The need for advanced networking solutions has never been more crucial, especially as you advance your digital transformation efforts. You rely on robust communication networks to make sure your operations run smoothly, efficiently, and securely. The Stratix 5200 Managed Industrial Ethernet Switch is a next-generation fully managed switch designed to connect and protect your critical systems.

Simplified Portfolio and Streamlined Selection

The Stratix 5200 is a replacement for the Stratix 5700, but the lower number does not mean lower quality. This switch aligns with mid-tier products in the Stratix portfolio. In fact, one of the switch’s standout features is its optimized approach to switch selection and ordering. You face a lot of choices when it comes to networking equipment, and the Stratix 5200 can simplify the decision-making process.

Enhanced Port Speed Options

The Stratix 5200 expands the range of port speed options available in the fully managed switch tier. This allows you to choose the configuration that perfectly matches your industrial network's requirements, providing the flexibility needed to adapt to your specific needs.

Robust Redundancy and Resilience

You already know that downtime is costly and disruptive. The Stratix 5200 can help mitigate downtime by offering support for Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) and Device Level Ring (DLR) options. These features allow you to build redundant and resilient systems that ensure continuous operations while minimizing downtime.

"Cisco Trustworthy" Technology Integration

Security is critical, especially as cyberattacks on industrial manufacturers continue to rise. The Stratix 5200 incorporates “Cisco Trustworthy” technology to provide world-class security features. This technology seamlessly integrates with Cisco’s TrustSec suite of products, like Cisco ISE and Cisco DNA-C. It also includes embedded validation software components, which offers fundamental protection against counterfeit hardware and software risks.

The Stratix 5200 also includes technology to encrypt communications and protect your infrastructure from unauthorized access. There are also advanced features for greater visibility into data flows within your production environment, including support for Cisco CyberVision Sensor, Netflow, and SPAN/RSPAN features.

User-Friendly Web Interface

The Stratix 5200 offers an improved web user interface (UI) that decreases reaction times by at least half compared to previous generations. This UI provides extensive troubleshooting capabilities, including Traceroute, ping, and debug functions. Your OT teams can also access CLI interface commands directly from the web UI, streamlining network management tasks.

Additionally, customizable dashboards further help your OT teams in identifying common issues quickly, providing swift solutions and minimized disruptions to your manufacturing processes.

Common Software Platform and Disaster Recovery

Validating your infrastructure software build is also simpler since the Stratix 5200 shares a common software platform with Cisco Enterprise Catalyst Platforms. This means you only need to validate your software once, reducing the complexity of managing different software versions.

Should an issue arise, the Stratix 5200 also has robust disaster recovery features. It includes firmware backups during upgrades, ensuring a quick path to recovery. Configuration backups are also native to the switch, accessible via the file system in the web GUI environment.

Supporting Your Digital Transformation Efforts

When we talk about different Stratix families, we often mention categories like unmanaged, lightly managed, fully managed, and high-performance managed. Now, with the introduction of the new Stratix 5200 product family, we're making some changes to keep up with the latest trends in digital transformation. For instance, here are four common challenges that come up when you're trying to pick the right infrastructure components that will do what you need them to do.