In the early days of my data centre journey, the technologies that dominated the conversation included Token Ring, ATM LANE, and SNA, which were complex, cumbersome, and time consuming to deploy. Fast forward to today and the vocabulary has changed to VXLAN, EVPN, and ACI, but designing and deploying modern data centre infrastructure still remains a resource-heavy, time-consuming task.
That was until Cisco introduced Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric in early 2025. What followed was not just a shift in tooling, but a transformation in mindset. This is the story of what changed through the eyes of an engineer.
Our first proper look at Hyperfabric was at Cisco Live Melbourne in 2024. The combination of new hardware and a cloud-native management portal made it clear this wasn’t just an iteration, it was something completely different. While traditional fabric-based architectures, such as ACI and NX OS (Nexus Operating System), brought powerful capabilities, they also required a steeper learning curve for engineers, an extended duration for design activities and detailed implementation planning. While these traditional architectures still have a place, Hyperfabric offers a very user-friendly approach in comparison, replacing complexity with simplicity, and, most importantly, manual work with automation.
The shift wasn’t just in the platform; it was throughout the entire lifecycle of deploying a network fabric. With Hyperfabric, engineers now work via a cloud portal that covers everything from initial design to day-two operations, with a level of efficiency that would have seemed unimaginable just a year ago.
With its release in Q1 earlier this calendar year, I’ve been exploring the capabilities of Hyperfabric and wanted to share my experiences using a “before and after” framework so you can see the impact it could have on your operations.
The journey begins with a design phase, usually characterised by whiteboard sessions, capturing requirements, compatibility checks, and ongoing back-and-forth between teams.
Once the design is completed a validated bill of materials (BoM) is instantly created. What used to take days to cross-reference part numbers, confirm power supply counts and match transceivers is now completed in minutes.
The most game-changing aspect of Hyperfabric is the ability to pre-configure logical networks and segmentation before any physical hardware arrives.
In my own lab, I configured a simple lab fabric, (two switches, several logical networks, and three logical routing domains), in just a couple of hours. Previously you would need the controllers to be delivered and installed before configuration.
Once the hardware arrives, deployment becomes a simple, guided experience.
Within minutes, the fabric is live and ready to connect storage arrays, application servers, or edge workloads.
Once live, the Hyperfabric portal offers a single pane of glass for ongoing management:
| Capability | Before Hyperfabric | After Hyperfabric |
| Design | Manual, time-intensive, prone to compatibility errors | Blueprint-driven, guided, automated cabling validation |
| BoM creation | Manual, risk of errors or omissions | Autogenerated and validated against design |
| Configuration | Post-hardware, configuration can start | Pre-hardware, point-and-click interface |
| Deployment | Requires local setup, manual configuration | Cloud-delivered, guided steps, zero-touch provisioning |
| Operation | Additional tooling required | Unified portal with real-time visibility and alerting |
While Hyperfabric isn’t the answer for every scenario, and especially environments needing high-security service chaining, it shines in use cases like:
For engineers, Cisco Hyperfabric is more than just a product; it signifies a shift in how we approach building and managing data centres. It eliminates layers of complexity that have long been accepted as standard, enabling engineers to focus on outcomes instead of syntax.
At Data#3, we’re proud to already be a certified Hyperfabric partner working to simplify our customers IT. Whether you’re exploring a data centre refresh, planning for edge computing, or simply want to streamline operations, we’re here to help.
Contact us using the form below to request a demo.
Information provided within this form will be handled in accordance with our privacy statement.