Specifications

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VDX 6940 Switches
The VDX 6940-36Q is a fixed 40 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE)-
optimized switch in a 1U form factor. It oers
36 40 GbE QSFP+ ports and can be deployed as a spine or
leaf switch (see Figure 1). Each 40 GbE port can be broken
out into four independent 10 GbE SFP+ ports, providing
a total of 144 10 GbE SFP+ ports. Deployed as a spine, it
provides options to connect either 40 GbE or 10 GbE
uplinks from leaf switches. By deploying this high-density,
compact switch, data center administrators can reduce their
TCO through savings on power, space, and cooling.
In a leaf deployment, 10 GbE and 40 GbE ports can be
mixed, oering flexible design options to cost-eectively
support demanding data center and service provider
environments. As in other VDX platforms, the VDX 6940-
36Q oers a Ports on Demand (PoD) licensing model.
VDX 6940-36Q is available with 24 ports or 36 ports. The
24-port model oers a lower entry point for organizations
that want to start small and grow their networks over time.
By installing a software license, organizations can upgrade
their 24-port switch to the maximum 36-port switch.
Figure 1: The VDX 6940-36Q Switch provides 36 40 GbE ports.
The VDX 6940-144S is a 10 GbE-optimized switch with 40
GbE or 100 GbE uplinks in a 2U form factor. It oers 96
native 1/10 GbE SFP/SFP+ ports and 12 40 GbE QSFP+
ports, or 4 100 GbE QSFP28 ports. In addition, the VDX
6940-144S provides flexibility for uplinks, 40 GbE or 100
GbE from leaf switches, and delivers greater cross-sectional
bandwidth for east-west trac. Purpose-built for scale-out
data centers and service providers, it enables aggregation
of multiple server racks with a single switch.
With its high density, the VDX 6940-144S is an ideal fit for
middle-of-row or end-of-row data center deployments
(see Figure 2). By connecting multiple racks to a single
cut-through switch, this architecture oers greater cross-
sectional bandwidth for applications. Servers from multiple
racks can be just one hop away from
one another. The compact 2U form factor saves space, also
reducing power and cooling, resulting in lower TCO.
VDX 6940 switches provide the advanced feature set that
data centers require while delivering the high performance
and low latency virtualized environments demand. Together
with Extreme data center fabrics, these switches transform
data center networks by enabling cloud-based architectures
that deliver new levels of scale, agility, and operational
eciency. These highly automated, software-driven, and
programmable data center fabric design solutions support
a breadth of network virtualization options and scale for
data center environments ranging from tens to thousands
of servers. Moreover, they make it easy for organizations to
architect, automate, and integrate current and future data
center technologies while they transition to a cloud model
that addresses their needs, on their own timetable and on
their terms.
Figure 2: The VDX 6940-144S Switch provides 96 1/10
GbE ports and 12 40 GbE or 4 100 GbE ports.
Transforms Networks to Deliver
New Levels of Scale, Agility, and
Operational Eciency
VDX switches enable organizations to evolve their data
center networks at their own pace, with full investment
protection. As the foundation for several data center
architectures, VDX switches support Extreme Networks
IP fabrics, Extreme VCS® fabrics, as well as network
virtualization, including controller-based network
virtualization architectures, such as VMware NSX, and
standards-based (BGP-EVPN) controller-less architectures
with Extreme BGP-EVPN Network Virtualization for
architectural flexibility (see Figure 3).
For organizations seeking automated provisioning
capabilities to improve IT agility, VDX switches, together
with Extreme VCS Fabric technology, accelerate time to
value through automated provisioning of network devices
and network virtualization. Automated service and resource
upgrades further reduce ongoing maintenance time and
costs. High availability is achieved through non-disruptive
In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) and self-healing fabrics.