Catalyst 5000 Family of Switches: Scalable Intranet Switching Solutions

Transcription

1 OVERVIEW Catalyst 5000 Family of Switches: Scalable Intranet Switching Solutions The advent of the Internet, followed by the use of Web technology on corporate intranets, has significantly changed the networking paradigm seen in large corporate networks today. In fact, Web technology has changed forever the way organizations distribute and access information. Network managers and senior management alike realize this fact, and businesses are quickly adopting and standardizing on Web technology as the primary transport vehicle for mission-critical information and applications on corporate intranets. At the same time, it has become imperative to also address and adapt the network infrastructure to this new environment. Traditional shared-media technology in the campus LAN can no longer deliver the performance and scalability required to support these new emerging Web applications. Not only is raw bandwidth required to address this problem, but even more importantly, a set of new services on the network is needed to deliver information and applications to every desktop with appropriate speed and quality. Without these mechanisms available in the intranet, applications such as video, audio, and other interactive applications become slow, unpredictable, and often useless. A new set of challenges has emerged, and solutions to new problems need to be implemented in order to succeed. These requirements can be summarized as follows: Scalability The traditional client/server network model where 80 percent of traffic went to local servers and only 20 percent crossed the campus backbone no longer applies. The new intranet client/server model inverses the old 80/20 rule and causes most of the intranet traffic to cross backbones and workgroup boundaries to reach Web servers located all across the new campus intranet. This scenario requires network scalability and performance, not only for Layer 2 switching, but also for Layer 3 switching. Performance Pervasive usage of the network through network-enabled Web applications is causing an exponential increase in network traffic, requiring faster devices and media in the network. Mission-critical application integrity With the convergence of mission-critical business and multimedia applications on the common intranet, there is an increasing need for quality of service (QoS) and support for multicast-intensive applications. A new set of intranet services is required to ensure the reliability and availability of these applications. Introducing the Catalyst 5000 Family of Switches Cisco s Catalyst 5000 Family, which includes the Catalyst 5000 Series and Catalyst 5500 Series of switches, offers a complete set of enterprise switching solutions that deliver robust and comprehensive solutions for the wiring closet, as well as small- to mid-size campus backbones. The Cisco Catalyst 5000 Family builds on the award-winning architectures of the Catalyst 5000 and 5500 Series, the LightStream 1010 ATM platform, and the Catalyst 8500 switching routers, while integrating the Cisco IOS -based routing technology. This combination of best-of-breed technologies creates a powerful solution for addressing customers growing needs. Figure 1 The Catalyst 5000 Family Delivers Scalable Campus Intranet Solutions Page 1 of 22

2 The Catalyst 5000 Family provides the scalability, flexibility, and redundancy required for building large, switched intranets. The media-independent architecture supports all LAN and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switching technologies through a wide range of Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), ATM, Token Ring and Gigabit Ethernet switch modules. The Catalyst 5000 Family of switches delivers an architecture that supports gigabit switching options, scaling performance to more than 50 Gbps and tens of millions of packets per second (pps). The Cisco Catalyst 5000 Family features modular chassis in 2-, 5-, 9-, and 13-slot versions. All chassis share the same set of line cards and software features providing scalability while maintaining interoperability across all chassis. The Catalyst 5002 is positioned to deliver a consistent architecture and features set in a smaller package that addresses the needs of smaller wiring closets. When it comes to performance, the Catalyst 5002 switches 1 Mpps. The Catalyst 5000 will continue to address the needs of switched 10BaseT and group switched wiring closets with performance in the 1 3 Mpps range. The Catalyst 5505, a five-slot chassis like the Catalyst 5000, is designed for high-end wiring closet and data applications with performance in the 1 25 Mpps range. The Catalyst 5509 supports high-density 10/100 Ethernet for the wiring closet, or high-density Gigabit Ethernet for backbone applications, delivering over 25-Mpps switching performance. The Catalyst 5500 is the most versatile switch in the Catalyst family, able to support LightStream 1010 ATM switching or Catalyst 8500 Layer 3 switching line cards in addition to all of the Catalyst 5000 Family line cards. The Catalyst 5500 is positioned as a high-capacity wiring closet or data center switch, delivering over 25-Mpps switching performance. The Catalyst 5000 Family of switches employs a flexible switching architecture based upon a series of Supervisor Engine modules Supervisor Engines I, II, and III that provide switching, network management, and uplink ports. The Supervisor Engine III module can be deployed in any Catalyst chassis (that is, the Catalyst 5500, 5509, 5505, 5000, and 5002). In a Catalyst 5500, 5509, or 5505, the Supervisor Engine III enables the 3.6-Gbps crossbar fabric, delivering superior level of switching performance and system bandwidth. Supervisor Engine III has the added benefit of modular uplinks, with Fast EtherChannel technology and Gigabit Ethernet support. Supervisor Engine II is a fixed configuration, but it supports Fast EtherChannel technology on all uplink ports. NetFlow LAN Switching provides high-performance multilayer switching for the Catalyst 5000 Family of LAN switches. NetFlow LAN Switching is supported through the NetFlow feature card, a modular daughter card upgrade that is available for Supervisor Engine III. Catalyst 5500 Overview The Catalyst 5500 is the 13-slot member of the Catalyst 5500 Series, serving as a high-end, modular switching platform able to meet the requirements of today's demanding and fast-growing enterprise intranets. At the same time, the Catalyst 5500 protects customers investments in current Cisco products by seamlessly integrating existing Catalyst 5000, LightStream 1010 interface modules, or Catalyst 8500 interface modules and features into the Catalyst 5500 chassis. Depending on what modules are installed, the Catalyst 5500 can be used in backbone applications as a feature-rich, scalable 10/100/ 1000 Ethernet, FDDI, or ATM switch, or in wiring closet applications that support a wide array of switched Ethernet, Token Ring, and ATM modules. The ability to deliver densities starting with 12 ports to more than 500 ports on a single platform makes the Catalyst 5500 the most scalable platform in the industry today. This scalable platform delivers a future-proof architecture that enables robust, high-capacity gigabit and ATM switching for the campus LAN. The integration of Cisco s award-winning, industry-standard Cisco IOS routing for both LAN and WAN applications brings a comprehensive set of features and functionality into this high-end switching system. Multilayer switching as part of the Catalyst 5500 architecture delivers the Layer 3 switching scalability required in the campus intranet. The Catalyst 5500 architecture can also support line cards from the Catalyst 8500 Series. Users can integrate the Catalyst 8510 switch route processor (SRP) or multiservice switch route processor (MSRP) and the line cards into the Catalyst This setup yields high-performance (up to 6 million pps) Layer 3 IP and Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) packet switching within the Catalyst 5500 platform. Page 2 of 22

