Table of Contents
NSE-1 Overview
This chapter describes the network services engine (NSE-1) and contains the following sections:
For NSE-1 configuration and troubleshooting information including NSE-1-specific show and debug commands, see "Configuration Tasks and Troubleshooting Information."
The NSE-1 is supported only in the Cisco 7200 VXR platforms.
The information about the network services engine components and the system management functions are in this section. The network services engine maintains and executes the system management functions for the Cisco 7200 VXR series routers. The NSE-1 also shares the system memory and environmental monitoring functions with the I/O controller. Its performance is greater than that of the network processing engines because of the Parallel eXpress Forwarding (PXF) processor. The PXF processor works with the routing processor to provide accelerated packet switching, as well as accelerated IP Layer 3 feature processing.
The NSE-1 consists of two modular boards: the processor engine board and the network controller board. It is keyed so that it can be used only in the Cisco 7200 VXR router series.
Figure 4-1: NSE-1
The NSE-1 consists of the following components:
- Reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor
- The NSE-1 uses an RM7000 microprocessor that operates at an internal clock speed of 262 MHz.
- Parallel eXpress Forwarding processor
- The Parallel eXpress Forwarding (PXF) processor enables parallel IP multipacket processing functions, working with the routing processor to provide accelerated packet switching, as well as accelerated IP Layer 3 feature processing.
- The system controller provides hardware logic to interconnect the processor, DRAM, and the PCI-based system backplane bus. The NSE-1 has one system controller that provides processor access to the two midplane and single I/O controller PCI buses. The system controller also allows port adapters—on either of the two midplane PCI buses—access to SDRAM.
- Upgradable memory modules
- The NSE-1 uses SDRAM for providing code, data, and packet storage.
- The NSE-1 has three levels of cache: primary and secondary cache that are internal to the microprocessor with secondary unified cache for data and instruction, and tertiary, 2-MB external cache.
- Two environmental sensors for monitoring the cooling air as it leaves the chassis
- Boot ROM for storing sufficient code for booting the Cisco IOS software
 |
Note The NSE-1 does not have packet SRAM. |
The NSE-1 performs the following system management functions:
- Sending and receiving routing protocol updates
- Managing tables, caches, and buffers
- Monitoring interface and environmental status
- Providing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management
- Accounting for and switching of data traffic
- Booting and reloading images
- Managing port adapters (including recognition and initialization during online insertion and removal)
To determine the memory configuration of your NSE-1, use the show version command.
The following example shows an NSE-1 installed in a Cisco 7206 VXR router:
Router# show version
Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 7200 Software (C7200-P-M), Released Version 12.0
Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Wed 22-Dec-99 08:37 by
Image text-base:0x60008900, data-base:0x60B58000
(display text omitted)
cisco 7206VXR NSE-1 processor with 57344K/8192K bytes of memory.
R7000 CPU at 262Mhz, Implementation 39, Rev 1.0, 256KB L2 Cache
6 slot VXR midplane, Version 2.0
(display text omitted)
- DIMM—dual in-line memory module
- DRAM—dynamic random-access memory
- OTP—one time programmable
- RAM—random-access memory
- RISC—reduced instruction set computing
- ROM—read-only memory
- SIMM—single in-line memory module
- SDRAM—synchronous dynamic random-access memory
- SDRAM-fixed—SDRAM of a fixed size or quantity; can be replaced, but not upgraded
- SRAM—static random-access memory
- Cache—Memory with fast access and small capacity used to temporarily store recently accessed data; found either incorporated into the processor or near it.
- Primary, secondary, tertiary cache—Hierarchical cache memory storage based on the proximity of the cache to the core of the processor. Primary cache is closest to the processor core and has the fastest access. Secondary cache has slower access than primary cache, but faster access than tertiary cache.
- Instruction and data cache—Instructions to the processor, and data on which the instructions work.
- Unified cache—Instruction cache and data cache are combined. For example, a processor may have primary cache with separate instruction and data cache memory, but unified secondary cache.
- Integrated cache—Cache that is built into the processor; sometimes referred to as internal cache. Cache memory physically located outside the processor is not integrated, and is sometimes referred to as external cache.
Table 4-1 provides memory specifications and Table 4-2 provides user replaceable memory configuration information for the NSE-1.
Table 4-1: NSE-1 Memory Specifications
| Memory Type
| Size
| Quantity
| Description
| Location
|
|---|
SDRAM
| 128 MB, 256 MB
| 1
| 128 MB, 256 MB DIMMs
| Socket U15
|
Boot ROM
| 512 KB
| 1
| OTP1 ROM for the ROM monitor program
| Socket U1
|
Primary cache
| 16 KB (instruction), 16 KB (data)
| —
| RM7000 processor, internal cache
| U22
|
Secondary cache
| 256 KB
| —
| RM7000 processor; internal, unified cache
| U22
|
Tertiary cache
| 2 MB (fixed)
| —
| RM7000 processor, external cache2
| U7, U9, U12, U14, U17
|
1OTP = One Time Programmable.
2Located on the processor engine board.
|
Posted: Wed Sep 27 12:40:57 PDT 2000
Copyright 1989-2000©Cisco Systems Inc.
