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Product Overview

Product Overview

Catalyst  5000 series switches facilitate the migration from traditional shared-hub LANs to large-scale, fully integrated internetworks. Catalyst  5000 series switches provide switched connections to individual workstations, servers, LAN segments, backbones, or other Catalyst  5000 series switches using a variety of media.

For descriptions of the Catalyst  5000 series switch hardware, refer to the Catalyst  5000 Series Installation Guide, the Catalyst  5000 Series Supervisor Engine Installation Guide, and the Catalyst  5000 Series Module Installation Guide.


Note Throughout this guide and all Catalyst  5000 series documents, the term "Catalyst  5000 series switches" refers to all of the Catalyst  5000 series switches---Catalyst  5002, Catalyst  5000, Catalyst  5505, Catalyst 5509, and Catalyst  5500---unless otherwise noted.

This chapter consists of these sections:

Catalyst  5000 Series Switches

Table 1-1 describes the Catalyst  5000 series switches.


Table 1-1: Catalyst  5000 Series Switch Models
Switch Model Description Features

Catalyst  5002

2-slot switch

  • Supports one supervisor module (Supervisor Engine I, II, or III)

  • Supports one additional switching module (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI/CDDI,1 ATM, and Token Ring)

  • Supports standard redundant AC- or DC-input power supplies

Catalyst  5000

5-slot switch

  • Supports one supervisor module (Supervisor Engine I, II, or III)

  • Supports up to four additional switching modules (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI/CDDI, ATM, and Token Ring)

  • Supports the RSM2

  • Supports optional redundant AC- or DC-input power supplies

Catalyst  5505

5-slot switch

  • Supports one supervisor module (Supervisor Engine II or III)

  • Supports one optional redundant supervisor engine (redundancy is supported only with supervisor engines of the same type [two Supervisor Engine IIs or two Supervisor Engine IIIs])

  • Supports up to four additional switching modules (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI/CDDI, ATM, and Token Ring)

  • Supports the RSM

  • Supports optional redundant AC- or DC-input power supplies

Catalyst  5509

9-slot switch

  • Supports one supervisor module (Supervisor Engine II or III)

  • Supports one optional redundant supervisor engine (redundancy is supported only with supervisor engines of the same type [two Supervisor Engine IIs or two Supervisor Engine IIIs])

  • Supports up to eight additional switching modules (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI/CDDI, ATM, and Token Ring)

  • Supports the RSM

  • Supports optional redundant AC- or DC-input power supplies

Catalyst  5500

13-slot switch

  • Supports one supervisor module (Supervisor Engines II or III)

  • Supports one optional redundant supervisor engine (redundancy is supported only with supervisor engines of the same type [two Supervisor Engine IIs or two Supervisor Engine IIIs])

  • Supports up to 12 additional switching modules (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI/CDDI, ATM, Token Ring, and LightStream  1010)

  • Supports the RSM

  • Supports optional redundant AC- or DC-input power supplies

1FDDI/CDDI = Fiber Distributed Data Interface/Copper Distributed Data Interface
2RSM = Route Switch Module

High-Performance Switching Backplanes

The Catalyst  5002 and Catalyst  5000 switches have a single, integrated 1.2-Gbps switching backplane; the Catalyst  5505, 5509, and 5500 switches have a 3.6-Gbps switching backplane. All Catalyst  5000 series switches support switched 10/100-Mbps Ethernet/Fast Ethernet and Ethernet repeater connections, with backbone connections to Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, FDDI, and CDDI.

Slot 1 in all Catalyst  5000 series switches is dedicated to the supervisor engine module. The Catalyst  5505, 5509, and 5500 switches support a redundant supervisor engine module in slot 2. The Catalyst 5500 switch supports LightStream  1010 ATM port adapters in slots  9 through  12. Slot  13 in the Catalyst  5500 switch is reserved for the ATM switch processor (ASP).

See the "Supervisor Engine Modules" section in this chapter and "Configuring the Supervisor Engine Software," for more information on the Catalyst  5000 series supervisor engines.

All Catalyst  5000 series switches support wire-speed, single-stream, 10-Mbps Ethernet, 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet, and 1000-Mbps Gigabit Ethernet packet transmission for packet sizes from 64 to
1500 bytes. When 100 interface pairs are configured, the switches also support wire-speed, multiple-stream 10-Mbps Ethernet traffic with no packet loss.

Three priority levels are available on the switching bus to handle an oversubscribed interface: backplane-based, high priority, and low priority.

Supervisor Engine Modules

Three supervisor engine module types are available on Catalyst  5000 series switches: Supervisor Engine I, Supervisor Engine II, and Supervisor Engine III. Supervisor Engines II and III support the redundant supervisor engine option available in the Catalyst  5505, 5509, and 5500 switches.

Table 1-2 shows the supervisor engine module types and which Catalyst  5000 series switch supports each type.


