Cisco MDS switches are segmented into two key categories: Director-Class and Fabric Switches, each tailored for different SANenvironments:

Director-Class Switches (e.g., Cisco MDS 9700 Series):

Modular and highly scalable

Support hot-swappable components (line cards, supervisors, fabric modules)

High port density and performance for core SANs in enterprise data centers

Fabric Switches (e.g., Cisco MDS 9148T):

Compact, fixed-form factor

Best suited for smaller SANs or edge locations

Cost-effective and simple to deploy

This distinction is important when selecting hardware for data center core vs access layers in SAN architectures.