MLXe-16 vs Cisco 9000

[jayz01]

Hi All,

We are planning to upgrade our MLXe-16 and MLX-8 (MPLS/VPLS) routers which are coming to EoS.

What should the next transition model be compared with Cisco 9000 Series backbone switches  with multigigabit technology ?

TIA

[jayz01]

Many Thanks Michael , we will have a look at SLX series.

[Michael_Morey]

Jay,

With the MLX feature set in mind, the logical next step would be to move to the SLX platform.  I have seen solid performance out of the SLX 9250 and SLX 8720 for Spine and Leaf (L2/L3 switches), the SLX 9640 and SLX 9740s make great Border Leaf devices (L3 gateways).  With SLX you get all the functionality you were used to with the MLX product along with the manageability and supportability of the VDX product.  They all also come with the TPVM feature allowing you to easily spin up an Ubuntu image to take packet captures or run automation software like Extreme Fabric Automation (EFA).    

These units are all "Pizza Boxes" and not a modular unit like the MLX Chassis.  They are all 100Gbps capable and I believe most if not all are able to break out interfaces to from 100G to 40G, 25G, 10G, and even 1G.  There the only modular SLX is the; SLX 9850, however it only runs SLXOS 18r code which is maintained, but not being actively developed.  We are currently on SLX 20.4.x code with the rest of the SLX devices, which is required to interface with our Automation features.

Hope this helps answer your question,

[jayz01]

Hi Michael,

Many Thanks for reply.   

It seems most of the modular units are being replaced by stackable switches although the modular units are better for plug and play but I guess it's all down to space, cost and maintenance. 

We have a couple of VDX 6740 switches but not overly impressed by these as upgrading them is a nightmare so when you say the SLX range are same in terms of manageability and supportability of the VDX product does that mean they run on the same operating system?

Regards,

[Michael_Morey · Accepted solution]

Jay,

Happy to help.  Yes, the main feedback I have heard from enterprise customers is that the big modular units take up too much space, power and are noisy.  With that said, we do have the SLX 9920, however it is more geared towards packet brokering and 5G solutions.

When the SLX was conceived we took the NetIron OS from MLX and Network OS from VDX and married the two into something new.  So no, it is not the same Operating System. 

When I say manageability of VDX, I mean all the features that worked well; SNMP, REST, NETCONF etc.  The "VCS Cluster" or "Logical Chassis" is no longer a thing as we went with IP Fabric and Network Automation with EFA.  This means that reloads and upgrades are far faster than the VDX, also with EFA you can automate your upgrades so that you no longer have to worry about sequentially rolling out or staging firmware.  The Odd/Even Upgrade process is calculated automatically for you, making upgrades far less stressful. 

As far as Supportability, I feel the VDX is leaps and bounds ahead of the MLX.  In SLX we took many features from VDX; Support Save, Linux Shell, monitor sessions (less confusing than mirror ports), and more. Apart from using what already works, there is also a Third Party Virtual Machine onboard the SLX.  I can not tell you how many times I have had to wait for someone to locate a laptop or remote server to do a packet capture or transfer data off the SLX.  With the TPVM we can very quickly spin up an Ubuntu box, activate an internal port-channel, point traffic to it via a monitor session, and capture traffic. This all makes working with SLX-OS a breeze in my opinion.