DS-C9396T-48IK9 – 48x32G FC Ports – Base Chassis – Intake SAN Switch

5.06 reviews6 Questions
List Price: $89,736.84 75% OFF
$22,737.00
Price Alert
In StockShips in as little as 1 business day Brand New
Related models
Cisco SN CheckSN verification before shipment.Verify authenticity3-Year WarrantyExtended, enterprise-gradeWarranty terms14-Day ReturnsStraightforward RMA processReturn policyExpress Shipping2-6 Business Daysvia UPS, FedEx, DHL and more
Trusted & Secure Payments

Why Layer23-Switch

Stocked, Shipped and Supported by One Team

Founded
Customers
Units shipped
Countries

Inventory You Can See

Cisco stock on hand
Models ready to ship
Warehouse space

Ships in 1 Business Day

In-stock orders leave our Hong Kong or U.S. warehouse within 1 business day after payment, with tracking by email.

DHL FedEx UPS Duties included: US · CA · UK

LSCare Warranty

3years on enterprise equipment

  • Advance replacement for in-stock models
  • New unit for dead-on-arrival
  • 14-day returns on sealed items

Free CCIE Support

Certified engineers help before and after you buy. Reply within 1 business day by email or live chat.

Part number check Configuration Troubleshooting

Verify Before You Pay

100%factory-sealed

Get label and serial photos before shipment, and check every serial number with Cisco.

DS-C9396T-48IK9 Description

The DS-C9396T-48IK9 is a Cisco MDS 9396T 32G Fibre Channel switch base module for high-density data center SANs that cool with port-side intake. The 2RU chassis has 96 SFP+ ports with 48 active, 4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing speeds, 3 Tbps of aggregate bandwidth and two 1200W power supplies in a 1+1 arrangement. No optics are included, and the other 48 ports stay inactive until 16-port activation licenses are added.

Quick Specs

Parameter

Specification

Product ID

DS-C9396T-48IK9

Product type

32G Fibre Channel SAN switch base module

Order configuration

48 active Fibre Channel ports, 2 fans, 2 PSUs, port-side intake

Active ports at order

48 Fibre Channel ports

Maximum Fibre Channel ports

96 SFP+ Fibre Channel ports

Port speed

4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing

Included FC optics

Not included in this base PID

Airflow

Port-side intake

Port expansion path

16-port activation increments to 64, 80, and 96 ports

Power supplies

2 x 1200W AC/HVAC/HVDC bidirectional PSUs

Minimum NX-OS release

Cisco MDS NX-OS 8.3(1) or later

Form factor

2RU rack-mountable switch

Product Performance

Base MDS 9396T Port Start
Line-Rate Fibre Channel Port Capability
Platform Aggregate Bandwidth

Key Features

Port-Side Intake Cooling

Air enters through the port side, so the chassis suits racks where the ports face the cold aisle.

Base Module Without Optics

The 48 active ports ship empty. Shortwave and longwave SFP+ modules at 32G, 16G or 8G are chosen separately to match each link.

Activation In 16-Port Steps

Licenses of 16 ports raise the active count to 64, 80 and 96. The ports sit in six groups of 16, each with up to 8,300 buffer credits.

Application Scenarios

Longwave Links Between Sites

Where a SAN spans buildings, the switch takes longwave SFP+ optics on single-mode fiber, with the optic type chosen per link rather than fixed by the base module.

32G Host And Array Connectivity

In a data center SAN, the switch links servers and storage arrays at 32G, with dedicated 32G bandwidth on every active port.

Port-Side Intake Rack Row

In a rack row cooled for port-side intake, the two fan modules draw air in through the port side of the 2RU chassis.

Product Comparison

Parameter

DS-C9396T-48IK9

DS-C9396T-48EK9

DS-C9396T-48ITK9

DS-C9396T-96ITK9

Maximum Fibre Channel ports

96 SFP+

96 SFP+

96 SFP+

96 SFP+

Port speed

4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing

4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing

4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing

4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing

Aggregate bandwidth

3 Tbps end-to-end full duplex

3 Tbps end-to-end full duplex

3 Tbps end-to-end full duplex

3 Tbps end-to-end full duplex

Included FC optics

Not included

Not included

48 x 32G SW

96 x 32G SW

Airflow

Port-side intake

Port-side exhaust

Port-side intake

Port-side intake

Port activation license

M9396T-PL16 in 16-port steps to 96

M9396T-PL16 in 16-port steps to 96

M9396T-PL16 in 16-port steps to 96

Not applicable

Fan modules and power supplies

2 fans, 2 x 1200W PSUs

2 fans, 2 x 1200W PSUs

2 fans, 2 x 1200W PSUs

2 fans, 2 x 1200W PSUs

Minimum NX-OS release

MDS NX-OS 8.3(1)

