DS-C9148S-12PK9 – 12x16G FC Ports – 48-Port 1RU Platform – MDS SAN Switch

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DS-C9148S-12PK9 Description

The DS-C9148S-12PK9 is a Cisco MDS 9148S 16G Fibre Channel SAN switch for compact SAN fabrics in a 1RU fixed chassis. The switch has 12 enabled ports out of 48, each autosensing 2/4/8/16 Gbps with 16 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth, and its airflow runs back to front toward the ports. The other 36 ports are enabled in 12-port steps with M9148S-PL12 licenses, and the base switch carries no optics.

Quick Specs

Parameter

Specification

Product ID

DS-C9148S-12PK9

Product type

16G Fibre Channel SAN switch

Order configuration

12 enabled ports on a 48-port fixed switch

Active ports at order

12 Fibre Channel ports

Maximum Fibre Channel ports

48 Fibre Channel ports

Fibre Channel speed support

2, 4, 8, and 16 Gbps autosensing

Dedicated bandwidth per port

16 Gbps

Port activation license

Cisco MDS 9148S 12-port On-Demand Activation

Included FC optics

Optics not included in this base PID

Form factor

1RU fixed switch

Power supply configuration

Two 300W AC power supplies per switch

Airflow

Back to front, toward ports

Product Performance

Factory Enabled Port Count
Dedicated FC Bandwidth Per Port
Maximum Active Port Scale

Key Features

Twelve Enabled Ports On A 48-Port Chassis

The hardware has 48 Fibre Channel ports and 12 are enabled at the start. The chassis stays the same as ports are added later.

16G Autosensing On Every Port

Ports negotiate 2, 4, 8 or 16 Gbps and each has 16 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth, so older 8G devices and new 16G devices share one switch.

Activation In 12-Port Steps

Each M9148S-PL12 license enables 12 more ports, and three licenses take the switch from 12 to 48 ports. Enterprise and DCNM SAN packages are optional and priced on all switch ports.

Buffer Credits Per Port Group

Every 4-port group holds up to 256 buffer credits, with 64 per port by default and 253 on a single port, which suits short in-rack links and moderate ISLs.

One Airflow Direction

Air moves back to front toward the ports, and the fan tray has a single part number with no exhaust or intake split. Rack airflow planning has one case to cover.

Two 300W AC Supplies

Power comes from two 300W AC supplies at 100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz, on C15 sockets. The switch runs Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS 6.2(9) or later.

Application Scenarios

Small SAN Edge Fabric

A compact storage fabric with a few hosts, one array and inter-switch links can run on the 12 enabled 16G ports, with the rest of the 48-port chassis held in reserve.

Phased SAN Expansion

Storage teams that add servers over several quarters can enable ports 12 at a time with M9148S-PL12 licenses, up to all 48, on the same switch.

Optics Matched To Existing Cabling

Where multimode runs already carry 16G or 8G short-wave links, the DS-SFP-FC16G-SW and DS-SFP-FC8G-SW optics are fitted to match the installed cabling.

Product Comparison

Parameter

DS-C9148S-12PK9

DS-C9148S-48PK9

DS-C9148S-D12PSK9

DS-C9148S-D12P8K9

Fibre Channel ports

48

48

48

48

Active Fibre Channel ports

12

48

12

12

Port speed

2/4/8/16 Gbps autosensing

2/4/8/16 Gbps autosensing

2/4/8/16 Gbps autosensing

2/4/8/16 Gbps autosensing

Dedicated bandwidth per port

16 Gbps

16 Gbps

16 Gbps

16 Gbps

Buffer credits

256 per 4-port group

256 per 4-port group

256 per 4-port group

256 per 4-port group

Airflow

Back to front, toward ports

Back to front, toward ports

Back to front, toward ports

Back to front, toward ports

Included optics

Not included

Not included

12 x 16G SW SFP+

12 x 8G SW SFP+

Power supplies

2 x 300W AC

2 x 300W AC

2 x 300W AC

2 x 300W AC

DS-C9148S-12PK9 starts with 12 of its 48 16G FC ports enabled and no optics, while DS-C9148S-48PK9 ships with all 48 ports enabled. DS-C9148S-12PK9 reaches 48 ports with three M9148S-PL12 licenses, so a design that needs all 48 ports on day one should order DS-C9148S-48PK9. Sites that want optics on the switch order choose DS-C9148S-D12PSK9 for 12 x 16G SW SFP+ or DS-C9148S-D12P8K9 for 12 x 8G SW SFP+, which suits 8G-only storage ports. All four have one back-to-front airflow direction, so there is no airflow variant to choose.

Ordering Checklist

  • Port activation: M9148S-PL12 adds 12 ports; M9148S-DPL12PSG and M9148S-DPL12P8G add 12 ports with 16G or 8G SW optics. The switch ships with 12 enabled ports, and each license block adds 12 up to 48.
  • Optics: Add DS-SFP-FC16G-SW or DS-SFP-FC8G-SW as separate lines. DS-C9148S-12PK9 is ordered without optics, so no transceivers arrive unless they are on the order.
  • Optional software: Add M9100ENT1K9 Enterprise Package and DCNM-SAN-M91-K9 for DCNM SAN Advanced Edition. Both licenses cover the full switch port count and are separate lines from port activation.

