Cisco announces order ability for the new 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series. The 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module doubles the 10 Gigabit Ethernet density on the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series, providing up to 130 ports of 10 Gigabit Ethernet in a single Cisco Catalyst 6500 chassis. It is ideal for deployment in the LAN campus aggregation or data center access, where fan out and port density are important. The new 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module complements the existing integrated services on the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series, enabling you to build a scalable, resilient, and manageable data center to meet your growing business needs to consolidate and virtualize servers and storage to maximize resource utilization and reduce capital expenses.   

There are two versions of the Cisco Catalyst 6500 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module: 

• 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module with DFC 3C (DFC3C)
• 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module with DFC 3CXL (DFC3CXL) 

Both modules contain the WS-X6716-10GE base board and a distributed forwarding card. The 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module can operate in a mix of oversubscription mode and performance mode, providing maximum flexibility for the customer to connect some ports to servers and some ports to wiring closet uplinks.  

Hardware/Software compatibility

WS-X6716-10G-3C with Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33) SXH2
WS- X6716-10G-3CXL with Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33) SXH2 

Cisco Catalyst 6500 16-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet module is supported in a Virtual Switching System with IOS 12.2(33)SXH2.

For further details pertaining to the 16-port 10GB card please visit the folllowing links:

Cisco 10GB Line Cards
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the 6716 10-GB Card
16-Port 10GB Line Card Product Bulletin
12.2(33)SXH Release Notes - **A Must Read**