IP Infusion vs Cisco Nexus, NCS and 8000: a technical comparison

Platform by platform, silicon by silicon: how IP Infusion routers and switches line up against Cisco Nexus, NCS, the Cisco 8000 series and ACI, and what changes in licensing, CLI and operations if you move.

How the two are put together

A router or switch is built from the same layers either way. What differs is who supplies each layer. With IP Infusion each layer is sourced on its own and the result ships as one system.

IP InfusionSourced separately, shipped as one system
HardwareEdgecore, UfiSpace, Celestica
Network OSOcNOS-SP or OcNOS-DC
CLIOne industry-standard CLI across SP, DC and AI fabric
OpticsMultiple suppliers, including 400G ZR and ZR+
SupportIP Infusion: one support contract and one RMA path

Different suppliers per layer, qualified together by IP Infusion and delivered as one product on one support contract and one RMA path.

CiscoSourced and shipped as one stack
HardwareCisco
Network OSCisco IOS-XR or NX-OS
CLIIOS-XR CLI on NCS and Cisco 8000, NX-OS CLI on Nexus
OpticsCisco
SupportCisco TAC

Cisco supplies the hardware, the network OS, the optics and the support.

At a glance

DimensionIP Infusion (OcNOS)Cisco (IOS-XR / NX-OS)
What you buyThe finished router or switch: open hardware, OcNOS, optics and support as one system. Or OcNOS on its own, for hardware you already run.The finished router or switch: Cisco hardware, the NOS and support from one vendor.
HardwareOpen platforms from Edgecore, UfiSpace and Celestica. One OcNOS operating model across all of them.Cisco-branded systems.
SiliconBroadcom merchant: Qumran and Jericho for routing, Trident and Tomahawk for switching.Cisco Silicon One in the Cisco 8000 and Nexus 9364E-SG2, Cloud Scale in the Nexus 9300-FX2 and FX3. Cisco names Jericho-family ASICs for its NCS 5500 and NCS 5700 fixed routers.
Operating systemOcNOS-SP for service-provider routing, OcNOS-DC for the data center, each sold in editions.IOS-XR on NCS and Cisco 8000 routers, NX-OS on Nexus switches.
LicensingLicensed separately from the hardware, per edition, with a perpetual use license.IOS-XR: a Flexible Consumption Model with term subscriptions and Smart Licensing, or a perpetual model on the Cisco 8000, NCS 540 and NCS 560.
SourcingHardware and software are bought separately, so platforms can be competed across ODMs.Hardware, software and support are sourced from Cisco.
ProtocolsBGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, SR-MPLS, EVPN-VXLAN, RSVP-TE, IEEE 1588v2. Initial SRv6 support on selected routers, with more in development. Per-platform detail in the Feature Matrix.Per platform, in the Cisco data sheets.
OpticsMulti-vendor pluggables with proven interoperability, including 400G ZR and ZR+ coherent on supported platforms.Cisco optics, listed per platform.
ManagementIndustry-standard transactional CLI with explicit commit. NETCONF, OpenConfig, gNMI, YANG, Ansible, IP Maestro EMS.IOS-XR and NX-OS command lines.
SupportFor an OcNOS System, one support contract and one RMA path from IP Infusion cover the software and hardware. For hardware you buy yourself, the manufacturer supports the hardware.Cisco TAC for hardware and software.

What changes with IP Infusion

IP Infusion changes how the network is bought and supported. A move from Cisco is planned in three steps.

