Why It Matters
The Smart Switch lets enterprises replace separate routers, switches and firewalls with a single, high‑performance unit, accelerating deployment and reducing total cost of ownership.
Key Takeaways
- •Cisco Smart Switch merges networking and security in single chassis
- •6.4 Tbps Cisco Silicon One provides massive interconnect bandwidth
- •AMD Pensando DPUs deliver stateful firewall at layer‑4 level
- •128 GB RAM enables storage of ~600,000 flow policies
- •Two form factors: 100 Gb high‑density and top‑of‑rack with 25/40 Gb uplinks
Summary
Cisco unveiled its new Smart Switch, a single‑chassis platform that combines high‑speed networking with built‑in security functions. The device is built around Cisco’s Silicon One ASIC delivering 6.4 Tbps of throughput and an AMD Pensando data‑processing unit (DPU) that handles stateful inspection.
The product ships in two form factors: a 100 Gb high‑density blade and a top‑of‑rack model with 25/40 Gb uplinks. Both variants share the same silicon and memory pool—128 GB of RAM that can hold roughly 600,000 flow or policy entries—while the high‑density version packs four Pensando DPUs and the rack‑mount version uses two.
According to the demonstration, traffic can be redirected per‑vlan or per‑virtual‑function through the DPU for layer‑4 stateful filtering, without sacrificing line‑rate performance. The Silicon One ASIC also supports on‑the‑fly encryption on every port, extending the security envelope beyond the DPU’s firewall capabilities.
By consolidating routing, switching, encryption and firewalling into one appliance, data‑center operators can cut hardware sprawl, lower latency and simplify management. The architecture positions Cisco to compete more aggressively in the growing market for secure, high‑throughput edge devices.
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