Note The Catalyst 2926 switches are not modular; they are available in fixed configurations only.


Table 1-2: Supervisor Engine Matrix
Switch Supervisor Engine I Supervisor Engine II Supervisor Engine III

Catalyst 2926

No

Yes

No

Catalyst  5002

Yes

Yes

Yes

Catalyst  5000

Yes

Yes

Yes

Catalyst  5505

No

Yes

Yes

Catalyst  5509

No

Yes

Yes

Catalyst  5500

No

Yes

Yes

Supervisor Engine Software

Catalyst  5000 series supervisor engine software is factory installed on every supervisor engine module. Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet modules also use this software. However, FDDI, Token Ring, ATM, and RSM modules require additional software images, which are also factory installed onto the modules.

Catalyst  5000 series supervisor engine software has a command-line interface (CLI) with which you can configure Catalyst  5000 series modules. For more information, see the "Command-Line Interfaces" chapter. For descriptions of the available CLI commands, refer to the Catalyst  5000 Series Command Reference publication.

Catalyst  5000 series supervisor engine software uses the Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP) to create fault-tolerant internetworks that ensure an active, loop-free data path between all nodes in the network. STP uses an algorithm to calculate the best loop-free path throughout a Catalyst  5000 series switched network. For more information, see the "Configuring Spanning Tree" chapter.

Supported Modules

Catalyst  5000 series switches support these switching modules:

Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet Modules

Catalyst  5000 series Ethernet and Fast Ethernet switching modules provide high-density switching for both wiring closet and data-center applications.

Catalyst  5000 series Ethernet modules connect workstations and repeaters at 10-Mbps port connection speeds; the Fast Ethernet modules connect workstations, servers, switches, and routers at up to 100-Mbps port connection speeds. The 10/100BaseTX Fast Ethernet switching module supports autosensing and autonegotiation, allowing Catalyst  5000 series switches to automatically sense and negotiate the correct port connection speed (10 or 100 Mbps) and duplex mode (half or full duplex) with an attached device. Fast Ethernet connections can interconnect multiple Catalyst  5000 series switches on multiple floors in different buildings of a campus. Fast Ethernet connections can act as redundant backup links between switches, and can expand existing Ethernet networks that need additional capacity.

Fast EtherChannel modules provide up to 800-Mbps (full-duplex) parallel bandwidth between a Catalyst  5000 series switch and another switch or host by grouping multiple Fast Ethernet interfaces into a single logical transmission path. The Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) provides automated configuration of Fast EtherChannel.

The Gigabit Ethernet switching module and the Gigabit EtherChannel module provide high-performance gigabit switching backbone interfaces while the Supervisor Engine III Gigabit Ethernet uplink module serves to aggregate traffic from high-density 10/100-Mbps wiring closets.

The Catalyst  5000 series switch employs VLANs and STP on all Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet ports.

For information on configuring the Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet modules, see the "Configuring Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet Switching" chapter. For information on configuring STP, see the "Configuring Spanning Tree" chapter. For information on configuring VLANs, see the "Configuring VTP and Virtual LANs" chapter.

Token Ring Modules

Catalyst  5000 series switches support Token Ring switching modules, which have 16 shielded RJ-45 connectors (or 16 Volition VF-45 connectors) for Token Ring connections. These ports allow full- or half-duplex connections to other switches, hubs, or end nodes. Catalyst  5000 series Token Ring modules provide the following features:

For information on configuring the Token Ring modules, see "Configuring Token Ring Switching." For information on configuring STP, see the "Configuring Spanning Tree" chapter. For information on configuring VLANs, see the "Configuring VTP and Virtual LANs" chapter.

ATM Modules

Catalyst  5000 series ATM switching modules support ATM connectivity by using LANE technology. LANE allows an ATM network to model a LAN backbone for Ethernet switches. LANE, which is defined by the ATM Forum specification "LAN Emulation over ATM," ATM_FORUM 94-0035, makes an ATM interface look like one or more Ethernet interfaces. It also allows upper-layer protocols that expect connectionless service to use connection-oriented ATM switches. LANE extends VLANs throughout the network by establishing point-to-point ATM virtual-circuit connections between switches on the same VLAN.

The following are LANE-specific characteristics:

The Catalyst  5000 series ATM modules include:

For information on configuring ATM modules, see the "Configuring ATM LAN Emulation" chapter. For information on configuring PVC-Supported VLANs on ATM modules, see the "Configuring ATM PVCs and PVCs with Traffic Shaping" chapter.

FDDI/CDDI Modules

Catalyst  5000 series switches support FDDI/CDDI switching modules. A/B port cards---which support single-mode optic fiber, multimode optic fiber, and CDDI/MLT-3 copper cabling---provide connectivity from the FDDI/CDDI interface to a variety of wiring plants. All A/B port cards allow you to configure the switch for single-attached, dual-attached, or dual-homed operation.

