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The Catalyst 3500 series XL switches are workgroup Ethernet switches that supply Gigabit Ethernet and autosensing 10BaseT or 100BaseTX connections in individual switches and in clustered configurations. These switches---also referred to as 3500 XL switches---can be deployed as backbone switches aggregating 10/100 and Gigabit Ethernet traffic from other switches and hubs or in mixed configurations connecting hubs, switches, servers, and desktops.
This chapter is a functional overview of the 3500 XL switches. The following topics briefly describe the components and features that are shared by the switches in the series:
The Catalyst 3500 XL switches are members of an extended network system of stackable, modular LAN and WAN products that increase LAN performance, connect remote offices and users, and provide secure access.
Figure 1-1 shows the three versions of the switches, and Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 list their key features. Switches running standard edition software are designated by the letter A, and switches running Enterprise Edition Software are designated by the letters EN.
| Feature | Description |
Performance and Configuration | · 8 GBIC-based 1000BaseX Gigabit Ethernet slots · Support for up to 250 port-based virtual LANs (VLANs) · Inter-Switch Link (ISL) and IEEE 802.1Q trunking support on all ports (Enterprise Edition software only) · High-speed EtherChannel connections between switches and servers · 8192 MAC addresses · Cisco IOS 11.2(8)SA6 support · IEEE 802.1p capable · Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP) to limit the flooding of IP multicast traffic · Broadcast storm control to prevent performance degradation from broadcast storms · Support for Cisco GBIC media modules
· Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) port monitoring on any port |
Management | · Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI) via the console port or Telnet · CiscoView device-management application · Cluster management, a web-based tool for managing switch clusters through a single IP address · Cisco Visual Switch Manager (CVSM) and Cisco Switch Network View, web-based tools for managing individual switches and viewing the network
|
Redundancy | · Connection for optional Cisco 600W Redundant Power System (RPS) that operates on AC input and supplies DC output to the switch |
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Performance and Configuration
| · Autonegotiation of speed and duplex operation on 10/100 Ethernet ports · 12 or 24 10/100 Ethernet ports · Support for up to 250 port-based VLANs · ISL and IEEE 802.1Q trunking support on all ports (Enterprise Edition software only) · Two GBIC-based Gigabit Ethernet slots · High-speed EtherChannel connections between switches and servers · 8192 MAC addresses · Cisco IOS 11.2(8)SA6 support · IEEE 802.1p capable · CGMP to limit the flooding of IP multicast traffic · Broadcast storm control to prevent performance degradation from broadcast storms · Support for Cisco GBIC media modules
· SPAN port monitoring on any port |
Management | · Cisco IOS CLI via the console port or Telnet · CiscoView device-management application · Cluster management, a web-based tool for managing switch clusters through a single IP address · CVSM and Cisco Switch Network View, web-based tools for managing individual switches and viewing the network · SNMP |
Redundancy | · Connection for optional Cisco 600W RPS that operates on AC input and supplies DC output to the switch |
The switch front panels contains the ports and the LEDs. This section describes these features.
Figure 1-2 shows the 10/100 Ethernet ports on the switches. The switch 10/100 Ethernet ports are internally switched to all other switch ports and use RJ-45 connectors and Category 5 cabling. They operate at either 10 or 100 Mbps in full or half duplex. For autonegotiation with other devices, the ports are IEEE 802.3u-compliant.
When connected to another device, a port senses the speed and duplex settings of the attached device and advertises its own capabilities. If the connected device also supports autonegotiation, the switch port negotiates the best connection (that is, the fastest line speed that both devices support and full duplex transmission, if the attached device supports it) and configures itself accordingly. Ports can also be explicitly set to operate in any combination of half duplex, full duplex, 10 Mbps, or 100 Mbps. In all cases, the attached device must be within 100 meters of the switch.
The Catalyst 3508G XL switch has eight 1000BaseX Gigabit Ethernet slots, and the Catalyst 3512 and 3524 XL switches have two1000BaseX Gigabit Ethernet slots. Figure 1-2 and Figure 1-3 display the GBIC slots for the switches.
These switches have no factory installed GBIC modules. Media modules can be ordered separately depending on your preferences.
The following Cisco GBIC media types are supported on these ports:
Refer to the documentation that came with your GBIC module for more information on GBIC installation.
Figure 1-4 shows a GBIC module installation.
The GigaStack GBIC supports one full-duplex or two half-duplex links to other Gigabit Ethernet ports. Using Cisco proprietary signaling and cabling, it operates within distances of less than 1 meter. For additional instructions on installing and cabling a GigaStack GBIC, refer to the Catalyst GigaStack Gigabit Interface Converter Installation Guide.
Figure 1-5 shows a GigaStack GBIC module installation.
You can use the switch LEDs to monitor switch activity and its performance. Figure 1-6 and Figure 1-7 show the location of the LEDs and the Mode button you use to select one of the port modes. Changing a port mode changes the information provided by each port status LED.
