Product Summary:
The Cisco DS-C9396S-48EK9 is a high-density, 2-rack-unit (2RU) multilayer Fibre Channel switch in the MDS 9300 Series, pre-licensed with 48 of its 96 possible line-rate 16-Gbps ports. It delivers enterprise-class reliability, low latency, and seamless scalability for small departmental SANs, top-of-rack/core-edge fabrics, or mid-row deployments. CiscoNetworkTigers
Product Description:
Built on Cisco NX-OS software and fully manageable via Cisco DCNM, the DS-C9396S-48EK9 supports autosensing port speeds of 2/4/8/10/16 Gbps with dedicated line rate per port. The base 48-port configuration can be expanded in 12-port increments up to 96 active ports via on-demand activation licenses. Its compact 2RU chassis features port-side exhaust airflow, hot-swappable redundant power supplies and fan trays, plus advanced diagnostics and telemetry for real-time SAN monitoring and rapid troubleshooting. CiscoNetwork Outlet
Key Features:
48 active autosensing Fibre Channel ports (scalable to 96)
Supports 2/4/8/10/16 Gbps per port with line-rate performance
Pay-as-you-grow licensing model with 12-port On-Demand activation
Hot-swappable dual redundant AC power supplies and fan trays
Port-side exhaust airflow for flexible data-center cooling
Integrated analytics, slow-drain detection, and end-to-end SAN telemetry
Managed via Cisco NX-OS CLI, SNMP, or DCNM GUI
Product Specifications Table:
| Specification | Details |
| Product Code | DS-C9396S-48EK9 |
| Series | Cisco MDS 9300 Series |
| Chassis Height | 2RU (3.4 in / 8.6 cm) |
| Port Count | 96 ports maximum (48 enabled) |
| Port Speeds | 2/4/8/10/16 Gbps auto-negotiation |
| Switching Capacity | Line-rate per port; total fabric bandwidth up to 1.536 Tbps¹ |
| Buffer-to-Buffer Credits | 512 (default) |
| Redundancy | Dual hot-swappable AC PSUs and fan trays |
| Airflow Direction | Port-side exhaust |
| Management | Cisco NX-OS CLI, SNMP, Cisco DCNM |
| Dimensions (H×W×D) | 3.4 × 17.4 × 22.3 in (8.6 × 44.2 × 56.7 cm) |
| Weight | ~23 lbs (10.4 kg) fully loaded |
¹ Fabric bandwidth calculated as 48 ports × 16 Gbps per port.
Similar Models Comparison Table:
| Model | Active Ports | Max Ports | Port Speed | Key Difference |
| DS-C9396S-48EK9 | 48 | 96 | 2/4/8/10/16 Gbps | Base 48-port licensed model |
| DS-C9396S-96K9 | 96 | 96 | 2/4/8/10/16 Gbps | Fully licensed 96-port configuration |
| DS-C9396S-24PK9 | 24 | 96 | 2/4/8/10/16 Gbps | Entry-level 24-port licensed variant |
| DS-C9392T-24K9 | 24 | 24 | 8/16 Gbps | 1RU 32 Gbps-capable switch (MDS 9130T Series) |
| DS-C93108-48K9 | 48 | 48 | 8 Gbps | Previous-gen MDS 9300 Series fixed-port model |
