Cisco MDS 9000 Series MDS 9396T
The Cisco MDS 9396T delivers 96 auto-sensing 32-Gbps Fibre Channel ports in a 2U chassis, providing high-density SAN switching for large enterprise storage deployments. It supports wire-rate non-blocking switching performance, Virtual SAN segmentation, and hardware-accelerated FC-NVMe transport across all ports.
Specifications
| Brand | Cisco |
|---|---|
| Family | Cisco MDS 9000 Series |
| Form factor | 2U |
| Released | Sep 2018 |
| Form factor | 2U rackmount |
| Ports | 96x 32Gb FC SFP28 (48, 64, 80, or 96 ports active) |
| Switching capacity | 3.072 Tb/s full duplex |
| Latency | Cut-through switching architecture |
Generations
- Previous generation: Cisco MDS 9000 Series MDS 9148S
Compatible parts
Transceivers
DS-SFP-FC32G-SW Cisco 32Gbps Fibre Channel Shortwave SFP28 Transceiver
Works together
How the Cisco MDS 9000 Series MDS 9396T connects to servers, storage and the network: 1 way, with the parts and products on each path.
Fibre Channel SAN
Match the speed: 16Gb and 32Gb FC HBAs, switches and array ports work together, and each generation also runs one or two speeds below its own (a 32Gb port runs at 16Gb and 8Gb).
Servers
Dell PowerEdge R240 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R340 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R6415 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R7415 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R7425 2U rack
Adapters for the server
540-BCMT Dell QLogic 2772 Dual Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
540-BBUU Dell Emulex LPe31002 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BBUV Dell QLogic 2692 Dual Port 16Gb Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter
540-BCMS Dell QLogic 2770 Single Port 32Gb Fibre Channel PCIe Adapter
Storage
HPE Alletra 9000 4U rack mission-critical array
Lenovo ThinkSystem DE2000H 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4084 5U rack
HPE Nimble Storage Nimble Storage HF20 4U rack adaptive flash array
Optics
DS-SFP-FC16G-SW Cisco 16Gbps Fibre Channel Shortwave SFP+ Transceiver- DS-SFP-FC32G-SW Cisco 32Gbps Fibre Channel Shortwave SFP28 Transceiver
57-1000262-01 Brocade 16Gb Shortwave SFP+ Optical Transceiver
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- SAN transport and NVMe over FC for backup mrplanb.com
Check compatibility with Cisco
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Cisco has tested with the Cisco MDS 9000 Series MDS 9396T.
- Compatibility Cisco interoperability page for the Cisco MDS 9000 Series MDS 9396T
- Compatibility Cisco UCS Hardware Compatibility List
- Compatibility Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix
- Support Cisco Support and Downloads
Equivalent models from other brands
FAQ
How does the Cisco MDS 9396T scale in port density?
The switch starts with 48 enabled ports and scales up to 96 ports in 16-port increments via software licensing.
What telemetry features are built into the Cisco MDS 9396T?
Hardware telemetry sensors inspect every FC frame header at wire speed without impacting data forwarding performance.
Buying or selling MDS 9396T?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- Cisco MDS 9396T 32-Gbps 96-Port Fibre Channel Switch Data Sheet, checked 2026-10-27