All of the LEDs described in this section except the utilization meter (UTL) are visible on the CVSM home page and on the Cluster Manager page if the switch is a cluster member. The Cisco IOS Desktop Switching Software Configuration Guide describes how to use CVSM to monitor individual switches and how to use cluster management software to monitor multiple switches in a cluster.
The system LED shows whether the system is receiving power and functioning properly. Table 1-3 lists the LED colors and their meanings.
| Color | System Status |
|---|---|
Off | System is not powered up. |
Green | System is operating normally. |
Amber | System is receiving power but is not functioning properly. |
The Redundant Power System (RPS) LED shows the RPS status. Table 1-4 lists the LED colors and their meanings.
| Color | RPS Status |
|---|---|
Off | RPS is off or is not installed. |
Green | RPS is operational. |
Blinking green | The RPS and the switch AC power supply are both powered up. If the switch power supply fails, the switch powers down and after 15 seconds restarts using power from the RPS. The switch goes through its normal boot sequence when it restarts. |
Amber | RPS is connected but not functioning properly. One of the power supplies in the RPS could be powered down or a fan on the RPS could have failed. |
Catalyst 3500 XL switches have four LED modes, each of which provides different information about a particular port or the switch itself. The Mode button (shown in Figure 1-6 and Figure 1-7) highlights each mode in sequence. LED modes provide the following information:
SPEED |
See Table 1-5 for a description of the LED colors and their meanings for the different modes.
To change the port mode, press the Mode button (see Figure 1-8) to highlight in sequence each of the possibilities. Release the button to enable the highlighted function.
When you change port modes, the meaning of LED colors also changes. Table 1-5 explains how to interpret the LED colors after you change the mode.
| Port Mode | LED Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
STATUS (port status) | Off | No link. |
| Solid green | Link present. |
| Flashing green | Activity; port is transmitting or receiving data. |
| Alternating green-amber | Link fault. Error frames can affect connectivity, and errors such as excessive collisions, CRC errors, and alignment and jabber errors are monitored for a link-fault indication. |
| Solid amber | Port is not forwarding. Port was disabled by management or an address violation or blocked by Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP). Note After a port is reconfigured, the port status LED can remain amber for up to 30 seconds as STP checks the switch for possible loops. |
UTL (utilization) | Green | The LEDs display backplane utilization on a logarithmic scale. If all port status LEDs are green, the switch is using 50% or more of its total bandwidth capacity. If the right-most LED is off, the switch is using less than 50% of its total bandwidth. If the LED to the left of the right-most LED is off, the switch is using less than 25% of its total capacity, and so on. See Figure 1-9 and Figure 1-10 for details. |
DUPLEX | Port is operating in half-duplex. | |
| Green | Port is operating in full-duplex. |
SPEED (speed)
| Off |
|
10/100 ports | Port is operating at 10 Mbps. | |
1000BaseX ports | Port is operating at 10 or 100 Mbps. | |
Green |
| |
| 10/100 ports | Port is operating at 100 Mbps. |
| 1000BaseX ports | Port is operating at 1000 Mbps. |
Figure 1-9 and Figure 1-10 show the bandwidth utilization percentages displayed by the right-most LEDs.
Switch rear panels have an AC power connector, an RPS connector, and an RJ-45 console port (see Figure 1-11 and Figure 1-12). These components are described in this section.
You can provide power to the switch either by using the internal power supply or by connecting the Cisco RPS to the RPS connector on the switch. The internal power supply is an autoranging unit that supports input voltages between 100 and 240 VAC. If you plan to use the internal power supply, use the supplied AC power cord to connect the AC power connector to an AC power outlet.
 | Warning Attach only the Cisco RPS (model PWR600-AC-RPS) to the RPS connector. |
You can connect a 3500 XL switch to a PC or terminal by means of the console port and the supplied rollover cable. For the data characteristics of the console port, see the "Connecting a Terminal or PC to the Console Port" section.
Catalyst 3500 XL switches offer several management options:
This section provides examples of how you could deploy the 3500 XL switches in your network.
Figure 1-13 shows a Catalyst 3508G XL switch aggregating traffic on full-duplex GigaStack GBIC connections from two Catalyst 2900 XL or 3500 XL switch stacks to an enterprise switch (such as the Catalyst 8500). The two Catalyst 2900 XL or 3500 XL switches are daisy-chained together using GigaStack GBICs in half-duplex mode. This creates an 1-Gbps independent stacking backplane. In this deployment, the uplink from the Catalyst 3508G XL is either a Gigabit EtherChannel or 1000BaseX connection.
Figure 1-14 shows a Catalyst 3508G XL aggregating traffic from two 2900 XL or 3500 XL switches to an enterprise switch (such as a Catalyst 8500). In this deployment, the full-duplex connection is either a GigaStack GBIC or 1000BaseX connection, and the uplink is either a 1000BaseX or Gigabit EtherChannel connection.
Posted: Wed May 26 11:45:08 PDT 1999
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