Is Cisco's catalyst line of switches making a comeback?!
If you're deciding on one or the other, the short and sweet answer is this:
Go #Catalyst if you're building out a large office or campus network spanning multiple floors and managing a large number of network devices. MDF and IDF. Plain and simple.
Go #Nexus if you're building out a data center and/or multi-tenant space and need to have more raw network design flexibility with #FCoE, #Ethernet, and #Fiber all supported in the same platform (or even the same chassis). There are also some innate advantages for cloud connectivity/management.
If you are like majority of my connections (heavily practiced technology professionals) and have been in the industry a while managing networks, then this is relatively basic. When it comes to return on investment, this is where we get to debate and have some fun.
If you are a Cisco user, through-and-through, then I still argue that the catalyst line is the better overall investment for the business for two reasons.
Resale-ability
Durability
AND, I get it... there isn't a blanket statement to say one is better. They each have their purpose and are great at what they do. But I'm going to say it anyway.
Organizations with mature lifecycle management strategies in place will leverage the end-of-life of their hardware to their advantage. Looking at their ability to resell their technology to maximize their investment. Large retailers are a great example and notorious for being bad with this, but the good IT teams I work with are able to -
Obtain enterprise technology at the store to match their data center infrastructure
Increase velocity of technology refresh at the store - Getting newer hardware when it comes out sooner than their counterparts
AND / OR, extend the life of their network at the store because the equipment simply doesn't fail.
Now, from an actual technology stance, NX-OS on the Nexus platform is great and challenging to beat for an enterprise data center network. There is some modular capabilities with the Catalyst line and IOS that enable a more feature rich environment today, but I don't think it quite touches what Nexus can provide.
This is just one man's thoughts - so let me know yours below.
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Written by: Mackenzie Perry