What IP Infusion gives you
  • Licensing per edition. OcNOS is licensed separately from the hardware, in editions, with a perpetual use license.
  • Hardware you can compete. OcNOS runs on merchant-silicon platforms from Edgecore, UfiSpace and Celestica, so the box can go out to bid without changing the network OS.
  • Layers that stay separable. Hardware, software and optics are bought on their own merits, so a change of supplier in one does not force a change in the others.
  • Multi-vendor optics. Pluggables with proven interoperability from several suppliers, including 400G ZR and ZR+ coherent for IPoDWDM and DCI.
  • Support from one team. For an OcNOS System, IP Infusion backs both the software and the hardware under one contract and one RMA path. For hardware you buy yourself, the manufacturer supports the hardware.
What a move involves
  • Assessment. The current IOS-XR or NX-OS configuration, port mix and feature usage are checked against the Feature Matrix and the Hardware Compatibility List.
  • Translation. OcNOS command syntax differs from IOS-XR and NX-OS, so configuration is mapped and reviewed rather than copied line by line.
  • Design review for ACI. The APIC policy model does not port one-to-one to a BGP-EVPN-VXLAN fabric, so an ACI fabric is redesigned rather than swapped.

One operating model across service provider, data center and AI fabric

OcNOS carries the same industry-standard command line and operational model across service-provider routing, the data-center EVPN-VXLAN fabric and the RoCEv2 AI-fabric spine, on the OcNOS-SP and OcNOS-DC families. Cisco runs these roles on two operating systems, IOS-XR and NX-OS.

Service provider routing

OcNOS-SP carries BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, SR-MPLS and EVPN-MPLS with IEEE 1588v2 timing on Broadcom Qumran and Jericho platforms. On Cisco this role runs IOS-XR.

Data-center fabric

OcNOS-DC runs a BGP-EVPN-VXLAN leaf-spine with the standard overlay primitives, on Broadcom Trident-3 leaves and Tomahawk spines. On Cisco this role runs NX-OS.

AI fabric

OcNOS-DC adds PFC and ECN for lossless RoCEv2 traffic on Broadcom Tomahawk-5 800G spines for GPU-cluster fabrics. The Cisco 800G Nexus 9364E-SG2 runs NX-OS.

The same command line and configuration patterns apply across all three roles on IP Infusion. On Cisco, service-provider and core routing run IOS-XR and the data center runs NX-OS, each with its own command line.

Platform-by-platform: Service Provider Routers

Rows are matched on role, port profile and capacity, not SKU for SKU. Each row pairs a Cisco platform with its IP Infusion equivalent, the port profile, the capacity comparison and the match level. Where one platform does not carry the capacity, the row says so and names the combination that does.

Role, ports and capacity all line up Same capacity class Design review
Cisco platform IP Infusion equivalent Ports Capacity Match Notes
Cisco NCS 540 (N540-24Z8Q2C)Access / aggregation · IOS-XR S9510-28DC / AS7535-28XBOcNOS-SP 24×10G + 8×25G + 2×100G → 24×25G + 2×100G + 2×400G 640G port total → 800G Role and capacity match Cisco does not publish the forwarding ASIC for the NCS 540, so this row is matched on role, port profile and capacity rather than on silicon.
Cisco NCS 5500 / 5700Aggregation / provider edge · IOS-XR S9600-64X / 56DX / AS9947-36XKBOcNOS-SP 24×100G + 6×400G → 48×100G + 8×400G 3.6T-4.8T → 4.8T-7.2T Same capacity class For a 6×400G + 24×100G NCS-57B1, the closest port shape is the S9600-56DX at 8×400G + 48×100G. Route scale and port mix are compared per deployment.
Cisco 8201-32FHCore / peering · Cisco 8000 · Cisco Silicon One S9610-36DOcNOS-SP 32×400G → 36×400G 12.8T → 14.4T Different silicon The silicon architectures differ, so FIB/RIB scale and label-stack depth are compared per deployment rather than assumed.

Platform-by-platform: Data Center Switches

OcNOS-DC on open Broadcom hardware: EVPN-VXLAN leaves on Trident-3, IP spines on Tomahawk.