When configured as a single-attached station (SAS), you can connect either Port  A or Port  B on the FDDI module to an M port on a FDDI/CDDI concentrator. You can also connect the concentrator to the FDDI/CDDI rings through the A/B ports of the concentrator. When configured as a dual-attached station (DAS), you must attach both Ports  A and  B of the FDDI/CDDI module to the FDDI/CDDI ring cabling.

For information on configuring the FDDI/CDDI modules, see the "Configuring FDDI/CDDI Switching" chapter.

Route Switch Module

The Catalyst  5000 series Route Switch Module (RSM) is a Route/Switch Processor-2 (RSP2)-based router module running Cisco IOS router software that connects directly into the Catalyst  5000 series switch backplane.

From the perspective of the Catalyst  5000 series switch, the RSM appears as a module with a single trunked port and one MAC address. From the perspective of the user, the RSM has one port. This port is unlike other Catalyst  5000 switch module ports because it has no external attributes such as media type or speed. Within this trunk port, the RSM can route between VLANs and between port adapters in an optional Versatile Interface Processor 2 (VIP2) module, which allows the RSM to emulate a Cisco 7500 series router.

The RSM also supports Multiprotocol over ATM (MPOA), and can function as an MPOA server (MPS) or MPOA client (MPC).

For information on configuring the RSM, see the "Configuring Routing on the RSM" chapter.

Supported Software Features

Catalyst  5000 series switches support these software features:

Spanning-Tree Protocol

The Catalyst 5000 series switches support the Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP) on Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and Token Ring ports, on a per-VLAN basis. In addition, the following spanning-tree enhancements are supported:

For information on configuring STP, see the "Configuring Spanning Tree" chapter.

VLANs and VLAN Trunks

A VLAN is an administratively defined broadcast domain. A VLAN enhances performance by limiting traffic; it allows the transmission of traffic among stations that belong to it and blocks traffic from other stations in other VLANs. VLANs can provide security barriers (firewalls) between end stations on different VLANs within the same switch. Only end stations within the VLAN receive packets that are unicast, broadcast, or multicast (flooded). The VLAN feature includes the following components:

For information on configuring VTP and VLANs, see the "Configuring VTP and Virtual LANs" chapter. For information on configuring Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet VLAN trunks, see the "Configuring VLAN Trunks on Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet Ports" chapter. For information on configuring FDDI 802.10 trunks, see the "Configuring FDDI/CDDI Switching" chapter. For information on configuring ATM LANE, see the "Configuring ATM LAN Emulation" chapter.

Multilayer Switching

The Multilayer Switching (MLS) feature scales Layer 3 performance to high-performance link speeds by extending the MLS concept introduced in Cisco IOS software to LAN switching hardware. MLS requires the NetFlow Feature Card (NFFC), which also supports Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping and protocol filtering within a port VLAN. IGMP snooping allows a switch to examine IGMP packets and make forwarding decisions based on their content. Protocol filtering allows you to group ports on a protocol basis.

For information on configuring MLS, refer to the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide publication.

Network Management

Catalyst  5000 series switches offer network management and control through the CLI or through alternative methods, such as CiscoWorks for Switched Internetworks (CWSI) and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The Catalyst 5000 series software supports these network management features:

For information on configuring network management features, see the "Configuring Network Management" chapter.

Network Security

You can protect sensitive information from unauthorized users using these Catalyst 5000 series network security features:

For information on configuring network security features, see the "Configuring Network Security" chapter.

Multicast Services

Multicasting saves bandwidth by forcing the network to replicate packets only when necessary and by allowing hosts to join and leave groups dynamically. The Catalyst 5000 series switches support these multicast services:

For information on configuring multicast services, see the "Configuring Multicast Services" chapter.

Administrative Features

Catalyst  5000 series switches support these administrative features:

For information on configuring and using administrative features, see the "Administering the Switch" chapter.

Redundant Supervisor Operation

Catalyst  5505, 5509, and 5500 switches support an optional redundant supervisor engine module. You can install two Supervisor Engine  II or two Supervisor Engine  III modules in slots 1 and 2 of the chassis. When the switch powers up, the supervisor module that comes up first enters active mode, while the second supervisor module enters standby mode.

All network management functions occur on the active supervisor. The console port on the standby supervisor module is inactive. However, in Catalyst 5000 series software release 4.1 and later, the uplink ports on the standby supervisor are active and can be used as normal switch ports.

If the active supervisor module detects a major problem, it resets itself and the standby supervisor seamlessly becomes the active supervisor.

For information on how supervisor redundancy works, see the "Configuring the Supervisor Engine Software" chapter.

Supported Internet Protocols

Catalyst  5000 series switches support these standard Internet protocols:

Supported MIBs


Note For more information about Cisco-proprietary MIBs, see the "Workgroup MIB Reference" appendix.

Catalyst  5000 series switches support these standard and enterprise-specific MIBs:


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