Cisco WS-C3550-12G Software Configuration Manual page 27

Preface
Audience
This guide is for the networking professional managing the Catalyst 3550 switch, hereafter referred to
as the switch or the multilayer switch. Before using this guide, you should have experience working with
the Cisco IOS and be familiar with the concepts and terminology of Ethernet and local area networking.
Purpose
This guide provides the information you need to configure Layer 2 and Layer 3 software features on your
switch. The Catalyst 3550 switch is supported by either the standard multilayer software image (SMI)
or the enhanced multilayer software image (EMI). The EMI provides a richer set of enterprise-class
features, including hardware-based IP unicast and multicast routing, inter-VLAN routing, routed access
control lists (ACLs), and the Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP). All Catalyst 3550 Gigabit Ethernet
switches are shipped with the EMI pre-installed. Catalyst 3550 Fast Ethernet switches are shipped with
either the SMI or the EMI pre-installed. After initial deployment, you can order the Enhanced Multilayer
Software Image Upgrade kit to upgrade Catalyst 3550 Fast Ethernet switches from running the SMI to
the EMI.
This guide provides procedures for using the commands that have been created or changed for use with
the Catalyst 3550 switch. It does not provide detailed information about these commands. For detailed
information about these commands, refer to the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Command Reference
for this release. For information about the standard IOS Release 12.1 commands, refer to the IOS
documentation set available from the Cisco.com home page at Service and Support > Technical
Documents. On the Cisco Product Documentation home page, select Release 12.1 from the Cisco IOS
Software drop-down list.
This guide also includes an overview of the Cluster Management Suite (CMS) web-based, switch
management interface, which helps you create and manage clusters of switches. This guide does not
provide field-level descriptions of the CMS windows nor does it provide the procedures for configuring
switches and switch clusters from CMS. For all CMS window descriptions and procedures, refer to the
CMS online help, which is integrated with the software image.
This guide does not describe system messages you might encounter or how to install your switch. For
more information, refer to the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch System Message Guide for this release
and to the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Hardware Installation Guide.
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