Cisco platform IP Infusion equivalent Ports Capacity Match Notes
Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX325G leaf · NX-OS · Cloud Scale AS7326-56XOcNOS-DC 48×25G + 6×100G → 48×25G + 8×100G 1.8T → 2.0T (one way) Port-for-port match BGP-EVPN-VXLAN, MAC-VRF and the standard overlay primitives are supported.
Cisco Nexus 9336C-FX2100G leaf / spine · NX-OS · Cloud Scale AS7726-32X / S9110-32XOcNOS-DC 36×100G → 32×100G 3.6T → 3.2T (one way) Same 100G class Four fewer 100G ports than the 9336C-FX2, so a wide fabric needs the port count checked against the design.
Cisco Nexus 9332D-GX2B400G leaf / spine · NX-OS AS9716-32D / AS9736-64DOcNOS-DC 32×400G → 32 or 64×400G 12.8T → 12.8 or 25.6T Same 400G class The Feature Matrix lists EVPN-VXLAN on the Trident-3 platforms, not on these Tomahawk platforms, so they fit the IP spine role of an EVPN-VXLAN fabric.
Cisco Nexus 9364E-SG2800G spine · NX-OS · Cisco Silicon One G200 AIS800-64D / S9321-64EOcNOS-DC 64×800G → 64×800G 51.2T → 51.2T Different vendor silicon 64×800G on both sides, on different vendor silicon. The Tomahawk-5 platforms carry PFC, ECN and dynamic ECN for RoCEv2 AI fabric traffic.
Cisco ACI / APICController-based DC fabric EVPN-VXLAN leaf-spineOcNOS-DC n/a Per fabric design Design review Both use VXLAN in the fabric. ACI pairs it with IS-IS, COOP and the APIC policy model, so a move is scoped as a design review rather than a swap.

How to read these. Rows are matched on role, port profile and capacity. Capacity is stated one way on both sides: where Cisco publishes Nexus switching capacity bidirectionally, the figure is halved here to compare against the unidirectional figures Edgecore and UfiSpace publish. Silicon is named only where the vendor names it; Cisco does not publish the forwarding ASIC for the NCS 540 or the Nexus 9332D-GX2B. No SKU is presented as a guaranteed one-to-one replacement, and the right platform for your network still depends on its port mix, scale and feature set. Specs reflect publicly documented information as of October 2026.

Cisco sources for the facts on this page:

Platforms IP Infusion ships for these roles

A representative set for the roles above. Open any card for the platform datasheet:

S9510-28DC UfiSpace open switch
S9510-28DC SP access / aggregation UfiSpace · Qumran-2A View datasheet →
S9600-64X UfiSpace open switch
S9600-64X SP aggregation UfiSpace · Qumran-2C View datasheet →
S9610-36D UfiSpace open switch
S9610-36D SP compact core UfiSpace · Jericho-2C+ View datasheet →
AS7326-56X Edgecore open switch
AS7326-56X DC leaf (25G) Edgecore · Trident-3 View datasheet →
AS9736-64D Edgecore open switch
AS9736-64D DC spine (400G) Edgecore · Tomahawk-4 View datasheet →
AIS800-64D Edgecore open switch
AIS800-64D DC / AI spine (800G) Edgecore · Tomahawk-5 View datasheet →

Browse the full set of qualified platforms in the Hardware Compatibility List.

Roles IP Infusion covers

SP metro & edge aggregation

SR-MPLS, EVPN-MPLS and G.8273.2 Class C timing on Broadcom Qumran and Jericho platforms, for the access and aggregation roles the Cisco NCS 540 and NCS 5500 serve.

Data-center EVPN-VXLAN leaf-spine

A BGP-EVPN-VXLAN fabric with Trident-3 leaves and Tomahawk IP spines, the standard overlay primitives (MAC-VRF, type-2 and type-5 routes) and no central controller.

400G & 800G data-center spine

High-radix spines on Broadcom Tomahawk-4 (400G) and Tomahawk-5 (800G), with PFC and ECN for lossless RoCEv2 AI fabric traffic.

IPoDWDM & 400G coherent DCI

400G ZR and OpenZR+ coherent pluggables on supported OcNOS-SP routers, with proven interoperability with optics from multiple vendors, for DCI without separate transponders.

