The Cisco Nexus 3000 series switches operate in the layer 2 and 3 switching realm. The 3064 is an in-line rate Gigabit Ethernet top-of-rack switch. In a normal environment a top of rack switch will be the switch that will support modular deployment of data center racks. The ToR approach minimizes the length of cables required for each server since all of the servers are connected to the switch in the same rack. Most times, copper cables will be used to connect within the rack and the fiber cables will be used to connect each top of rack switch. This set up enables expand-ability for future growth.

The Cisco Nexus 3064 has a switching line rate of 1.2 terabits per second (Tbps) along with 950 million packets per second within its 1RU design. The 3064 is designed to handle low latency and will deliver higer performance in high frequency trading (HFT) evniroments. The N3K-C3064PQ-10GX operates on the Cisco NX-OS along with end to end Nexus fabric. This switch is designed for big data customers that need a top of rack switch that has local switching and connects with upstream Nexus switches.