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This update provides replacement pages for the Catalyst 8500 Campus Switch Router Software Feature and Configuration Guide.
This update includes the following topics:
This section replaces pages 1-1 in the Catalyst 8500 Campus Switch Router Software Feature and Configuration Guide.
The Catalyst 8500 campus switch router is a modular Layer 2 and Layer 3 switch router that provides wire speed Ethernet routing and switching services. The system can be deployed as a high-speed switch router for campus or enterprise backbones.
The key features of the Catalyst 8500 campus switch router include wirespeed Layer 3 IP, IP multicast, and IPX routing and forwarding across Ethernet, Fast EtherChannel (FEC), and Gigabit EtherChannel (GEC) interfaces. The switch router supports virtual LAN routing between switches via the Inter-Switch Link (ISL) trunking protocol and the 802.1q standard. The router also supports virtual LAN bridging via the ISL protocol. The switch router provides high quality of service (QoS) capabilities, including support for four queues per port and flow classification based on IP precedence bits.
This section replaces pages 1-7 to 1-8 in the Catalyst 8500 Campus Switch Router Software Feature and Configuration Guide.
| Layer 1 Features |
|---|
100BaseFX full duplex |
10/100BaseTX half duplex and full duplex with port speed detection (autonegotiation) |
1000BaseSX and LX full duplex |
|
| Layer 2 Bridging Features |
Layer 2 transparent bridging |
Layer 2 MAC learning, aging, and switching by hardware |
Spanning-Tree Protocol (IEEE 802.1d, DEC) support per bridge group |
Support for a maximum of 64 active bridge groups |
Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB) mode support |
|
| Virtual LAN (VLAN) Features |
Inter-Switch Link (ISL)-based VLAN trunking support |
The following sections describe the notable Layer 2 features supported by the Catalyst 8500 campus switch router.
A virtual LAN (VLAN) facilitates the configuration of switches and routers according to logical rather than physical topologies. Using VLANs, a network administrator can combine any collection of LAN segments within an internetwork into an autonomous user group, which appears as a single LAN. VLANs logically segment the network into different broadcast domains so that packets are switched only between ports within the VLAN. Typically, a VLAN corresponds to a particular subnet, although not necessarily.
The Catalyst 8500 supports up to 255 VLANs per system. Because routing will take place, each VLAN is assumed to terminate at the Catalyst 8500. This might not necessarily be the case, so the switch router also supports integrated routing and bridging (IRB).
Configuring VLANs for the Catalyst 8500 is similar to VLAN configuration for other Cisco routers. You define a subinterface at the interface and then define a bridge group. Finally, map a VLAN to the subinterface. For details, see the section "Specifying Virtual LANs" in the chapter "Configuring the Catalyst 8500 Software."
To support a VLAN between switches, the Catalyst 8500 identifies frames from end stations as belonging to a particular VLAN. The Catalyst 8500 supports VLAN encapsulation via Cisco's Inter-Switch Link (ISL) trunking protocol.
ISL encapsulation use a scheme known as packet tagging. Packet tagging allows the Catalyst 8500 series (as well as the Catalyst 3000 and 5000 series) to multiplex VLANs across a single physical link, maintaining strict adherence to the individual VLAN domains.
The frame is a standard Ethernet or IEEE 802.3 frame, encapsulated and tagged with a VLAN ID. Because it is a standard frame, repeater hubs and transparent bridges forward it as they would any other frame. Any 10/100 Mbps Ethernet link can support these encapsulation methods. The link can run at either half duplex or full duplex.
Each device configured for CDP sends periodic messages to a multicast address. Each device advertises at least one address at which it can receive Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) messages.
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Posted: Thu Dec 30 11:47:11 PST 1999
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