3 Figure 2 The Catalyst 5500 Gigabit and Ethernet-Ready Platform The Catalyst 5500 supports high availability through hot-swapping of all system components, including Supervisor Engines, interface modules, power supplies, and fans. System redundancy is supported with redundant Supervisor Engines and power supplies, if required. Catalyst 5500 System Components The Catalyst 5500 is a 13-slot chassis that is rack-mountable using the rack-mount kit. All functional components, including power supplies, fan trays, supervisors, ATM switch processors (ASPs), and interface modules are accessible and hot-swappable from the network side of the chassis. This setup ensures ease of use in tight wiring closets. The Catalyst 5500 deploys two dedicated slots slots 1 and 13. Slot 1 is dedicated for the Supervisor Engine that monitors all system components, and is responsible for all frame switching and forwarding functions in the switch. Supervisor Engine II or greater is required for operation of the Catalyst Slot 2 is a dual-purpose slot and can be used for either a redundant Supervisor Engine or any Catalyst 5000 interface module. Supervisor Engine III enables full access to the 3.6-Gbps fabric. Slot 13 is the second dedicated slot and is reserved for the LightStream 1010 ASP module or Catalyst 8510 SRP. The LightStream 1010 ASP module is required only if the Catalyst 5500 is deployed as a high-capacity ATM backbone switch in the campus. The ASP module is responsible for ATM cell switching across the 5-Gbps fabric. Unlike competitive products with cell-based backplanes, the Catalyst 5500 now sets a new standard by delivering best-of-class frame or cell switching on a single platform while allowing nonblocking throughput for both frame and cell fabrics. All Catalyst 5500 Series interface modules can be used in slots 2 to 12, whereas LightStream 1010 or Catalyst 8500 modules can be used in slots 9 to 12. Slots 9 to 12 can accommodate a mix of frame and cell switch modules. Environmental monitoring on the Catalyst 5500 ensures that the system alarm is generated if the temperature reaches a dangerous level. When the temperature reaches a critical level, the system shuts down gracefully. All Supervisor Engines and ASP modules in a chassis share a single pool of Media Access Control (MAC) addresses to ensure minimum disruption upon a switching engine failure. Only a single power supply is required for any module configuration in the switch, with the second power supply purely as a redundant load-sharing backup. Both AC and DC power supplies are supported. Catalyst 5509 Overview Cisco continues to develop and evolve the award-winning Catalyst 5500 Series with the introduction of a new chassis: the Catalyst The new Catalyst 5509 protects customers' Catalyst 5000 family investments by seamlessly integrating all existing Catalyst 5000 Series interface modules and features into a new, high-performance chassis. The Catalyst 5509 provides dedicated switching for up to 384 users, making this chassis an ideal platform for wiring closet solutions. The Catalyst 5509 also supports high-density Gigabit Ethernet for switched intranet backbones and data centers that require multimillion-pps forwarding rates. For Gigabit Ethernet backbone applications, the Catalyst 5509 supports up to 38 ports of Gigabit Ethernet, the highest port density available today for the Catalyst 5500 Series. This capability can be combined with Cisco's Gigabit EtherChannel technology, which enables multiple Gigabit Ethernet links to be treated as one logical link, for up to 8 Gbps (full duplex) of device-to-device throughput. Used in such a configuration, the Catalyst 5509 creates an industry-leading Gigabit Ethernet backbone solution to meet the requirements of today's demanding and fast-growing enterprise intranets. Page 3 of 22