MDS NX-OS 8.3(1)

MDS NX-OS 8.3(1)

MDS NX-OS 8.3(1)

DS-C9396T-48IK9 is the base configuration with 48 active ports, two fans, two PSUs, port-side intake and no optics, while DS-C9396T-48ITK9 is the same hardware with 48 32G SW optics added, so the base PID suits orders that choose optics separately, longwave included. DS-C9396T-48EK9 matches it except for port-side exhaust airflow and fits racks that run the opposite direction. For 96 active ports on day one, DS-C9396T-96ITK9 is the model, with 96 SW optics included, because the ordering table lists no 96-port base module without optics. Otherwise M9396T-PL16 licenses add 16 ports at a time to 64, 80 and 96. MDS NX-OS 8.3(1) or later is required.

Ordering Checklist

  • Port activation license: Add M9396T-PL16 for each 16-port step to 64, 80 or 96 ports; use M9396T-PL16T if the 16 optics are bought with the license. Ports above 48 stay inactive without the license, and the PL16 variant carries no optics.
  • Optics: No optics are included; list DS-SFP-FC32G-SW, DS-SFP-FC32G-LW=, DS-SFP-FC16G-SW or DS-SFP-FC8G-SW= for each port that will be used. The switch arrives with empty SFP+ cages, and no link can come up until optics are ordered.
  • Spare fan module: Order DS-C96S-FAN-I= for this airflow direction; the DS-CAC-1200W= power supply is bidirectional. The fan module decides airflow direction, and the opposite-direction part reverses airflow against the rack.
  • Power cords: Order two cords per switch: standard CAB-HVAC-C14-2M, or a regional cord such as CAB-9K10A-EU or CAB-9K12A-NA. The two 1200W supplies each need their own cord, and the plug must match the site outlet.

Optional Add-ons

Model

Description

M9396T-PL16

MDS 9396T 16-port on-demand activation for base growth

M9396T-PL16T

MDS 9396T 16-port activation with 16 x 32G SW optics

DS-C96S-FAN-I=

Cisco MDS 9396T fan module spare for port-side intake airflow

DS-CAC-1200W=

AC/HVAC/HVDC bidirectional airflow PSU spare listed for MDS 9396T

DS-SFP-FC32G-SW=

Cisco 32G Fibre Channel shortwave SFP+ optic

DS-9396T-KIT-CSCO

MDS 9396T accessory kit for Cisco

Front View

1

LEM slot 1

3

LEM slot 3

2

LEM slot 2

1

Serial console port

5

USB port

2

System status LED

6

Ethernet management ports (2)

3

Power supply status LED

7

Base Fibre Channel ports

4

Fan status LED

8

Airflow Grill

Rear View

1

Power supply unit fan

5

Power supply units (2)

2

Power supply unit handle

6

Chassis fan modules (2)

