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Cisco Nexus 9000 Architecture - BRKDCN-3939#

Cisco Live US 2026 (Las Vegas) digest Program Core pick Las Vegas · 31 May – 4 June 2026

Abstract

Faraz Taifehesmatian (Cisco)

  • Why: Switching silicon and forwarding mechanics are core to this PM; this is the internals session for Cisco's workhorse DC switch line.
  • What: An in-depth architecture study of the latest-generation Nexus 9000 modular and top-of-rack switches — ASIC architecture, forwarding mechanics, and physical design (from abstract only).
  • How: Walks the packet path through the ASIC and the hardware-enabled features that produce high-performance DC network services.
  • Where applicable: Nexus 9000-specific; useful as a concrete datapoint on merchant/custom silicon trade-offs and what a modern DC ASIC feature set looks like.