KC8Y6 - Dell PowerSwitch Z9100-ON 32-Port 100GbE Switch

Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON, a 1U 32-port 100GbE fixed data center switch with dual SFP+ uplinks, redundant PSUs, and OS9/OS10 support.

The Dell KC8Y6 is the Manufacturer Part Number for the Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON, a high-performance, fixed-configuration multi-rate Ethernet switch built for data center core and top-of-rack deployments. It is a 1U form-factor switch designed for high-density 100GbE connectivity in data center and computing environments. The switch provides 32 fixed QSFP28 ports that can be flexibly configured for 100GbE, 50GbE, 40GbE, 25GbE, or 10GbE operation, plus two additional fixed SFP+ ports supporting 10GbE/1GbE/100MbE speeds, offering significant port density and flexibility for network migration. It leverages a non-blocking switching architecture to deliver line-rate Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding, making it suitable for leaf-spine data center fabrics, VXLAN gateway deployment, and SDN/OpenFlow-enabled environments. The unit ships with redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules for high availability, and supports Dell EMC's Open Networking Install Environment (ONIE) as well as Dell OS9 and OS10 network operating systems.

• Manufacturer: Dell Technologies (Dell EMC)
• Product Line: PowerSwitch
• Product Model: Z9100-ON
• Product Type: Ethernet Switch
• Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable
• Fixed Ports: 32 x 100GbE QSFP28 ports
• Uplink Ports: 2 x fixed 1/10GbE SFP+ ports
• Port Flexibility: Configurable as 32x100GbE, 64x50GbE, 32x40GbE, 128x25GbE, or 128x10GbE
• Switching Capacity: 6.4 Tbps full duplex (3.2 Tbps half duplex)
• Forwarding Rate: 2900 Mpps (<350 byte packets) / 4400 Mpps (>350 byte packets)
• Latency: L2: 300ns, L3: 400ns
• Packet Buffer Memory: 16 MB
• CPU Memory: 8 GB
• MAC Address Table: 160K entries
• IPv4 Unicast Routes: 128K
• IPv6 Unicast Routes: 64K
• Operating System: Dell EMC Networking OS9 / OS10 (ONIE-enabled)
• Power Supply: 2 x redundant, hot-swappable 750W AC PSUs
• PoE: Not supported
• Max Power Consumption: 605 Watts
• Typical Power Consumption: 195 Watts
• Airflow: Standard (I/O to PSU) or Reverse (PSU to I/O)
• Cooling: 5 hot-swappable redundant fan modules
• Mounting: Tool-less Dell ReadyRails rack mounting system

• 32 fixed QSFP28 ports supporting 100GbE with multi-rate flexibility
• Two additional SFP+ ports for 10GbE/1GbE/100MbE connectivity
• Non-blocking switching architecture for line-rate L2/L3 forwarding
• 6.4 Tbps full-duplex switching capacity for high-throughput workloads
• Sub-500ns low-latency packet processing
• Redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules
• Supports Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) for alternate OS loading
• Compatible with Dell EMC Networking OS9 and OS10 operating systems
• Priority-based Flow Control (PFC), DCBX, and ETS for DCB environments
• Supports VXLAN Layer 2 Gateway functionality
• SDN/OpenFlow 1.3.1 support for programmable networking
• Tool-less ReadyRails rack mounting for simplified installation

Designed for high-performance, high-density data center core, spine, and leaf network deployments.

• High-density 100GbE top-of-rack or leaf-spine data center fabric deployment
• Aggregation point for 10/40/50/100GbE uplinks from access switches
• Core switch for migrating data centers to 100Gbps networking
• VXLAN Layer 2 Gateway connecting overlay and non-virtualized infrastructure
• SDN/OpenFlow-enabled network fabric for programmable networking environments
• Data Center Bridging (DCB) environments requiring lossless Ethernet
• Small-scale Active Fabric implementations with S-Series ToR switches

• High port density conserves valuable rack space
• Non-blocking architecture ensures consistent line-rate performance
• Redundant power and cooling improve uptime and reliability
• Flexible port speed configuration eases network migration
• Sub-500ns latency supports latency-sensitive applications
• ONIE support enables open networking OS flexibility

• Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable chassis
• Power Supplies: 2 x 750W redundant, hot-swappable AC PSUs
• Cooling: 5 x hot-swappable fan modules
• Airflow Direction: Standard (I/O-to-PSU) or Reverse (PSU-to-I/O) options

Per available documentation, this product is validated for use within Dell EMC's Active Fabric data center architecture alongside:

• Dell EMC Networking S-Series 1/10/40GbE top-of-rack switches
• Dell EMC Networking S4048 switches
• Dell EMC Networking S6010 switches
• Dell EMC Networking S6100 switches
• Dell PowerSwitch S4112 switches
• Dell PowerSwitch S5212 switches
• Industry-standard OpenFlow 1.3.1 controllers
• QSFP28 100GbE and 40GbE transceivers/optics
• SFP+ 10GbE/1GbE transceivers

Note: Compatibility listings are based on Dell EMC's Active Fabric architecture documentation and distributor cross-reference listings; transceivers are not included with the base unit and must be ordered separately.

• Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON switch unit
• 2 x AC power supplies
• 2 x power cords
• Fan modules (installed)
• Rail kit (ReadyRails)
• Console cable

Q: What product does the Dell MPN KC8Y6 correspond to?

A: KC8Y6 is the Dell manufacturer part number for the Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON, a 32-port 100GbE data center switch.

Q: How many ports does the Dell KC8Y6 (Z9100-ON) switch have?

A: It has 32 fixed QSFP28 ports plus 2 fixed SFP+ ports, with the QSFP28 ports flexibly configurable to support 100GbE, 50GbE, 40GbE, 25GbE, or 10GbE speeds.

Q: What is the switching capacity of the Z9100-ON?

A: The switch delivers a switching capacity of 6.4 Tbps in full-duplex mode, supported by a non-blocking switching architecture.

Q: Does the KC8Y6 switch support redundant power supplies?

A: Yes, it includes two redundant, hot-swappable AC power supplies rated at 750W each along with redundant, hot-swappable fan modules.

Q: What operating systems does the Z9100-ON support?

A: It supports Dell EMC Networking OS9 and OS10, and is built on the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) allowing installation of alternate network operating systems.

Q: What is the latency of the Dell KC8Y6 switch?

A: The switch offers Layer 2 latency of approximately 300ns and Layer 3 latency of approximately 400ns, generally cited as sub-500ns overall.

Q: Are transceivers included with the Dell KC8Y6 switch?

A: No, transceiver modules are not included with the base unit and must be purchased separately according to distributor listings.

Q: What are typical use cases for the Z9100-ON switch?

A: It is commonly deployed in data center core, leaf-spine fabrics, high-density 100GbE aggregation, VXLAN gateway roles, and SDN/OpenFlow-enabled network environments.