4 As a low-cost wiring closet solution, the Catalyst 5509 supports high-density, dedicated Token Ring or 10/100/1000 Ethernet switching. The Catalyst 5509 can support up to 384 dedicated switch ports with only a 15-amp circuit requirement, allowing for easy installation in most wiring closet environments. The Catalyst 5509 also supports all of Cisco s advanced features for the wiring closet, such as automatic protocol broadcast filtering to conserve valuable bandwidth, intelligent multicast forwarding to handle multimedia traffic, and load balancing over redundant links. With its support for hot-swappable modules, power supplies, and fans, the Catalyst 5509 chassis delivers high availability for production networks. Dual-redundant switching engines, power supplies, and a passive backplane design ensure full system redundancy for mission-critical environments. Supervisor Engine II or higher can be used in a Catalyst The Catalyst 5509 chassis fits into a standard 19-inch rack, and all system components are accessible from the same side of the chassis. Only one power supply is required to run a fully configured system. Catalyst 5505 Overview The Catalyst 5505 is a high-performance, five-slot chassis for the evolving Catalyst 5500 Series. The Catalyst 5505 combines the size of the original Catalyst 5000 with the performance boost and added features of the Catalyst 5500 Series. The Catalyst 5505 is ideal for high-performance wiring closet and data applications. The Catalyst 5505 protects customers' Catalyst 5000 Family investments by seamlessly integrating existing Catalyst 5000 interface modules and features into a high-performance chassis. Customers who desire a performance boost for existing Catalyst 5000 chassis can redeploy all Catalyst 5000 Family line cards in the five-slot Catalyst Supervisor Engines II or III can also be used in a Catalyst The Catalyst 5505 can be configured for backbone applications with feature-rich, scalable Fast Ethernet, ATM, and FDDI, as well as optional redundant Supervisor Engines and power supplies. In the wiring closet, switched Ethernet, desktop 10/100, Token Ring, and ATM modules provide high-performance connectivity. The Catalyst 5505 supports up to 194 switched Ethernet ports at a multimillion-pps forwarding rate. For even higher densities, the 9-slot Catalyst 5509 or the 13-slot Catalyst 5500 can be deployed. The original 5-slot Catalyst 5000 is appropriate for lower-cost wiring closet solutions that don't require the performance of a Catalyst Catalyst 5002 Overview The Catalyst 5002 is a fully modular, two-slot Catalyst 5000 Series member, using the same architecture and software as the Catalyst The switch can deliver more than one million pps throughput across a 1.2-Gbps media-independent backplane that supports Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, Token Ring, and ATM. The Catalyst 5002 can be configured with any current or future Catalyst 5000 modules. Slot 1 is reserved for Supervisor Engine I, II, or III. The second slot accepts any Catalyst 5000 line card, enabling flexible solutions for a variety of applications. High-density switched Ethernet and group-switched Ethernet modules meet today's wiring closet requirements. Fast Ethernet solutions for workgroups and server farms include 10/100BaseTX and group switching. For the campus backbone, 10BaseFL and 100BaseFX provide connections in the riser and across the campus. An ATM LANE module turns the Catalyst 5002 into a compact, high-performance LANE server. The Catalyst 5002 chassis fits into a standard 19-inch rack, and all system components are accessible from the same side of the chassis. The chassis includes dual load-sharing, redundant power supplies. A single supply can support any configuration, making the system highly reliable. The Catalyst 5002 complements Catalyst 5000 and 5500 switches, letting users benefit from common hardware, software, and spares from the data center to the network periphery. The Catalyst 5002 accepts any Catalyst 5000 Family supervisor module and one interface module, enabling flexible solutions. Catalyst 5000 Family Architecture The Catalyst 5000 Family, based upon a high-speed crossbar frame switching fabric, uses an input/output (I/O) queuing model. This cost-effective architecture gives the most efficient switching fabric for unicast and multicast/multimedia applications. Multiple 1.2-Gbps input buses into the 3.6-Gbps crossbar fabric ensure backward compatibility to existing Catalyst 5000 interface modules. This benefit is key for customers with existing Catalyst 5000 interface modules in the network. The Catalyst 5000 Family architecture maintains two additional buses, the management and index/control buses. The management bus is a serial bus that carries configuration information to each module and statistical information from each module to the Supervisor Engine. The index/control bus carries port-select information from the central encoded Page 4 of 22

5 address recognition logic to the ports. This information determines which ports forward the packet and which flush it from the buffer. This architecture supports store and forward and uses fair arbitration and address recognition logic for all modules. Each frame that traverses the frame switching bus may be destined to a single port or to multiple ports, allowing for high-speed multicast forwarding without the need for frame copies. Catalyst 5500 Architecture The Catalyst 5500 architecture is based on a combination of two high-capacity switching fabrics, integrated in a single platform. This architecture ensures optimal performance whether the Catalyst 5500 is used as a high-density cell or a frame switch. The two fabrics are integrated using a fabric integration module (FIM) that delivers a high-speed connection between the two fabrics. The FIM also supports all the LAN Emulation (LANE) server functions and multiprotocol over ATM (MPOA) multiprotocol client (MPC) required to support the frame-to-cell translation. At the same time, if the Catalyst 5500 is used as an ATM edge device in a wiring closet connected to an ATM backbone, the existing ATM LANE/MPOA modules can be used; use of the FIM is not required in that scenario. This approach effectively integrates cell and frame switching on a single platform. The cell switching features a 10-Gbps shared-memory, fully nonblocking switch fabric together with a field-upgradable feature card. A high-performance RISC processor provides the central intelligence for the device. Slots 9 through 12 in the Catalyst 5500 support up to four carrier modules (CAMs), each of which, in turn, can support up to two port adapter modules (PAMs), for a maximum of eight PAMs per switch. The Catalyst 5500 supports 65,536 cells of shared buffers within the cell switch fabric, minimizing the probability of cell loss, while complete control over buffer allocation policies and thresholds permits flexible support of multiple service classes. The sharing of the switch memory across all ports leads to a much higher amount of effective buffering than would be available if the memory were statically assigned to each output port, further minimizing the probability of cell loss. The architecture of the shared-memory fabric also facilitates easy field upgradability to support future standards or advanced capabilities, because all value-added switch mechanisms are centralized on the field-upgradable feature card on the ASP module. Catalyst 5509/5505 Architecture The Catalyst 5509 and 5505 chassis are based upon the same frame switching fabric used in the Catalyst The Catalyst 5509 and 5505 deliver the 3.6-Gbps frame fabric to all slots. Gigabit modules support full access to the 3.6-Gbps fabric. With switching modules that support local switching and deliver added forwarding capacity, the Catalyst 5500 architecture scales to over 50 Gbps. Catalyst 5000 Family Advanced Features The Catalyst 5000 Family is the industry's first modular switch that addresses all the requirements of the emerging corporate intranet today. Scalability The proliferation of bandwidth-hungry intranet applications is changing the requirements for enterprise networks. The random browsing and the any-to-any communications that these applications encourage have changed the traditional traffic model, which assumes a high degree of locality within subnets and lower forwarding rates between them. The 80/ 20 rule is inverting. In order to meet these changing traffic patterns and application requirements, higher-performance Layer 3 Forwarding becomes essential. In addition, as enterprises scale their networks by moving to gigabit interfaces, it is essential to move the forwarding functionality from software-based, distributed switching to application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) hardware to achieve media-speed Layer 3 switching. Cisco addresses this requirement for multilayer switching with industry-proven Cisco IOS software and new Layer 3 ASICs. Examples of Cisco s multilayer switching include the NetFlow feature card, route switch module, MPOA, and new Layer 3 ASICs from the Catalyst 8500 Series. Multilayer switching via the NetFlow feature card combines the performance of Layer 2 switching with the scalability and control of the Cisco IOS routing software. Using silicon-based Layer 3 switching technology allows wire-speed Layer 3 switching to scale to millions of pps and to provide unprecedented price/performance. The route switch module for the Catalyst 5000 brings integrated support for the Cisco IOS feature set. Cisco IOS software is the most robust and feature-rich networking software available in the industry today. The route switch module adds Cisco IOS routing functionality to the platform without impacting the Layer 2 switching performance. Page 5 of 22

