NX-OS is a network operating system for the Nexus-series Ethernet switches and MDS-series Fibre Channel storage area network switches made by Cisco Systems. It evolved from the Cisco operating system SAN-OS, originally developed for its MDS switches. Cisco is responsible for its development and maintenance.
The command-line interface of NX-OS is similar to that of Cisco IOS.
Development
Cisco is responsible for development and maintenance of NX-OS.3
Core features
- System Manager (sysmgr)
- Persistent Storage Service (PSS)
- Message & Transaction Services (MTS)
Additional features
- Fibre Channel and FICON
- FCIP
- FCoE (Nexus 5000/7000 linecards)
- iSCSI
- IPsec
- Scheduling
- NPIV NX Port ID Virtualization
- Inter–VSAN Routing
- VSAN
- Zoning (Hard zoning)
- Callhome
- Cisco Fabric Services (distributed configuration)
- SSH and Telnet
- Storage Media Encryption
- Port Channels
- Cisco Data Mobility Manager
- Fibre Channel Write Acceleration
Switches running NX-OS
- Nexus B22 (HP, Dell, Fujitsu)
- Nexus 9000 series4
- Nexus 7700 series
- Nexus 7000 series
- Nexus 6000 series
- Nexus 5000 series
- Nexus 4000 (for IBM BladeCenter)
- Nexus 2000 series
- Nexus 3000
- Nexus 1000V
- MDS 9700 FC Directors
- MDS 9500 FC Directors5
- MDS 9250i FC Switch
- MDS 9222i FC Switch
- MDS 9100 FC Switches
Differences between IOS and NX-OS
- NX-OS does not support the login command to switch users.
- NX-OS does not distinguish between standard or extended access lists, all lists are named and "extended" in functionality.6
- NX-OS did not support scp server prior to 5.1(1) release.
- In NX-OS, there is no "write" command to save the configuration like on IOS (one uses the "copy" command, instead). Instead, command aliases can be created to provide the "write" command.7
- When accessing NX-OS, users authenticate directly to their assigned privilege level.
- SSH server is enabled while Telnet server is disabled by default in NX-OS.8
Releases
4.1, 4.2, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 7.0, 9.2, 9.3, 10.1
See also
External links
References
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (March 1, 2024). "Cisco Releases Security Advisories for Cisco NX-OS Software". cisa.gov. /wiki/Cybersecurity_%26_Infrastructure_Security_Agency ↩
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (March 1, 2024). "Cisco Releases Security Advisories for Cisco NX-OS Software". cisa.gov. /wiki/Cybersecurity_%26_Infrastructure_Security_Agency ↩
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (March 1, 2024). "Cisco Releases Security Advisories for Cisco NX-OS Software". cisa.gov. /wiki/Cybersecurity_%26_Infrastructure_Security_Agency ↩
"Introduction to Cisco Nexus Switches – Nexus Product Family. Differences Between Nexus NX-OS & Catalyst IOS. Comparing High-End Nexus & Catalyst Switches". Firewall.cx. Retrieved 18 February 2025. https://www.firewall.cx/cisco/cisco-data-center/introduction-nexus-family-nx-os-ios-differences.html#cisco-nexus-product-family ↩
Cisco Product Brocuhure Cisco MDS 9500 Series of Multilayer Directors, visited 18 May 2012 http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/ps4159/ps6409/ps5990/ps4359/prod_brochure09186a00801ce93e_ps5991_Products_Brochure.html ↩
"Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Security Configuration Guide, Release 4.1". http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/sw/4_1/nx-os/security/configuration/guide/sec_ipacls.html ↩
"Write Command On Nexus Switches". community.cisco.com. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2024-10-05. https://community.cisco.com/t5/switching/write-command-on-nexus-switchs/td-p/1958386 ↩
"Cisco NX-OS/IOS Configuration Fundamentals Comparison". Retrieved June 3, 2017. http://docwiki.cisco.com/wiki/Cisco_NX-OS/IOS_Configuration_Fundamentals_Comparison ↩