Optional Add-ons

Model

Description

M9148S-PL12

Cisco MDS 9148S 12-port On-Demand Activation license for port growth

M9148S-PL12=

Spare 12-port On-Demand Activation license for MDS 9148S

M9148S-DPL12PSG

12-port activation license bundled with 12 x 16G SW SFP+ optics

M9148S-DPL12P8G

12-port activation license bundled with 12 x 8G SW SFP+ optics

DS-SFP-FC16G-SW

Cisco MDS 4/8/16-Gbps Fibre Channel SW SFP+ LC optic

DS-SFP-FC8G-SW

Cisco MDS 2/4/8-Gbps Fibre Channel SW SFP+ LC optic

DS-C48S-300AC=

Cisco MDS 9148S AC power supply spare

DS-C48S-FAN=

Cisco MDS 9148S fan tray spare

M9100ENT1K9

Cisco MDS Enterprise Package for one MDS 9100 Series switch

DCNM-SAN-M91-K9

Cisco Prime DCNM for SAN Advanced Edition for MDS 9100

Specifications

Parameter Specification Parameter Specification
Product ID DS-C9148S-12PK9 Product compatibility Cisco MDS 9000 Family
Product type 16G Fibre Channel SAN switch Order configuration MDS 9148S switch with 12 enabled ports
Rack units 1RU fixed switch Mounting Standard 19-inch EIA rack
Fibre Channel ports 48 fixed 16G Fibre Channel ports Active ports at order 12 enabled Fibre Channel ports
Maximum Fibre Channel ports 48 enabled Fibre Channel ports Port activation license M9148S-PL12 12-port On-Demand Activation license
Fibre Channel speed support 2, 4, 8, and 16 Gbps autosensing Dedicated bandwidth per port 16 Gbps
Buffer credits Up to 256 per group of 4 ports Default buffer credits per port 64 buffer credits per port
Maximum buffer credits for one port 253 buffer credits within the port group PortChannel support Up to 16 physical links
Supported standard FC port types E, F, and FL Supported enhanced FC port types SD, ST, and TE
FC-NVMe protocol listing FC-NVMe listed in Cisco protocol specifications Management Ethernet port Out-of-band 10/100/1000 Ethernet port
Console port RS-232 serial console port USB port USB
Management applications Cisco MDS 9000 Family CLI and Cisco Prime DCNM Minimum software release Cisco MDS 9000 NX-OS Software Release 6.2(9) or later
Optional enterprise license Cisco MDS 9000 Family Enterprise Package Power supplies Two 300W AC power supplies per switch
Power connector Notched C15 socket connector to C16 plug on power supply AC input voltage 100 to 240V AC with 10 percent range
AC input frequency 50 to 60 Hz nominal Fan modules Hot-swappable fan tray with integrated temperature and power management
Airflow Back to front, toward ports Airflow rate 200 linear feet per minute through system fan assembly
Recommended vent clearance 2.5 in. air space at chassis vents and 6 in. horizontal chassis separation Dimensions 1.72 x 17.16 x 16.34 in. (4.37 x 43.59 x 41.50 cm)
Fully configured weight 9 kg (19.84 lb) Operating temperature 32 to 104F (0 to 40C)
Storage temperature -40 to 158F (-40 to 70C) Operating humidity 10 to 90 percent noncondensing
Storage relative humidity 10 to 95 percent noncondensing Operating altitude -197 to 6500 ft (-60 to 2000 m)
Supported Cisco optic families Cisco MDS pluggable transceivers documented separately by Cisco

Quality Certifications

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    Tyler Davis
    Posted on 10/04/2026
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    Our reorder frequency tells you everything about how we feel.

    Peter Long
    Posted on 27/02/2026
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    5.0

    Crystal clear genuine product. No second-guessing required.

    Natalie Kelly
    Posted on 22/12/2025
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    4.0

    Worth giving them a try. You won’t regret it. Wish the lead time was a bit shorter, but product quality made up for it.

Questions & Answers

  • How many ports are active on DS-C9148S-12PK9 by default, and how are more enabled?

    DS-C9148S-12PK9 ships with 12 of its 48 Fibre Channel ports enabled. Each M9148S-PL12 license enables 12 more ports, so three licenses take the switch to all 48 ports, and the chassis stays the same as ports are added.
  • Which Fibre Channel speeds does DS-C9148S-12PK9 support?

    DS-C9148S-12PK9 supports 2, 4, 8 and 16 Gbps autosensing on every Fibre Channel port, and each port has 16 Gbps of dedicated bandwidth. Ports negotiate 2, 4, 8 or 16 Gbps, so older 8G devices and 16G devices share one switch.
  • What must be done before mounting DS-C9148S-12PK9 in a cabinet?

    The front rack-mount brackets must be installed on DS-C9148S-12PK9 before the switch goes into the cabinet, per the Cisco MDS 9148S hardware installation guide. The switch is a 1RU unit for a standard 19-inch EIA rack.
  • What must match between two ends of a fiber link on DS-C9148S-12PK9?

    Each transceiver must match the transceiver at the other end of the cable in wavelength, and the cable must not exceed the stipulated length, per the Cisco MDS 9148S hardware specifications. The base switch has no optics, so both ends are chosen at order.
  • How many links can one PortChannel on DS-C9148S-12PK9 hold?

    One PortChannel on DS-C9148S-12PK9 holds up to 16 physical links. The standard Fibre Channel port types are E, F and FL, and the enhanced port types are SD, ST and TE.
  • What vent clearance does DS-C9148S-12PK9 need in a rack?

    DS-C9148S-12PK9 needs 2.5 in. of air space at the chassis vents and 6 in. of horizontal separation between chassis. The fan assembly moves 200 linear feet per minute, and the operating range is 32 to 104F (0 to 40C).

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  • DS-C9148S-12PK9 Datasheet