Cisco Systems has unveiled a new line of Smart Switches designed to transform data center networking by integrating security and network services into a unified, high-performance solution. These switches incorporate programmable AMD Pensando data processing units , enabling enterprises to efficiently manage the escalating demands of artificial intelligence workloads.
The newly introduced Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches feature embedded DPUs, allowing for the offloading of complex data processing tasks directly onto the switch hardware. This integration facilitates scalable traffic management, encryption, and telemetry within the network fabric, thereby enhancing overall system efficiency and security. By combining Cisco’s Silicon One E100 with AMD Pensando DPUs, these switches offer a flexible and adaptive infrastructure tailored to the needs of modern AI-driven data centers.
Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, emphasized the necessity of reimagining data center infrastructure to accommodate the intensive requirements of AI training and inference workloads. He noted that merely upgrading to higher-speed switches is insufficient; instead, there is a need for native acceleration of security and network services within the data center fabric.
Soni Jiandani, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AMD’s Networking Technology and Solutions Group, highlighted that this collaboration signifies a pivotal advancement in enterprise infrastructure. By embedding AMD Pensando DPUs into Cisco’s Smart Switches, organizations can address evolving security challenges while managing rapid AI deployments effectively.
A key feature of the N9300 Series is the integration of Cisco’s Hypershield security architecture. Hypershield converges security and networking layers into a single solution, eliminating traditional gaps and providing robust protection for data center operations. This architecture is particularly advantageous for enterprises seeking to safeguard their AI processes against emerging threats without the complexity of additional security appliances.
The demand for such integrated solutions is underscored by Cisco’s recent financial performance. The company has raised its annual revenue forecast, attributing this growth to the heightened demand for cloud networking equipment driven by corporate investments in AI infrastructure. This surge reflects a broader industry trend where enterprises are prioritizing the modernization of their data centers to support AI applications, necessitating advanced networking solutions that offer both high performance and integrated security.
In addition to the N9300 Series, Cisco has expanded its product portfolio to include the Cisco 8102-28FH-DPU-O switching platform. This platform, equipped with embedded AMD Pensando DPUs, significantly enhances network service performance for high-demand workloads, exemplified by its deployment in Microsoft Azure environments. The switch boasts 28 400G QSFP-DD56 ports and supports up to 1.6 Tbps of DPU services, catering to the rigorous demands of AI and machine learning applications.
The integration of AMD Pensando DPUs into Cisco’s networking hardware is a strategic move to address the increasing complexity and performance requirements of modern data centers. These DPUs are programmable using P4, a language specifically designed for packet processing, which offers flexibility and scalability for various enterprise applications. By offloading tasks such as security enforcement, telemetry, and network processing to the DPUs, the main processors are freed to handle core application workloads, resulting in improved overall system performance.
Cisco’s approach aligns with a broader industry shift towards converged infrastructure solutions that seamlessly integrate computing, networking, and security functions. This paradigm shift is driven by the need to support AI workloads that require rapid data processing and low-latency communication across distributed systems. By embedding advanced processing capabilities directly into the network fabric, Cisco’s Smart Switches enable enterprises to build data centers that are not only more efficient but also more secure and adaptable to evolving technological landscapes.
