Datasheet

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High-performance 10 Gigabit interfaces for server/storage and stackable connectivity.
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Redundant fans, which accommodate continued operation in the presence of a failed fan, thereby
maximizing uptime of the switch.
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Power efficiency optimizations, including support for EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet), energy efficient
power supplies, low-power silicon, and other optimizations such as cable length detection and Energy
Detect. These items work together to deliver lower OpEX.
High Reliability and Resiliency
In a growing business where 24-hour availability is critical, you need to help ensure that employees can always
access the data and resources that they need. In these environments, stackable switches can play an important
role in eliminating downtime and improving network resiliency. For example, if a switch within a Cisco ESW2 550X
Series stack fails, another switch immediately takes over, keeping your network up and running. You can also
replace individual devices in the stack without taking your network offline or affecting employee productivity.
The Cisco ESW2 550X models provide an additional layer of resiliency with support for the Virtual Router
Redundancy Protocol (VRRP). VRRP lets you extend the same resiliency that stacking provides for individual
switches to complete network domains. By running VRRP between two stacks, you can instantly cut over from one
stack to another in the event of a problem, and continue operating even after a failure.
The Cisco ESW2 Series also supports dual images, allowing you to perform software upgrades without having to
take the network offline or worry about the network going down during the upgrade.
Simplified IT Operation
Cisco ESW2 Series Switches help optimize your IT operations with built-in features that simplify and streamline
day-to-day network operation:
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True stacking allows you to troubleshoot, configure, and manage multiple physical switches as a single entity.
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These Cisco switches use common chipsets and software as the Sx300/500X, thereby delivering
identical implementations for common features making it easier to manage and support all switches
across the network.
True Stacking
Some switches claim to support stacking but in practice support only “clustering,” meaning that each switch must still
be managed and configured individually. Cisco ESW2 550X Series Switches provide true stacking capability, allowing
you to configure, manage, and troubleshoot all switches in a stack as a single unit, with a single IP address.
A true stack delivers a unified data and control plane, in addition to management plane, providing flexibility,
scalability, and ease of use, because the stack of units operates as a single entity, constituting all the ports of the
stack members. This capability can radically reduce complexity in a growing network environment while improving
the resiliency and availability of network applications. True stacking also provides other cost savings and
administrative benefits through features such as cross-stack QoS, VLANs, and port mirroring, which clustered
switches cannot support.