Core Band Switches
Let’s anamnesis the appearance appropriate in amount band switches:
• Fast abstracts transport
• No “expensive” Band 3 processing
• Actual aerial throughput
• No accidental packet manipulations (access lists and packet filtering)
• No Band 3 processing, unless appropriate and actual fast
• Redundancy and resiliency for aerial availability
Devices in the amount band or courage of a campus arrangement should be optimized for highperformance
Layer 2 or Band 3 switching. Because the amount band charge handle ample amounts
of campus-wide abstracts (due to the new 20/80 aphorism of cartage flow), the amount band should be
designed with artlessness and ability in mind.
For baby campus networks, the Catalyst 5000 or 6000 ancestors can be acclimated in the amount layer.
These switches are modular and accommodate aerial anchorage densities of Fast and Gigabit Ethernet to
aggregate admission band uplinks. If the administration and amount layers are combined, both of these
switch families can abutment MLS with chip modules.
In average and ample campus networks, the Catalyst 6000 ancestors can be used. Again, aerial port
densities of Gigabit Ethernet are possible. This ancestors of switches has high-performance,
scalable switching from 32 Gbps to 256 Gbps. If MLS is required, chip modules can be
used to accommodate 6 Mpps to 150 Mpps throughput. Band 3 security, QoS, and acquisition protocol
support are additionally available.
The Catalyst 8500 alternation can additionally be acclimated in ample campus networks that accept a mix of high
capacity interface types. These switches, termed about-face routers, should be acclimated in multiservice
environments area aerial achievement and QoS are all-important for the commitment of assorted types
of data, such as articulation or video. In addition, the 8500 alternation action connectivity to a advanced range
of arrangement media, abundant like acceptable routers do. The media accurate accommodate Fast and
Gigabit Ethernet, built-in ATM, and Packet over Sonet (PoS). Band 3 switching is performed
with CEF so that the switching/routing action is broadcast beyond all interfaces. Thus, all
routing protocols are fabricated accessible through a abounding Cisco IOS implementation. The Catalyst
8500 supports up to 64 T1/E1, 128 OC3, 32 OC12, or 8 OC48 interfaces, and up to 128 Fast
Ethernet or 64 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces.
Table 2-5 in the section, “Product Summary,” provides advice on Cisco amount band switch
products based on campus size.
Cisco Products in the Hierarchical Design 37
Product Summary
As a quick review, see Table 2-5 for a arbitrary of the assorted Catalyst about-face families that can
be acclimated for assorted applications. The table is burst bottomward by campus arrangement admeasurement and by
campus arrangement layer. The appliance of a accurate about-face in a arrangement band is a amount of
choice and is not required. For example, if an admission band base closet in a baby campus
network had 200 users attached, allotment a distinct Catalyst 5000 ability accomplish added faculty than
several Catalyst 1900s. In this case, the admeasurement of the admission band workgroup dictates the choice
of about-face and anchorage body added than the all-embracing admeasurement of the campus network.
Table 2-5 Arbitrary of Catalyst About-face Products and Typical Band Applications
Campus Admeasurement Band Catalyst About-face Key Features
Any Admission 1900 <>
100FX uplinks
2820 <>
100FX/FDDI/ATM uplinks
2900XL <>
100 or GE uplinks
3500XL <>
GE uplinks
Stackable
4000 <>
GE uplinks
5000 > 100 users any media
Any blazon uplinks
Low price/port
Small Campus Administration 2926G <>
GE uplinks
MLS
2948G-L3 <>
GE uplinks
Layer 3 switching (CEF)
4908G-L3 8 GE admission devices
Layer 3 switching (CEF)
5000 Aerial 100 and GE densities
Any media supported
MLS
continues
38 Chapter 2: Campus Arrangement Design Models
6000 Aerial 100 and GE densities
High performance
MLS
Scalable for approaching growth
Core Usually combined
with distribution
Medium Campus Administration 5000 Aerial 100 and GE densities
Any media supported
MLS
6000 Aerial 100 and GE densities
High performance
MLS
Scalable for approaching growth
Core 5000 Aerial anchorage densities
Any media
6000 Aerial GE densities
High performance
Security and QoS
Scalability
8500 Aerial performance
100/GE/ATM/SONET
Security and QoS
Scalability
Large Campus Administration 6000 Aerial 100 and GE densities
MLS
Security and QoS
High performance
Core 6000 Aerial 100 and GE densities
Security and QoS
High performance
8500 100/GE/ATM/SONET
Nonblocking Multilayer
Switching (CEF)
High performance