New technology enables safe operation of large-scale AI tasks

Cisco has officially introduced Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches with a new line of intelligent networking chips, realizing the vision of supporting AI-ready data centers.

Cisco Smart Switches combined with Cisco Hypershield will open a new approach to securing AI data centers by integrating security directly into the network. Using programmable AMD Pensando data processing units (DPUs), these devices provide data centers with a faster, more flexible, and more secure network infrastructure that meets the demands of growing AI workloads.

As the volume of AI applications increases, building and managing data centers becomes more complex. Data center operators need a simpler way to design, build, and deploy infrastructure to maximize the benefits of AI.

AI applications need to be deployed where they are needed, whether it is a large, massive language model housed in centralized hyperscale databases or a crop irrigation monitoring application located at the edge. The shift in how data is created, accessed, and stored requires a new, simpler kind of data center infrastructure—one that integrates compute, storage, networking, and security in new ways, while enabling automated and predictive operations through simplified management platforms.

“Data center infrastructure needs to be reimagined for AI. From hyperscale companies to enterprises, what they really need now is a faster, more flexible, and more secure network infrastructure to meet the growing demand for AI applications and services. With Smart Switches, we are integrating security into the data center fabric to deliver unparalleled scalability and security to our customers’ critical infrastructure, in an environment where users and applications can operate anywhere,” said Nguyen Nhu Dung, General Manager, Cisco Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

As AI drives rapid growth, organizations must address rapidly increasing power, compute, and network demands. In traditional data center architectures, each new service requires a separate device, creating complexity. This also requires adding, changing, or upgrading security policy enforcement with each new service or workload. Cisco Smart Switches provide a simpler, more efficient, and scalable architecture by integrating services directly into the data center network infrastructure.

By combining Cisco data center networking, Silicon One, and AMD DPUs, customers can scale services and quickly adapt to changing business needs without adding additional hardware. These switches feature two processors: a high-performance network processor for reliable data transmission and a network services processor for fast security processing. Traffic is intelligently routed between the two processors for optimal performance.

This architectural change saves costs through hardware consolidation, reduces power consumption, and simplifies operations. Cisco Smart Switches leverage all the features of an NX-OS switch and are managed through the Nexus Dashboard, while also addressing issues such as stateful segmentation, IPSec encryption, advanced monitoring, DDoS protection, and more.

Thai Chung

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/chuyen-doi-so/cong-nghe-moi-giup-van-hanh-an-toan-cac-tac-vu-ai-quy-mo-lon/20250313114508108