6 The combination of these two powerful elements for the Catalyst 5000 Family will enable customers to scale Layer 3 Forwarding rates throughout the switched infrastructure while still maintaining central control and security through Cisco IOS software on existing routers or the integrated route switch modules. This feature ultimately provides the solution of scalability of switching and routing at Layer 2 switching speeds without adding complexity to the solution. The Catalyst 5500 Series will also support Cisco s Tag Switching on both the route switch module as well as on the ATM switch processor, enabling the Catalyst 5500 to participate as a tag edge device to deliver the scalability needed to participate in large, routed backbones. The Catalyst 5500 supports the complete Cisco virtual LAN (VLAN) architecture, providing for broadcast containment that scales solutions to 1000 VLANs per switch, where VLANs can be established across multiple switches within the fabric. The Catalyst 5500 adds support for dynamic Media Access Control (MAC) and network layer VLANs, accommodating moves, adds, and changes within the switched network. Performance Building on the award-winning architectures of the Catalyst 5000 and LightStream 1010, the Catalyst 5500 delivers the density and switching capacity for both ATM and LAN switching applications required in the intranet. With architecture that supports high-density Gigabit Ethernet and scales to more than 50 Gbps and throughput of more than 36 million packets or cells per second, the Catalyst 5500 provides the performance required for building large, switched intranets and can be used in both wiring closet and backbone applications. The Catalyst 5500 delivers best-of-class frame and cell switching on a single platform by integrating both frame and cell switching fabrics as part of the architecture. Since the majority of applications will be frame-based, the cell switching ATM switch processor is required only when high-density ATM switching is a requirement, benefiting users who pay for ATM only if needed. When both fabrics are used in a single chassis, the integration is achieved by installing the fabric integration module, which will provide high-speed integration of the frame and cell fabrics on a single platform. This module will be available later this year. The performance of the Catalyst 5500 Series is best described by engineers at Data Communications after they performed testing on the Catalyst 5000: The performance of Cisco's Catalyst 5000 was astounding it took top honors in every test. Searching for some weakness somewhere, we deliberately subjected the unit to a 200-percent overload on all ports for three minutes. It didn't drop a frame. For best performance on the backbone, this is the box to buy. Data Communications also comments: Cisco's Catalyst 5000/LightStream 1010 performed almost flawlessly, handling all LANE functions perfectly and forwarding frames across the backbone without missing a beat. The gear did particularly well with BUS broadcasts, broadcasting frames at wire speed to eight emulated LANs. Figure 3 Catalyst 5000 Family Performance Awards Network Computing says: The Cisco Systems Catalyst 5000 leads the pack with bleeding-edge performance. The Catalyst 5000 was awarded the 1997 Datamation Product of the Year award voted for by IS managers around the world. The Catalyst 5500 and 5002 switches are building on this award-winning architecture. Apart from a wide range of interface modules, the Catalyst 5500 supports a wide range of new, high-speed backbone connections, with support for Gigabit Ethernet, OC-12 ATM, and Fast EtherChannel and Gigabit EtherChannel technology. Fast EtherChannel technology is supported on the Supervisor Engine II and III ports as well as on Backbone Fast Ethernet switch modules. Page 6 of 22

7 Figure 4 Fast Ethernet Channel Fast/Gigabit EtherChannel Technology in the Campus Intranet Si ATM 10 Mbps 10/100 Mbps 10/100 Mbps WAN Fast EtherChannel technology involves the grouping of multiple Fast Ethernet interfaces into one logical transmission path to provide parallel bandwidth between switches (or capable servers or Cisco routers), enabling backbone connections between Catalyst 5000 switches of up to 800 Mbps while providing load balancing and redundancy. Gigabit EtherChannel Technology Because customers need a growth path to faster, resilient links, Cisco is leading the industry with Gigabit EtherChannel technology. Cisco's Gigabit EtherChannel technology is based on proven Fast EtherChannel technology, which is already deployed in many production networks. With Cisco's Gigabit EtherChannel technology, critical backbone trunks can be scaled to multiple gigabits of throughput as backbone traffic continues to grow. By combining four Gigabit Ethernet links into one logical link, up to 8 Gbps of throughput is possible between devices. Dedicated hardware automatically load balances traffic between physical links to provide wire-speed switching performance. Quality of Service The Catalyst 5500 supports the most advanced traffic management, congestion control, and ATM signaling and routing capabilities. For frame switching, the Catalyst 5500 implements active congestion control and extensive buffering mechanisms to ensure timely delivery of packets without packet loss, even in severely congested situations. QoS across the frame switching fabric is implemented using a three-level priority scheme. The Catalyst 5500 Series supports three levels of priority on the switching backplane; Si two levels are user defined. Each interface can be set as either high priority or low priority (default is low). The Catalyst 5500 Series maintains the third priority group above the user's high priority for ports with buffers nearing overflow or extended time periods off the switching backplane. The bus arbitration logic maintains separate logical queues for each priority class and guarantees that high-priority queues are served first, reducing latency caused by buffering delays. This feature is ideal for such time-sensitive traffic as voice or video. With the NetFlow feature card II, the Catalyst 5000 Family supports the key wiring closet QoS features: application recognition, traffic classification, and admission control. These advanced features are key elements in Cisco s end-to-end CiscoAssure architecture, which lets users deploy network-wide QoS through a user-friendly graphical user interface. Once packets are classified at the edge of the network, they can be serviced appropriately by devices at the core of the network, such as the Catalyst 6000 Family of LAN switches or the Catalyst 8500 Family of switch routers. As an intranet service, the Catalyst 5500 also supports efficient intranet multimedia and multicast support through the use of Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM), Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), and Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP), delivering end-to-end, scalable bandwidth for multimedia and multicast applications. In addition to ATM Forum-compliant available bit rate (ABR) congestion control, the Catalyst 5500 supports all the mechanisms required to deliver QoS on demand all ATM traffic classes and ATM adaptation layer (AAL) types, traffic policing, multiple levels of priority, intelligent packet discard, connection admission control, and traffic pacing. All these capabilities are supported on the field-replaceable feature card on the ASP module, allowing for easy upgrading as and when newer mechanisms are standardized or required. The Catalyst 5500 also supports the User-Network Interface (UNI) 3.1 signaling protocol and the Integrated Local Management Interface (ILMI) protocol, required for full support of both signaled and permanent ATM connections. Soft permanent virtual circuit (PVC) support facilitates PVC setup by using signaling protocols across the network, while virtual path (VP) tunneling enables signaling across public networks. Page 7 of 22

