Technology Spotlight - Cisco Catalyst 2940 Series Manual

Introduction

Technology Spotlight

The architectural foundation of Services Oriented Network Architecture
Cisco Systems offers the industry's most complete range of switching solutions,
supporting a wide variety of deployment requirements in networks of every size.
Yet Cisco Catalyst switches are much more than a collection of point products to
meet isolated IT needs; they are part of an integrated approach to the broader
goals of protecting, optimizing, and growing networks for years to come.
Cisco Catalyst switches provide an architectural foundation for the intelligent
services that enable new applications and uses for the network.
Key Elements
Hardware Integration
At the core of Cisco's hardware integration is
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)
innovation. Cisco has developed more than one
hundred ASICs for the Cisco Catalyst switching
family since 1995, with each generation including
more capabilities. For example, Cisco was the
first vendor to integrate Layer 3 switching into
hardware, and has gone on to integrate security
access control lists (ACLs), quality of service (QoS)
classification, and queuing across the entire Cisco
Catalyst line. Cisco is also the only switching
vendor to offer hardware-based services modules,
which integrate key functions such as firewalling,
content networking, and network analysis directly
into Catalyst 6500 switches.
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Predictable Performance
Cisco offers among the highest performance
modular and stackable switches in the industry,
but throughput alone is not enough. Organizations
need to be assured of predictable performance,
regardless of variables like congestion, traffic
type, or the use of software- or hardware-enabled
services. That's why all Cisco Catalyst switches
are designed to maintain predictable performance
through a unique combination of mechanisms,
including Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF), Ternary
Content Addressable Memory (TCAM), buffering,
and congestion management. This ensures that
network managers can enable complex features
without fear of losing speed in their networks.
Unified Network Services
Scaling rich media applications, voice, video, and
data on a single network requires a comprehensive
approach to network services. The Catalyst
portfolio leads the industry in Gigabit and 10
Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) port density. Desktop
Gigabit Ethernet, also called 10/100/1000, provides
investment protection for future connectivity
needs while also making use of the "free" LAN-
on-motherboard solutions shipping on most new
desktop and laptop computers. Similarly, 10GbE is
being rapidly adopted in many enterprise networks,
particularly in the network core, distribution, and in
data center networks. Another key consideration
is Power over Ethernet (PoE), which simplifies the
deployment of devices such as IP phones and
wireless access points. PoE eliminates the need
for additional power cabling. Cisco drove the
802.3af power standard through IEEE and today
offers extensions to the IEEE standard through
the use of intelligent power management. In
keeping with Cisco's evolutionary approach, the
Cisco Catalyst line includes switches that support
both pre-standard inline power as well as IEEE
802.3af-compliant devices, enabling our customers
to deploy new technology while continuing to make
the most of past investments. Cisco offers the
highest density of IEEE 802.3af PoE devices (up to
420) in a single chassis with full power redundancy.
Virtualization
Cisco Catalyst Series switches offer a wide variety
of technologies that enable the scaling of a single
physical network into multiple, logical networks.
Identity services such as 802. 1 x and Network
Admission Control (NAC) ensure users are able
to access appropriate resources. Path isolation
technologies provide a means for traffic isolation.
These include Generic Route Encapsulation (GRE),
Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF) and Multiprotocol
Label Switching (MPLS). Additionally, service
modules such as the Application Control Engine
(ACE) for the Catalyst 6500 can be virtualized to
offer up to 256 different instances.
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