3

Power receptacle

7

Fan module locking screw

4

Power supply unit locking latch

DS-9396T-rear

1

Power supply unit slot 1

3

Chassis fan module slot 2

2

Chassis fan module slot 1

4

Power supply unit slot 2

Specifications

Parameter Specification Parameter Specification
Product ID DS-C9396T-48IK9 Product type 32G Fibre Channel SAN switch base module
Order configuration 48 active Fibre Channel ports, 2 fans, 2 PSUs, and port-side intake airflow Rack units 2RU rack-mountable fixed switch
Dimensions 3.39 x 17.42 x 22.28 in. (8.61 x 44.25 x 56.59 cm) Weight 18.88 kg (41.62 lb)
Fibre Channel ports 96 SFP+ hardware ports Active ports at order 48 active Fibre Channel ports
Included FC optics Not included in this base PID Supported FC optics listed by Cisco 32G SW, 32G LW, 16G SW, 16G LW, 8G SW, and 8G LW Fibre Channel optics
Port speed 4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing Switching capacity 3 Tbps end-to-end full duplex
Port group architecture Six 16-port port groups Extended B2B credits At least 6 ports configurable with up to 8270 Buffer-to-Buffer credits
Fibre Channel port types E, F, and B standard port types; SD, ST, NP, and TE enhanced port types Advanced functions VSAN, NPV, IVR, Port Channel with multipath load balancing, and flow-based and zone-based QoS
Fabric services Name server, Registered State Change Notification, login services, Fabric Configuration Server, broadcast, and in-order delivery Management port Two out-of-band Ethernet management ports
Programming interfaces Scriptable CLI, Cisco DCNM web services API, NX-API REST interfaces, onboard Python interpreter, Embedded Event Manager, and Cisco NX-OS scheduler Minimum NX-OS release Cisco MDS NX-OS 8.3(1) or later
Minimum Cisco DCNM release Cisco DCNM 11(0) or later Fan modules 2 hot-swappable fan modules
Fan direction for this PID Port-side intake airflow with DS-C96S-FAN-I fan modules Power supplies 2 hot-swappable 1200W AC/HVAC/HVDC bidirectional airflow power supplies
Power redundancy 1+1 power grid redundancy AC input voltage 90V to 305V
DC input voltage 192V to 400V Nominal input frequency 50 to 60 Hz
Airflow Front to back inward from ports using port-side intake fans Airflow rate Maximum 255 CFM and nominal 110 CFM at 25C
Operating temperature 32 to 104F (0 to 40C) Storage temperature -40 to 158F (-40 to 70C)
Operating humidity 10 to 90 percent noncondensing Operating altitude -197 to 6500 ft (-60 to 2000 m)

Quality Certifications

Customer Reviews

Write A Review
5.0
(6 reviews)
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
    Cheryl Sato
    Posted on 18/03/2026
    Verified Buyer
    5.0

    Same product, same quality, same great pricing. That’s why we keep ordering.

    Angela Brown
    Posted on 24/02/2026
    Verified Buyer
    5.0

    Hardware looks and feels exactly like premium product. No quality concerns at all.

    Russell Crawford
    Posted on 07/12/2025
    Verified Buyer
    5.0

    Our usual supplier was backordered, Layer23 delivered faster and cheaper.

    Supply Chain
    Posted on 20/09/2024
    Verified Buyer
    5.0

    Imported to UK. VAT invoice provided promptly.

    Jango Fett
    Posted on 12/06/2024
    Verified Buyer
    5.0

    I’m just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe. Good hardware helps.

Questions & Answers

  • How many ports are active by default on DS-C9396T-48IK9?

    DS-C9396T-48IK9 ships with 48 of its 96 SFP+ Fibre Channel ports active. The other ports stay inactive until M9396T-PL16 licenses are added, each activating 16 ports, so the active count grows to 64, 80 and then 96.
  • What Fibre Channel speeds does DS-C9396T-48IK9 support?

    DS-C9396T-48IK9 supports 4/8/16/32 Gbps autosensing on its Fibre Channel ports. No optics are included, so shortwave or longwave SFP+ modules at 32G, 16G or 8G are chosen separately to match each link.
  • Is there a whole-unit spare PID for DS-C9396T-48IK9?

    Yes. The 48-port whole-unit spare is DS-C9396T-48IK9=, per the MDS 9396T data sheet ordering table. The spare is supplied without optics, the same as the base PID, so order the 32G or 16G transceivers on separate lines.
  • What input voltage range do the power supplies of DS-C9396T-48IK9 accept?

    The two 1200W supplies accept 90V to 305V AC at 50 to 60 Hz. Both are AC/HVAC/HVDC bidirectional airflow units, so a site with high-voltage AC feeds can use them. Order two cords, one per supply.
  • What airflow rate do the fans of DS-C9396T-48IK9 reach?

    The fans reach a maximum of 255 CFM and a nominal 110 CFM at 25C airflow. Air flows front to back, inward from the ports. Check the cold aisle supply of the rack against the 255 CFM maximum.
  • How much does DS-C9396T-48IK9 weigh without optics?

    DS-C9396T-48IK9 weighs 18.88 kg (41.62 lb) in the 2RU chassis, with the 3.39 x 17.42 x 22.28 in. (8.61 x 44.25 x 56.59 cm) dimensions. Plan a two-person lift or a rack lift for installation. No optics are included in this base PID.

Warranty

Visit How to Pay page for more information

FREE NETWORK TOOLS

Verify, plan, and comparewith confidence

Use practical tools to check device details, review lifecyclemilestones, and compare hardware before you buy.

DataSheet Downloads

  • DS-C9396T-48IK9 Datasheet