8 In order to extend ATM signaling support across large-scale, multivendor, multiswitch ATM internetworks, the Catalyst 5500 also supports the ATM Forum Private Network to Network Interface (PNNI) protocols, supplementing support also for the earlier Interim-Interswitch Signaling Protocol (IISP). IISP is part of the default software image on the switch; the PNNI functionality must be ordered separately. These routing protocols allow for ATM connections to be set up across large networks while also supporting QoS on demand. Additional ATM routing capabilities allow for load balancing across parallel, redundant links, increasing system reliability, while ATM access lists enable firewalls on ATM signaling, safeguarding networks from unauthorized access. Reliability The Catalyst 5000 Family supports a complete set of redundancy options, including: Full system level redundancy in the Catalyst 5500 Series with redundant Supervisor Engines, power supplies, clock modules, and fans is available. Slot 1 is dedicated to the Supervisor Engine, while slot 2 is available for a redundant Supervisor Engine. If a redundant Supervisor Engine is not required, slot 2 can be used for any Catalyst 5000 Family interface module. When installed, the second Supervisor Engine is in hot-standby mode and all changes on the active Supervisor Engine are replicated to the standby Supervisor in real time, across a separate communication channel on the backplane. Any Supervisor Engine can act as the primary Supervisor, and changeover can be accomplished through a software command. All system components are fully hot-swappable, including Supervisor Engines, interface modules, power supplies, and fans, ensuring that critical network applications keep running uninterruptedly when component maintenance is performed on the system. Link redundancy is achieved with support for dual physical sublayer (PHY) connectors on the ATM high-speed backbone modules. It is also provided within the new Fast EtherChannel and Gigabit EtherChannel technology to allow for physical link redundancy within the logical Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel link. VLAN trunk link redundancy is supported through Spanning-Tree Protocol per VLAN, allowing for VLAN load sharing across redundant trunk links. Network availability is maintained with support for LANE server redundancy: Each Catalyst 5000 Family ATM LANE module delivers redundant LANE services using Cisco's LANE Simple Server Redundancy Protocol (SSRP). LANE SSRP provides redundancy for all the server components in LANE the LANE Configuration Server (LECS), the LANE Server (LES), and the broadcast and unknown server (BUS). Cisco's SSRP allows the enterprise-wide deployment of ATM by removing LANE servers as a single point of failure. Distributed LANE servers: Unique among ATM edge devices, the Catalyst 5000 Family enhances ATM LANE network performance by delivering support for the entire range of LANE V1.0 servers. By using this feature, network administrators can easily distribute LANE services across each Catalyst 5000 Family ATM LANE module. For example, this feature allows scalable distribution of bandwidth-intensive LANE BUS services for multimedia applications. Operating as a standalone LANE V1.0 BUS, each Catalyst 5000 Family ATM OC-12 LANE/MPOA module can forward over 400,000 pps. A network of Catalyst 5500s can support more than 200 connections per second over the ATM backbone. These high rates imply that data connections can be set up in real time with the required guarantees. Advanced routing features implemented using PNNI ensure that connections are rerouted around failed links without impacting VLANs or transport layer sessions. PNNI rerouting also prevents spanning-tree recalculations over the backbone, contributing to the overall system uptime. MPOA: Using the OC-3 or OC-12 ATM LANE/MPOA uplink modules, Catalyst 5000 Family users can deploy MPOA Clients (MPC) in their campus ATM network. MPOA is Layer 3 switching for ATM. WIth the LANE/ MPOA uplink modules, Cisco delivers hardware-based support to achieve unmatched MPOA performance. Managing the Intranet The Catalyst 5000 Family supports a variety of intelligent embedded agents to allow for full Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management as well as future support of Web-based management. CiscoWorks for Switched Internetworks (CWSI) provides full device, VLAN, ATM, and traffic management for the Catalyst 5000 Family. Page 8 of 22

