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Cisco AI Network Readiness
Assess whether an existing Cisco data centre network can support proposed AI workloads, identifying capacity, compatibility and operational gaps.
Devices supported
across the UK
Client locations
supported
Traffic handled
at peak time
Average
response time
Average response is not a resolution time or a contractual guarantee. Support scope and response commitments are agreed for each engagement.
Cisco AI network readiness checks whether the switches you own can support the AI platform you plan to add. We review device support, port needs and the wider systems involved. The result sets out what can stay and what needs work. It helps you decide the next steps before committing to a full refresh.
Workload-led design
Start with application, compute and storage dependencies rather than the switch model.
Clear failure domains
Understand which links, devices and sites can fail together.
Operational clarity
Make fabrics, external routing and management responsibilities supportable.
Describe the intended service before checking equipment
We first clarify whether the project concerns inference, distributed training, data preparation or several activities. The app team identifies node counts, communication patterns, storage dependencies and expected growth. A small service accessed by business users creates a different network problem from a tightly coupled cluster exchanging large intermediate results.
These needs become the assessment baseline. Where the platform design is not settled, we record the alternatives and explain which findings depend on them. An uncertain workload should produce a qualified readiness decision, not a definitive approval based on an optimistic estimate of bandwidth.
Standards & partnerships
Confidence in the team behind your network.
Cisco Partner
Cisco Meraki
Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials PlusMCI Network Services is operated by Proxar Ltd. Certifications apply to the certified legal entity and the scope of its certificates. View accreditation information
Inventory the actual forwarding platform
The review covers switch models, installed software, licences, port capabilities, optics and current usage. We check hardware resources relevant to the proposed setup and compare the intended features with their supported combinations. Existing operational settings can matter as much as the capabilities of a newly ordered switch.
We also examine connected adapters and the cabling path. Link speed, breakout arrangements and optical compatibility require agreement at both ends. A readiness report should identify the component that limits an otherwise suitable connection, allowing a targeted correction rather than an unnecessarily broad replacement recommendation.
A useful starting point
Not sure where to start?
Bring the requirement. We will help you define the engineering work.
Identify traffic and failure-domain gaps
Current monitoring may show low average usage while concealing short bursts or a heavily used path. We examine the measurement interval, available counters and the locations at which observations are collected. Where evidence is insufficient, a short, controlled measurement exercise can be more valuable than making a capacity decision from incomplete graphs.
The proposed topology is assessed under normal and degraded conditions. We ask whether a remaining path can support important workloads after a link or switch fails and whether management remains available during that event. A network with spare ports is not automatically ready for the service’s availability needs.
Different environments. The same care.
Built around the work
your network supports.
Finance, banking and the wider private sector. We start with the systems and people that depend on your connections.
Finance & banking
Market-data paths, routing and provider coordination on clients’ behalf.
Financial-market services ↗Offices & multi-site teams
Reliable access between people, workplaces and business applications.
Office network design ↗Data centres & cloud
Network boundaries, workload connections and operational ownership.
Data centre networks ↗Review congestion-control prerequisites
When the platform proposes RoCE, readiness includes endpoint setup, traffic classification, queuing and supported congestion controls. We establish which settings the platform vendor requires and whether the Cisco network can implement them consistently. The assessment separates confirmed support from features that still need a lab or pilot test.
For TCP-based apps, the investigation may instead concentrate on oversubscription, buffering, storage throughput and app concurrency. We avoid applying RDMA-related settings merely because a project is labelled AI. The correct recommendation follows the transport and workload rather than the marketing category.
Include security and operating arrangements
Management network access, account ownership, telemetry collection and change procedures need to be ready before production jobs arrive. We review how administrators reach the equipment and how access can be recovered if the normal identity or management service is unavailable. The report identifies dependencies that could make an otherwise minor incident difficult to resolve.
Shared setups also require clear boundaries between teams or tenants. We examine addressing, routing and intended service access, recording where firewall policy or platform controls are required. A readiness exercise does not certify the whole setup. It produces evidence and actions relevant to the agreed networking scope.
Use a pilot to close material uncertainties
A pilot should answer specific questions, such as whether a traffic mix creates unacceptable queueing or whether the proposed path diversity behaves correctly. We agree the test data, endpoint owners, maintenance constraints and success measures before connecting temporary equipment. Testing without those boundaries can generate impressive figures that do not help a buying decision.
Results are recorded with platform versions and workload conditions. Failed tests become engineering findings, not reasons to adjust the criteria until the design passes. Where a limitation belongs to storage, compute or app software, we separate it from the network findings and identify the appropriate next investigation.
Turn the assessment into a practical decision
The deliverable distinguishes ready components, required remediation and unresolved assumptions. It can include a phased improvement plan, indicative dependency sequence and the tests needed after rollout. Costs and procurement choices are developed from that scope rather than invented during the technical review.
MCI can then support AI Ethernet fabric design or work alongside your current rollout team. For the assessment, provide a redacted topology, inventory and workload outline. We will define the evidence required to make a defensible readiness decision and avoid changing production settings merely to investigate their suitability.
Talk to a specialist
What does your network need next?
Tell us what you are planning, changing or trying to improve. We will help define a practical next step and the engineering scope.
+44 203 196 6566Choose option 1
sales@proxar.co.ukUK-wide service.
Most of our engineers are based in Kent, with a focus on London, Sussex, Essex and Berkshire.
Existing customers should use their agreed support and escalation channels. This form is for service enquiries, not a monitored emergency ticket.
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