Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms

The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are best-of-breed, 5G-ready, cloud edge platforms designed for accelerated services, multi-layer security, cloud-native agility, and edge intelligence to accelerate your journey to cloud.

Cisco^® Catalyst^® 8300 Series Edge Platforms (Catalyst 8300) with Cisco IOS^® XE SD-WAN Software deliver Cisco’s secure, cloud-scale SD-WAN solution for the branch. The Catalyst 8300 Series is purpose-built for high performance and integrated SD-WAN Services along with flexibility to deliver security and networking services together from the cloud or on premises. It provides higher WAN port density and a redundant power supply capability. The Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms have a wide variety of interface options to choose from—ranging from lower and higher module density with backward compatibility to a variety of existing WAN, LAN, voice, and compute modules. Powered by Cisco IOS XE, fully programmable software architecture, and API support, these platforms can facilitate automation at scale to achieve zero-touch IT capability while migrating workloads to the cloud. Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms also come with Trustworthy Solutions 2.0 infrastructure that secures the platforms against threats and vulnerabilities with integrity verification and remediation of threats.

The Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are well suited for medium-sized and large enterprise branch offices for high WAN IPSec performance with integrated SD-WAN services.

Product overview

Product highlights

Table 1.             Product highlights

Platform details

Models and configurations

Figures 1 through 4 highlight the different models included in the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms.

C8300-2N2S-4T2X platform with 2 SM and 2 NIM slots and 2 x 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 4 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports (C8300 2RU w/ 10G WAN)

C8300-2N2S-6T platform with 2 SM and 2 NIM slots and 6 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports (C8300 2RU w/ 1G WAN)

C8300-1N1S-4T2X platform with 1 SM slot and 1 NIM slot and 2 x 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 4 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports (C8300 1RU w/ 10G WAN)

C8300-1N1S-6T platform with 1 SM slot and 1 NIM slot and 6 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports (C8300 1RU w/ 1G WAN)

Tables 2 and 3 detail platform specifications and performance, respectively.

Table 2.             Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series specifications

Platform performance

Table 3a         Cisco controller mode (SD-WAN) performance specifications

Table 3b         Cisco autonomous mode (non SD-WAN) performance specifications

Table 3c         Cisco autonomous mode (non SD-WAN) system scalability

Overall platform benefits

Accelerated services with Cisco Software-Defined WAN

Cisco SD-WAN is a set of intelligent software services that allow you to connect users, devices, and branch office locations reliably and securely across a diverse set of WAN transport links. Cisco Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms can dynamically route traffic across the “best” link based on up-to-the-minute application and network conditions for great application experiences. You get tight control over application performance, bandwidth usage, data privacy, and availability of your WAN links—control you need as your branches conduct greater volumes of mission-critical business with both on-premises and cloud controllers.

Application performance optimization

Ensure that SD-WAN networks meet Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) and maintain strong performance, even if network problems occur. With branch multi-cloud access, you can accelerate your SaaS applications with a simple template push from the SD-WAN controller. Features like Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) optimization, forward error correction, and packet duplication help application performance for a better user experience.

Multi-layer security

You can now move your traditional and complex WAN networks to a more agile software-defined WAN with integrated security. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge platforms connect branch offices to the Internet and cloud, with industry-leading protection against major web attacks. Secure Direct Internet Access (DIA) to the branches helps optimize branch workloads for improved performance, specifically for cloud-hosted applications. At the same time, DIA ensures your branch is protected from external threats.

Unified communications:

The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Edge platforms offer rich voice services in both SD-WAN and traditional IOS-XE software feature stacks. Cisco is the only SDWAN vendor to natively integrate analog/digital IP directly into single CPE reducing Capex and Opex costs. In SD-WAN mode, the Catalyst 8300 Series also prevent internal and external outages using SRST enabling Branch router to assume role of call control PBX for Telephony survivability. They also continue to support the long list of traditional IOS-XE voice use cases like Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE), Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Session Border Controller, SRST, ISDN and Voice over IP.

Cloud-native agility with a programmable software architecture

Cisco continues to offer a feature-rich traditional IOS-XE routing stack on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms. IP Routing, IPSec, Quality of Service (QoS), firewall, Network Address Translation (NAT), Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR), Flexible NetFlow (FNF), and many other features are part of Cisco IOS-XE, a fully programmable software architecture with API support and a wide variety of protocols and configurations. With an integrated software image and a single binary file, you can now choose between Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN and IOS XE. And easily move from one to the other when you choose to do so.

5G-ready

The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are built for future 5G networks. With higher throughputs with CAT18 LTE and 5G, WAN networks are looking at wireless WAN as primary transports for different use cases. These platforms will support both integrated pluggable modules as well as external cellular gateway modules with LTE/5G capability for improved throughputs that address all of those use cases. Based on a specific branch’s direct line of sight and cellular coverage, either integrated or external gateway can be chosen for that particular situation.