9 Also supported are dynamic VLANs to address the mobility needs of users across the corporate intranet. Embedded support of intelligent agents such as VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) and Virtual Membership Policy Server (VMPS) allows network administrators to enforce policies across the intranet for security, performance, and availability. Catalyst 5000 Family of Interfaces The Catalyst 5000 Family supports a wide variety of interfaces and technologies, as given in Table 1. Table 1 Catalyst 5000 Family Port Densities Maximum Number of Interfaces Per Chassis Catalyst 5002, 5000, 5505, 5509, 5500 Switching Modules Number of Interfaces Supported per Module Catalyst 5002 Catalyst 5000 Catalyst 5505 Catalyst 5509 Catalyst 5500 Gigabit Ethernet 9/3/ Group-Switched 10BaseT Ethernet Switched 10BaseT Ethernet (RJ-21) 48/ Switched 10BaseT Ethernet (RJ-45) 48/ Switched 10BaseFL Ethernet Group-Switched 100BaseTX Ethernet Switched 10/100BaseTX Backbone 24/ Switched 10/100BaseTX Desktop Switched 100BaseFX ATM Uplink 1 (dual-phy) 1 (dual-phy) 4 (dual-phy) 4 (dual-phy) 7 (dual-phy) 7 (dual-phy) CDDI/FDDI Maximum Number of Interfaces Catalyst 5500 ATM Switching Modules Number of Interfaces Supported per Module Catalyst 5002 Catalyst 5000/ 5505 Catalyst 5500 ATM OC Mbps Multimode Fiber 4 Interfaces 32 ATM OC Mbps Single-Mode Fiber 4 Interfaces 32 ATM OC Mbps Unshielded Twisted-Pair, Category 5 (UTP-5) 4 Interfaces 32 ATM OC-12, 622-Mbps Single-Mode Fiber 1 Interface 8 DS3 2/4 Interfaces 16/32 E3 2 Interfaces 16 T1/E1 ATM Trunk 4 Interfaces 32 T1/E1 Circuit Emulation 4 Interfaces Mbps ATM 12 Interfaces 96 Page 9 of 22

10 Table 2 Catalyst 5000 Family Supervisor Engine Features Feature Supervisor Engine I Supervisor Engine II Supervisor Engine III Support for 16,000 MAC Addresses Dynamically Allocated between Active Ports X X X X Catalyst 5000/5002 Chassis X X X Switching Engine that Provides Data Path and Control for All Network Interfaces X X X Hardware Support for 1024 VLANs X X X Environmental Status of Switch X X X SNMP X X X RMON X X X Console/Telnet Interface X X X Fast Ethernet Interfaces X X X Catalyst 5500/5505 Chassis - X X Fast EtherChannel Technology - X X Redundant Supervisor Support - X X Modular Feature Card - X X Modular Uplinks - - X Gigabit Ethernet Interfaces - - X Autosensing 10/100 Uplinks - - X Enables 3.6 Crossbar Fabric - - X Auxiliary Port - - X PC Card Flash Memory - - X Enhanced Spanning-Tree Performance - - X Enhanced Spanning-Tree Scalability - - X Enhanced RMON/SNMP Response - - X Greater RMON Storage Capacity - - X Support for Larger VMPS Databases - - X Page 10 of 22

11 Applications Intranet Wiring Closet Applications The Catalyst 5000 Family of switches are ideally suited for today's new intranet applications, and they provide all the features and functions to serve as a wiring closet switch and as a collapsed switch in the data center. The Catalyst 5000 Family of switches has led the market in high-density 10- and 100-Mbps density and price/performance. As a wiring closet switch, the Catalyst 5500/5509/5505/ 5002/5000 can replace traditional hubs by offering dedicated bandwidth to the desktops at a similar cost compared with competitors' modular, shared Ethernet hubs. Customers will appreciate the value of 10 to 100 times the performance for almost the same price as a modular 10BaseT hub and adapter. At the same time, the Catalyst 5500 offers similar or higher densities on a single platform than the old, shared-media hubs. Figure 5 Price-per-Port Trend for Modular Switches Versus Modular 10BaseT Hubs $1000 Modular Switches Modular 10BaseT Hubs $800 $600 $400 $ Figure 6 Wiring Closet Workstations Workstations Wiring Closet Workstations Catalyst 5005 Catalyst 5509 Gigabit Ethernet Workstations Hub FDDI Concentrator Catalyst 5500 Hub 100/1000 Ethernet Data Center Mainframe Catalyst 5509 Server Farms VLANs Headquarters ATM Switch Page 11 of 22

12 To enhance client/server performance across the enterprise, servers can connect directly to 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet or OC-3 or OC-12 ATM interfaces, which aggregate traffic from numerous switched 10-Mbps Ethernet clients. Optional autonegotiation on Fast Ethernet interfaces eases migration from Ethernet to Fast Ethernet switched internetworks by providing a process whereby connected devices can automatically negotiate and configure for the maximum common level of operating speed (10 or 100 Mbps) and duplex mode (half or full duplex). To connect users from wiring closet Catalyst 5000 Family switches to core switches, network administrators can use 100/1000-Mbps Ethernet or OC-3/OC-12 ATM as a trunking technology. If redundant links are used to connect the wiring closet, the UplinkFast feature enables spanning tree to converge in under five seconds. The per-vlan spanning-tree feature enables Layer 2 load balancing over multiple links to the wiring closet. For ATM environments, the OC-3 or OC-12 ATM Catalyst uplink modules can provide connectivity to ATM backbones with LANE or PVCs, with value-added services such as traffic shaping or dedicated hardware support for MPOA. Regardless of which backbone trunking technology a customer uses, the Catalyst 5500 is well suited for wiring closet connectivity. Deployed within wiring closets, and equipped with copper Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) Synchronous Transport Signal level 3, concatenated (STS-3c)/Synchronous Transport Module level 1 (STM-1) unshielded twisted-pair (UTP)-5 interfaces, or high-density, 25-Mbps ATM interfaces, the Catalyst 5500 is also well suited for ATM to the desktop applications, as well as mixed environments of ATM and LAN switching. Data Center Applications In the data center, the Catalyst 5000 Family provides the ideal platform to build redundant, switched Fast Ethernet, ATM backbones. The legacy high-speed backbones that customers have in place are generally shared FDDI. Going forward, users can choose to increase backbone capacity by segmenting their shared FDDI backbone with FDDI switching or supplement existing shared FDDI by investing in the future with switched Fast Ethernet. The Catalyst 5000 Family provides a clean migration path from FDDI-based backbones to switched Fast Ethernet, ATM, or Gigabit Ethernet. Figure 7 illustrates Catalyst 5000 Family connectivity into a heterogeneous topology (FDDI, Fast Ethernet, Ethernet, and ATM). Key to this implementation is the ability of the Catalyst 5500 Series to support multiple FDDI links in one chassis. The FDDI module links the Catalyst 5000 and FDDI-based servers connected to Cisco's Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI)/FDDI concentrators. With the protocol supported in the Catalyst 5500 Series, network managers are able to support VLANs across a network fabric using the FDDI link in both these devices. Figure 7 Data Center LightStream 1010 ATM Backbone OC-12 Catalyst 2500 File Servers Catalyst 1400 FDDI Catalyst 5509 Gigabit EtherChannel FDDI ISL Gigabit Ethernet FDDI Catalyst 5002 Catalyst 5005 Catalyst 5009 Page 12 of 22

