Cisco Catalyst 6880-X Specifications download pdf (Page 86)

Core Layer April 2014

In large modular and scalable LAN designs, a core layer is used to aggregate multiple user connectivity

distribution layer blocks and network-services distribution layer blocks. In designs with a colocated data center,

the core provides high bandwidth fan-out connectivity to the rest of the network. The core layer also serves as

the connection between the Wide Area Network (WAN) and Internet edge distribution layer blocks. Because of

this central point of connectivity for all data flows, the core is part of the backbone IP routing address space and

is designed to be highly resilient to protect from component-, power-, or operational-induced outages. The core

layer should not contain highly complex or high touch services that require constant care and tuning, to avoid

downtime required by complex configuration changes, increased software upgrades for new services, or links

that toggle up/down as part of normal operations like user endpoint connectivity.

The core layer in this design is based on two physically separate switches which behave as a single logical

device using Cisco Virtual Switching System (VSS). Although traditional core designs using two independent

layer-3 platforms are valid design choices, using VSS in the core offers a number of optimizations for

performance, confuration simplicity, and resiliency. For example, configuration of an RP in the core is inherently

resilent, without the need to introduce additional protocols such as MSDP. Connectivity to and from the core

should be Layer 3 only. No VLANs should span the core to drive increased resiliency and stability.

The core is built on dual switches to provide redundant logic, line cards, hardware, and power for the backbone

operation. Each distribution layer block, router, or other appliance connecting to the core should be connected

with an EtherChannel with at least one link to each core switch. This approach provides load sharing of IP

traffic across links of the multichassis EtherChannel for traffic traversing the core, and fast failover based on

EtherChannel without waiting for routing protocol topology changes to propagate the network.

The core is designed to be high bandwidth and provides for connectivity ranging from Gigabit Ethernet to

40-Gigabit Ethernet, and EtherChannel up to 40-Gigabit EtherChannel. The core can provide non-blocking

bandwidth based on design and configuration. EtherChannel links homed to a switch should be spread across

line cards when possible.

The supervisor modules for the core switches in a VSS pair operate in an active/standby mode for Stateful

Switchover (SSO) operation to protect the core operation in the event that a control plane hardware or software

failure occurs. The core switches are Nonstop Forwarding (NSF) aware to provide enhanced resilience for any

dual supervisor connected devices and the VSS pair is NSF capable.

Core Layer Platforms

Cisco Catalyst 6807-XL VSS with Supervisor Engine 2T

• Cisco Catalyst 6807-XL VSS uses two physical chassis with Cisco Catalyst 6500 Supervisor Engine

2T, which offers a per slot switching capacity of 220 Gbps in the Cisco Catalyst 6807-XL chassis, and

delivers hardware-enabled scalability and features. The increased performance enables the system to

provide 40-Gigabit Ethernet links for core layer connectivity, and growth capability to 880 Gbps per slot

and 100-Gigabit Ethernet as future modules become available.

• Adding an additional Cisco Catalyst 6500 Supervisor Engine 2T to each chassis in the VSS pair for

a total of four supervisors creates a Quad-Supervisor SSO (VS4O) configuration, offering the ability

to have an in-chassis standby supervisor capability. The in-chassis standby enables Enhanced Fast

Software Upgrades (eFSU) for minimal downtime during software upgrades, along with the ability to

recover from a degraded state of performance upon loss of a supervisor, without human intervention.

• Cisco 6500 Supervisor Engine 2T supports the line cards with Distributed Forwarding Card 4-E

(DFC4-E), including the WS-X6816-10G, WS-X6908-10G, and WS-X6904-40G-2T, which provide

enhanced hardware capabilities. The WS-X6908-10G provides eight 10-Gbps Ethernet ports with

1:1 oversubscription. The WS-X6904-40G-2T provides up to four 40-Gbps Ethernet ports or up to

sixteen 10-Gbps Ethernet ports using modular adapters and can be programmed to run in 2:1 or 1:1

oversubscription mode.

1 2 ... 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 ... 110 111

Comments to this Manuals

No comments

Cisco Catalyst 6880-X Specifications Page 86

Comments to this Manuals

Related products and manuals for Network switches Cisco Catalyst 6880-X