Operators who made the move

Published customer stories where Cisco equipment was replaced, and the reason each operator gave:

MadeoReplaced Cisco Nexus 3048 and Catalyst 3750 switches. Chose OcNOS for EVPN-VXLAN data-center interconnect, full BGP transit peering, and optics flexibility, on a familiar CLI. Dojo NetworksReplaced Cisco transport devices between sites. Cited feature breadth across diverse hardware, and lead times that went from years to days, while interoperating with the installed multi-vendor estate. Premium Choice BroadbandReplaced a Cisco core router with OcNOS-SP on UfiSpace. Cited immediate availability of the upgrade equipment, the robustness of the software, and the price. Hall AG (Citynet)Replaced its Cisco backbone with OcNOS on Edgecore. Cited feature parity with the alternatives it evaluated, stock availability, pricing, and an industry-standard CLI that eased the cutover.

A phased migration path

Assessment & lab

Capture the current IOS-XR / NX-OS config, port mix, and feature usage; map platforms against the classes above and select OcNOS editions and HCL hardware.

Week 1

Pilot & parity

Run a dual-homed pilot, verify protocol and timing parity, translate route-policy and EVPN config, and stream OpenConfig telemetry to your existing collector.

Week 4

Rolling cutover

Cut over region by region with a clear rollback path, retaining the same standards-based data plane and operational model throughout.

Week 12

Where IP Infusion fits

IP Infusion competes on how the network is bought: merchant-silicon hardware that can go out to bid across ODMs, OcNOS licensed per edition separately from the box with a perpetual use license, and optics from more than one supplier, delivered as a finished router or switch qualified on the HCL.

Feature MatrixPer-feature, per-platform support Hardware Compatibility ListHCL-listed open platforms OcNOS-SPService-provider routing OcNOS-DCData-center fabric Open NetworkingThe vendor landscape OcNOS vs SONiCCompare also OcNOS vs JuniperCompare also
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Cisco, IOS-XR, IOS-XE, NX-OS, Silicon One, Nexus, Catalyst, NCS, Cisco 8000, ACI, and APIC are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. Broadcom and its product names are trademarks of Broadcom Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. IP Infusion is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cisco Systems. Comparisons reflect publicly documented specifications as of October 2026 and are provided for evaluation purposes only.