13 To further ease the migration process, the Catalyst 5500 Series also serves as a gateway between Ethernet (802.3), Fast Ethernet (Inter-Switch Link [ISL]), Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI, , and ATM LANE/MPOA. The Catalyst 5500 Series ATM module links the Catalyst 5000 to the LightStream 1010 or other Cisco ATM switches. The Catalyst 5000 Family also provides support for Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel technology, This functionality has been extended to connections to Cisco routers and high-end servers. Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel pipes can be used as high-capacity trunks for VLANs. In most network designs, the inter-switch links are the bandwidth bottleneck. EtherChannel technology enables switches to bind multiple Ethernet links into one logical link. The switches load balance traffic over each of the links. The load balancing is done in hardware, so wire-speed performance can be achieved. For example, multiple Catalyst 5509s can be connected together with Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel technology to create a high-speed backbone core, or a virtual backplane between switches (see Figure 8). Figure 8 Gigabit EtherChannel Scales Bandwidth between Switches Gigabit EtherChannel Core Backbone for 8 Gbps Full Duplex Bandwidth between Switches Gigabit Ethernet Wiring Closet Uplinks Catalyst 5509 Campus Backbone Applications For campus backbone deployment, the Catalyst 5500 serves as either a high-density Fast Ethernet backbone switch or as a powerful ATM campus backbone switch that supports a wide variety of backbone interfaces. The Catalyst 5500 can also support a variety of wide-area ATM interfaces, together with such mechanisms as VP tunneling and traffic pacing, which facilitate operation across public ATM networks. The Catalyst 5500 supports advanced ATM routing and interswitch signaling capabilities, based on the ATM Forum PNNI phase 1 protocols required for the deployment of scalable, robust ATM internetworks. Implementation of PNNI protocols in the Catalyst 5500 will allow network administrators to deploy ATM production networks comprising both workgroups and campus backbones, spanning dozens or hundreds of ATM switches. Figure 9 shows the capability for linking several Catalyst 5000 Family switches together into an ATM LANE/MPOA network. Each Catalyst switch achieves connectivity via a LAN Emulation Client (LEC) that also acts as an MPC. This allows the Catalyst switches to pass data traffic to/from the ATM core, maintain intra-vlan communication, and even inter-vlan communication via MOPA support. The Cisco router provides the ATM LESs for VLAN 1 as well as inter-vlan communication and MPOA Server (MOS) functionality. ATM LESs for VLAN 2 are provided by a Catalyst 5000 ATM LANE/MPOA uplink module. The server directly attached to the ATM network can service VLANs 1 and 2 directly by providing an LEC for each VLAN. Gigabit Ethernet Attached Services Figure 9 Campus Backbone VLAN 1 Catalyst 5002 MPOA - MPG LES = VLAN 1 BUS = VLAN 1 LECS = VLAN 1 LEC = VLANs 1 and 2 Cisco 7000 with AIP Cisco 4500, 4700, 7500 Series provides MPOA MPS Cisco Catalyst 5500 Switches LEC LEC = VLANs 1 and 2 Server on ATM Catalyst 5000 LEC Catalyst 5000 LEC = VLANs 1 and 2 BUS = VLAN 2 LECS = VLAN 2 LES = VLAN 2 VLAN 2 VLANs 1 and 2 Page 13 of 22

14 Features and Benefits Table 3 Catalyst 5000 Family Features and Benefits Feature Function/Description Benefit Chassis Modular 2-, 5-, 9-, and 13-Slot Chassis Fits Standard 19-Inch Rack; Rack-Mounting Hardware and Cable Guides Included23-Inch Center Rack Mount Available on request (5-, 9-, 13- Slot Chassis only) Supports Supervisor Engine and 1, 4, 8, or 11 additional interface modules Works with existing wiring closet racks; mounts at front or rear of chassis; rack-mounting hardware and cable guides included Common architecture that can be standardized for campus-wide intranet needs Ensures ease of installation in wiring closet and network center Fault-Tolerant, Load-Sharing Power Supplies Offers one or two power supplies Increases reliability using two power supplies in a fault-tolerant configuration Dual Power Cords One on each power supply Allows unit to be powered by two independent power sources and distribution systems, enhancing system reliability Support of AC and DC Power Supplies Chassis supports either AC or DC power supplies Same chassis and other hardware can be used with AC and DC power outlets Fault-Tolerant Supervisor Engines (Catalyst 5500/5509/5505) Fault-Tolerant Clock Modules (Catalyst 5500/5509/5505) Hot-Swapping of Power Supplies and Modules Switching Modules Offers one or two Supervisor Engines (requires Supervisor Engine II or greater) Offers two clock modules Enables user to add, move, change, and repair modules any time without bringing down the system Offers wide variety of interface choices: 10-Mbps Ethernet and 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet, Token Ring, CDDI/FDDI, and ATM Increases reliability using switching engines in a fault-tolerant configuration Increases reliability using clock modules in a fault-tolerant configuration Increases reliability by reducing downtime Accommodates all local-area network technologies, providing easy migration while future-proofing the network Switch Fabric and CPU (Catalyst 5002/5000/5500/5505/5509) Supervisor Engine II: Specialized Module Has Hardware-Based Switching Backplane, Bridge Address Table for 16,000 MAC Addresses, Two 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet Uplinks, and NMP Delivers over one million pps, low latency, low-cost switching for wiring closet and data center applications; full local and remote management Provides a completely manageable switching system that delivers high-performance switching for even the most demanding workgroup applications Supervisor Engine III: Specialized has Hardware-Based Switching backplane, Bridge Address Table for 16,000 MAC Addresses, Modular uplink modules, and NMP Switching Architecture Multilayer Switching 1.2-Gbps Frame Switching Fabric (Catalyst 5002/5000) 3.6-Gbps Frame Switching Fabric (Catalyst 5500/5505/5509) Filtering/forwarding logic provides accurate filtering and aging of MAC addresses and their corresponding VLANs Choice of 100BaseTX and MII or 100BaseFX Gigabit Ethernet uplinks (Sup III) Support for modular feature card Media-independent frame switching backplane accommodates Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, and ATM simultaneously Supports Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching with NetFlow Switching Forwards more than one million 64-byte Ethernet pps and will scale to multimillion pps with new feature card on Supervisor Engine Accommodates simultaneous Ethernet-to-Ethernet, Ethernet-to-Fast Ethernet, Ethernet-to-FDDI and ATM packet movement, Fast Ethernet-to-FDDI and ATM packet movement, and FDDI-to-FDDI and ATM packet movement Uses cost-effective UTP or long-distance runs with multimode or single-mode fiber Smooth migration path to NetFlow Switching for all chassis Delivers a single-system solution for all current desktop switching needs with migration path to ATM Provides migration path to distributed routing functionality in the wiring closet with full investment protection Designed to meet the throughput demands of a fully populated system with all interfaces operating at wire speed Page 14 of 22

