switch includes one expansion module slot that allows administrators to add additional connectivity options such as 10GbE Ethernet modules or Fibre Channel modules to support growing network demands. With redundant hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules, the Cisco Nexus N5K-C5010P-BFS ensures high availability and continuous operation, even during maintenance or component replacement.
Powered by the Cisco NX-OS operating system, the switch provides advanced enterprise networking features, including comprehensive security, virtualization support, QoS, and high-performance Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching capabilities. The Cisco Nexus N5K-C5010P-BFS is an ideal solution for organizations looking to build a high-speed, scalable, and unified data center network infrastructure.
Product Specifications – Cisco Nexus N5K-C5010P-BFS 20-Port 10GbE Data Center Switch
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Cisco Systems |
| Product Model | Cisco Nexus 5010 |
| Part Number | N5K-C5010P-BFS |
| Switch Type | Data Center Ethernet Switch |
| Layer Support | Layer 2 and Layer 3 |
| Port Configuration | 20 fixed 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ ports |
| FCoE Support | Yes (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) |
| Expansion Slots | 1 Expansion Module Slot |
| Supported Expansion Modules | Ethernet Modules, Fibre Channel Modules, GEM Modules |
| Switching Capacity | 520 Gbps |
| Forwarding Rate | 390 Million Packets Per Second (Mpps) |
| Latency | 3.2 microseconds |
| Airflow Direction | Back-to-Front (Port-side Exhaust / Blue Fans) |
| Form Factor | 1 Rack Unit (1RU) |
| Management Interfaces | 1 × 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet Management Port |
| Console Port | 1 × RS-232 Serial Console Port |
| Power Supply Support | 1+1 Redundant Hot-Swappable AC or DC Power Supplies |
| Cooling | Hot-swappable Fan Modules |
| Operating System | Cisco NX-OS |
| Unified Fabric Support | Supports Ethernet and Fibre Channel traffic over the same network |
| Virtualization Support | VMware, Hyper-V, and other hypervisor environments |
| Network Protocol Support | VLAN, VXLAN, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), QoS |
| Jumbo Frame Support | Up to 9216 Bytes |
| Security Features | Access Control Lists (ACL), Port Security |
| Mounting | Rack-mountable |
| Deployment Environment | Data Centers, Enterprise Core Networks, HPC Clusters |
| Typical Use Cases | High-density server connectivity, unified fabric infrastructure, virtualization, storage networking |
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FAQs:
Q1. What does the "BFS" in the part number signify?
"BFS" stands for Back-to-Front airflow. In this configuration, cold air enters through the power supply and fan side and exits through the port side. This is typically indicated by blue-colored handles on the fans.
Q2. Can I use 1Gbps SFP transceivers in the SFP+ ports?
Yes. The fixed SFP+ ports are dual-speed and support both 1-Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet transceivers, providing flexibility for legacy equipment.
Q3. Does this switch support Layer 3 routing?
By default, the Nexus 5010 is a Layer 2 switch. However, Layer 3 capabilities can be added by installing an optional L3 expansion module and the appropriate software license.
Q4. How many expansion modules can I install?
The Nexus 5010 has one expansion slot located on the rear of the chassis, which can be used for additional Ethernet ports or native Fibre Channel connectivity.
Q5. Is this switch compatible with Cisco Fabric Extenders (FEX)?
Yes. The Nexus 5010 can act as a parent switch for Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders, significantly increasing the total number of manageable 1GbE or 10GbE ports.
