Cisco offers two major switch platforms: Catalyst 9000 for campus networks and Nexus 9000 for data centers. They run different operating systems and serve different architectures.
Platform Comparison
| Feature | Catalyst 9000 | Nexus 9000 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | IOS-XE | NX-OS / ACI |
| Models | 9200, 9300, 9400, 9500, 9600 | 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, 9500, 9800 |
| Speeds | 1G to 400G | 1G to 800G |
| PoE | Yes | No |
| SD-Access | Yes (DNA Center) | No |
| VXLAN/EVPN | Yes | Yes (primary use case) |