15 Table 3 Catalyst 5000 Family Features and Benefits (Continued) Feature Function/Description Benefit Three Levels of Priority on the Switching Backplane NetFlow Feature Card II Accommodates technologies that use priorities such as ATM and Token Ring Enables user to define higher priority on per-interface basic Delivers CiscoAssure policy-based networking and quality of service: enables application recognition, traffic classification, and admission control; implements all advanced switch and traffic management mechanisms; field-upgradable Ensures that server traffic has priority over all other traffic (for example, video) Accommodates bursty traffic and prevents higher-layer protocols from timing out by giving the interface the highest priority on the backplane until buffer content is reduced Allows for easy upgradability for all Supervisor Engine III modules to deliver CiscoAssure policy-based networking which protects mission critical applications with quality of service Custom ASICs Uses a custom ASIC controller on each Ethernet interface Lowers cost per switched interface to the user Enables state-of-the-art features such as VLANs Catalyst 5500 Cell Switching Fabric 10-Gbps Switch Bandwidth Fully nonblocking Maximizes performance, with no cell loss within fabric because of head-of-line blocking Shared-Memory Fabric Switch memory shared across all ports Allows for high degree of effective buffering, multiplying physical buffer space Large Cell Buffers 65,536 cells Minimizes cell loss probability Feature Card on ASP Module Implements all advanced switch and traffic management mechanisms; field-upgradable Allows for easy upgradability and investment protection as standards evolve Low Switch Latency Minimum latencies of 15 to 20 microseconds Facilitates transport of time- and jitter-sensitive traffic Supports ATM Adaptation Layers (AALs 1-5); uses AAL 1 for CBR, AAL 5 for Framed Data Allows interoperability with external ATM adaptation devices routers, LAN switches, ATM network interface cards (NICs), and ATM service multiplexers Enables CBR traffic such as voice and CBR video; VBR traffic such as variable-rate video (JPEG, MPEG, MPEG-2); ABR traffic such as data; and UBR traffic Standards-Based Interfaces 10-Mbps Ethernet Switching Offers choice of Category 3 UTP cables (10BaseT) and fiber-optic cables (10BaseFL) Supports both full- and half-duplex operation Supports IEEE 802.1d Spanning-Tree Protocol Telco and RJ-45 interfaces available Eases integration into existing large, installed base of 10-Mbps Ethernet hubs and adapters by preserving wiring hardware and applications investment Uses cost-effective UTP for desktop connectivity Allows long-distance runs with fiber across a campus Increases capacity with full-duplex mode Detects and breaks loops on a per-vlan basis to maintain legal Ethernet topology 24 or 48 Interfaces of 10BaseT per Module Uses female telco connectors (24 or 48 ports) Uses female RJ-45 connectors (24 ports) High-density, low-cost per interface 12 Interfaces of 10BaseFL per Module Uses female ST connectors Higher-density switched fiber Ethernet 48 Interfaces of 10BaseT per Module (group switching) Uses female telco connectors Provides low-cost 10BaseT connections on high-end switch 10/100-Mbps Fast Ethernet Switching 24 Interfaces of 100BaseTX per Module (group switching) Offers choice of Category 5 UTP cable (100BaseTX) or fiber-optic cable (100BaseFX) Supports full- or half-duplex operation for 100BaseTX and 100BaseFX Supports IEEE 802.1d Spanning-Tree Protocol New: Autonegotiation of speed (10 or 100 Mbps) and duplex (half or full duplex) Autosensing allows the switch to determine speed and duplex mode with a device that doesn't negotiate, that is, 10BaseT or early 100BaseT NICs Uses female RJ-45 connectors ( ports) Uses female RJ-45 connectors (24 ports) Ensures compatibility with large number of 100-Mbps Ethernet hubs and adapters (over 40 vendors in the Fast Ethernet alliance) Uses cost-effective UTP for desktop connectivity Allows long-distance runs with fiber across a campus Provides migration path from 10 to 100 Mbps on a per-user basis Increases capacity with full-duplex mode Detects and breaks loops on a per-vlan basis to maintain legal Ethernet topology Eases migration from Ethernet to Fast Ethernet in a switched internetwork Provides low-cost Fast Ethernet connections on high-end switch platform Page 15 of 22