Interface flexibility

Switch ports

We are introducing a Unified Access Data Plane (UADP)-based 22-port and 50-port Layer 2 switch module for the Catalyst 8300 Series. The edge platform can be a branch-in-a-box solution with this integrated switch module with 1G, Cisco Multigigabit Technology (mGig), and 10G ports for downstream switches and devices. The 22-port Layer-2 module is a single-wide module that can be used on both the 1RU and 2RU platforms. The 50-port Layer-2 module is a double-wide module that can be used on the 2RU platforms.

Cisco UCS-E compute

The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms will support the Cisco UCS-E M3 modules for branch compute needs. We support both Cisco and third-party Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) on the Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) hypervisor running on the UCS-E compute blade server. Cisco UCS-E M3 modules have 6-, 8-, and 12-core options to choose from based on the number of VNFs that need to be run at the branch.

Voice modules

The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms will continue to support a variety of voice modules for the different voice needs at the branch. Voice module examples include Foreign Exchange Station (FXS), Foreign Exchange Office (FXO), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), etc.

Supported modules

Table 4.             Modules supported on Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms

Memory, storage, and accessory options

Table 5.             Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series memory, storage, and accessory options

The fan tray is shipped default with the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Edge Series Platforms.

Optics and transceivers modules

Find a full list of optics and transceivers here.

Resiliency and high availability

Platform redundancy is critical for branch operations, as any downtime has direct impact to a customer’s business. To address that priority, Cisco makes a dual power supply default on all the Catalyst 8300 platforms to ensure that there is always a backup power supply module in case the primary power supply fails.

Power supplies

Table 6.             Cisco Catalyst 8300 1RU edge platform power supply specifications

Table 7.             Cisco Catalyst 8300 2RU edge platform power supply specifications

RFID tags: Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms have an embedded RFID tag that holds Serial Number and Product ID for easy asset and inventory management using commercial RFID readers. The RFID tag is external and can be easily removed if needed or can be unselected at the time of ordering.

Software requirements

Cisco DNA Software for the Catalyst 8300 Series offers comprehensive solutions for enterprise branch networks.

Table 8.             Catalyst 8300 Series minimum software requirements

Table 9a.        Software features and protocols for autonomous mode

Table 9b.        Software features and protocols for controller mode

Licensing

All Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are offered only with a Cisco DNA Software subscription, Enterprise Agreement, and Managed Service Licensing Agreement (MSLA). For more details, refer to this licensing guide.

Cisco DNA stack:

●      Cisco DNA Essentials

●      Cisco DNA Advantage

●      Cisco DNA Premier

Network stack:

●      Network Essentials

●      Network Advantage

Specifications

Table 10.          Mechanical specifications

Table 11.          Safety and compliance

Services

Cisco Customer Experience Support Services for Catalyst 8000 platforms and Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing

This section discusses the Cisco Support Services available for Catalyst 8000 platforms and associated Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing, as well as optional Support Service offers.

●      Catalyst 8000 platforms: Cisco Solution Support is the default and recommended Cisco Support Service. However, Cisco Solution Support is not mandatory; it can be removed or replaced with another Cisco support service or partner service per the customer’s preference.

●      Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing: Cisco Solution Support is the default Cisco support service. However, Cisco Solution Support is not mandatory; the customer may choose to use the Cisco Subscription Embedded Software Support included with the purchase of this software.

Note:     

●      When Solution Support is selected, it must be ordered on both the Catalyst 8000 platform and Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing for complete customer entitlement to this premium support service.

●      SD-WAN and Routing, with both Solution Support or Cisco Subscription Embedded Software Support, customers are entitled to maintenance releases and software updates for Cisco DNA SD-WAN and Routing software only. The support for the Catalyst 8000 platform’s OS and network stack, along with OS updates, is covered by the support contract on the Catalyst 8000 platform.

Cisco Solution Support is a premium support purpose-built for today’s multiproduct, multivendor network environments and provides:

●      A primary point of contact centralizing support across a solution deployment

●      Solution, product, and interoperability expertise

●      No requirement for customers to isolate their issue to a product to open a case

●      30-minute service  response objective for Severity 1 and 2 cases

●      Prioritized case handling over product support cases

●      Product support team coordination (Cisco and Solution Support Alliance Partners)

●      Accountability for multiproduct, multivendor issue management from first call to resolution, no matter where the issue resides

Learn more about Cisco Solution Support at www.cisco.com/go/solutionsupport

Cisco Subscription Embedded Software Support includes:

●      Access to support and troubleshooting via online tools and web case submission. Case severity or escalation guidelines are not applicable.

●      Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) access 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to assist by telephone, or web case submission and online tools with application software use and troubleshooting issues.

●      Access to www.cisco.com, providing helpful technical and general information on Cisco products, as well as access to Cisco’s online Software Center library.

Note:     No additional products or fees are required to receive embedded support for Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing. However, if using embedded support for this software, hardware support for the Catalyst 8000 platforms must be purchased separately, as Cisco Subscription Embedded Software Support does not cover hardware. In this case, Cisco Smart Net Total Care Service is recommended for Catalyst 8000 platforms.

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Ordering information

To place an order, visit the Cisco Ordering Home Page. To download software, visit the Cisco Software Center.

For more information

For more information about the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/C8300 or contact your local Cisco account representative.