Frequently asked questions

Does IP Infusion sell complete switches and routers, or just the OcNOS software?
Both. The main offering is the finished product: a carrier-grade router or switch with OcNOS pre-installed on open hardware, plus the optics and the support contract, delivered as one system and qualified on the Hardware Compatibility List. If you already run open hardware, you can license OcNOS on its own for it. Because hardware, software and optics stay separable, you can change any one of them later without replacing the others.
Is IP Infusion a Cisco alternative?
Yes. IP Infusion supplies routers and switches for the same service-provider and data-center roles Cisco serves, built on open Broadcom merchant-silicon platforms, running the commercial OcNOS network operating system, with vendor support and SLAs. The practical difference is procurement: the hardware is competed across ODMs and the software is licensed separately from it.
Can OcNOS replace Cisco IOS-XR for service-provider routing?
OcNOS-SP carries BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, MPLS, SR-MPLS, RSVP-TE, L2VPN and L3VPN, QoS and IEEE 1588v2 timing, with initial SRv6 support on selected routers and more in development. Whether a specific Cisco platform maps one-to-one depends on your port mix, scale and feature usage, so a production move is checked in an IP Infusion engineering assessment against the Feature Matrix and Hardware Compatibility List.
What is the difference between OcNOS and Cisco NX-OS in the data center?
OcNOS-DC runs BGP-EVPN-VXLAN leaf-spine fabrics on open Broadcom Trident and Tomahawk platforms from several manufacturers. NX-OS runs on Cisco Nexus hardware. The difference is the hardware model: with OcNOS-DC the switch can be sourced from more than one manufacturer without changing the network OS.
Does OcNOS run on the same silicon as Cisco?
In part. OcNOS standardizes on Broadcom merchant silicon (Qumran, Jericho, Trident, Tomahawk). Cisco uses its own Silicon One ASICs in the Cisco 8000 and the Nexus 9364E-SG2 and Cloud Scale technology in the Nexus 9300-FX2 and FX3, and names Jericho-family ASICs for its NCS 5500 and NCS 5700 fixed routers, including a single 4.8-Tbps Jericho 2 ASIC in the NCS-57B1.
Is there an OcNOS equivalent to the Cisco Nexus 9300?
For the data-center leaf role, OcNOS-DC runs on Broadcom Trident-3 platforms (for example an Edgecore 48×25G switch with 100G uplinks) with BGP-EVPN-VXLAN, MAC-VRF and the standard overlay primitives. The exact match depends on your port and uplink profile, which the assessment maps against the Hardware Compatibility List.
Can OcNOS replace a Cisco ACI EVPN-VXLAN fabric?
Cisco ACI is a controller-based fabric managed by the APIC, in which all fabric traffic is carried as VXLAN, with IS-IS and COOP for endpoint forwarding. OcNOS-DC runs a BGP-EVPN-VXLAN leaf-spine on open hardware with no central controller. Both use VXLAN, but the APIC policy model does not map feature for feature, so a move is scoped as a design review rather than a swap.
What is the OcNOS alternative to the Cisco 8000 or NCS series for SP core?
OcNOS-SP runs on the UfiSpace S9600 family (Broadcom Qumran-2C) and S9610-36D (Jericho2C+) and the Edgecore AS9947-36XKB (Jericho2C+) for aggregation, core and peering, and on Qumran-2A routers for the NCS 540 access role. The silicon differs from Cisco Silicon One and from the Jericho 2 that Cisco names for the NCS-57B1, so FIB/RIB scale, label-stack depth and port mix are compared per deployment.
How do Cisco IOS-XR and NX-OS commands map to OcNOS?
OcNOS uses an industry-standard command line that is transactional, with an explicit commit and rollback. Command syntax differs from IOS-XR and NX-OS, so a migration uses a command mapping and a reviewed translation pass rather than a line-by-line copy.
Can one team run service provider, data center and AI fabric on IP Infusion?
Yes. OcNOS uses the same industry-standard command line and operational model across service-provider routing on OcNOS-SP and the data-center EVPN-VXLAN fabric and RoCEv2 AI-fabric spines on OcNOS-DC, so the same configuration patterns and tooling carry across all three roles. On Cisco those roles run on two operating systems: IOS-XR on NCS and Cisco 8000 routers, and NX-OS on Nexus switches.
Is OcNOS supported the way Cisco is?
Yes. OcNOS is a commercial product with SLAs and a global support organization behind it, not a community project. Buy an OcNOS System and IP Infusion supports the software and hardware under one contract, with one RMA path. For hardware you buy yourself, IP Infusion supports the software and the hardware manufacturer supports the hardware.
How long has IP Infusion been building network operating system software?
Since the late 1990s. OcNOS is built on ZebOS, the commercial embedded routing stack IP Infusion has developed and shipped for more than two decades and licensed as routing software across the networking and security industry. Its routing lineage traces back to the Zebra routing project originated by the founders of IP Infusion. OcNOS-SP and OcNOS-DC are the carrier-grade operating systems built on that code base, so the protocol stack behind them carries a long field history rather than a recent one.
Is OcNOS proven enough for a production carrier or data-center network?
Yes. OcNOS runs in production service-provider and data-center networks worldwide, on a routing control plane with more than two decades of field history through its ZebOS heritage. It is a commercial, supported product with its own engineering, QA and release process. For a specific network the deployment is checked against the Feature Matrix and Hardware Compatibility List, so the match to your roles, scale and feature usage is confirmed before cutover.
Why replace proprietary routers with open networking?
It separates the hardware, the network OS and the optics so each can be sourced on its own merits, with OcNOS licensed per edition under a perpetual use license. IP Infusion supplies the result as a finished, qualified system, so that sourcing freedom does not turn into an integration project.
Is IP Infusion also an alternative to Juniper?
Yes. The same OcNOS platforms that cover Cisco IOS-XR and NX-OS roles also cover Junos roles in service-provider and data-center networks. For a platform-by-platform view, see the Juniper comparison at /resources/ocnos-vs-juniper/.