Table Of Contents
Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 Series Router Overview
Introduction
Physical and Functional Description of Router
AC and DC Power Subsystems
AC Power Entry Modules
DC Power Supplies
Switch Fabric and Alarm Card Overview
Switch Fabric Card Functionality
Clock Scheduler Card
Switch Fabric Card
Alarm Cards and Alarm Display
Line Card and Route Processor Overview
Line Cards
Route Processor Selection
Gigabit Route Processor Overview
GRP PCMCIA Card Slots and Status LEDs
GRP Reset Switch
GRP Auxiliary and Console Ports
GRP Ethernet Ports and Status LEDs
GRP Alphanumeric Message Displays
GRP Memory Components
GRP DRAM
GRP SRAM
GRP NVRAM
GRP Flash Memory
Performance Route Processor Overview
PRP PCMCIA Card Slots and Status LEDs
PRP Ethernet Ports and Status LEDs
PRP Auxiliary and Console Ports
PRP Reset Switch
PRP Alphanumeric Message Displays
PRP Memory Components
PRP SDRAM
PRP SRAM
PRP NVRAM
PRP Flash Memory
Horizontal Cable Management Bracket
Blower Module
Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 Series Router Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 series routers. It contains physical descriptions of the router hardware and major components, and functional descriptions of the hardware-related features.
Introduction
The routers described in this guide are part of the Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 series routers and include:
•
The original Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 series routers.
•
The newer Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 enhanced series routers. The enhanced series of routers use higher capacity power supplies, a more powerful blower module, and have a newly designed front door.
The capacity of the router switch fabric differentiates each model:
•
Cisco 12010 Router—2.5-Gbps switch fabric
•
Cisco 12410 Route—10-Gbps switch fabric
•
Cisco 12810 Router—40-Gbps switch fabric
Other than their various capacities, these routers are almost identical. Differences between each router are described and unless otherwise noted, all information in this publication applies to all routers.
Physical and Functional Description of Router
The router chassis is a sheet-metal enclosure that houses router components.
Each Cisco 12010 series router is designed so that two systems can fit in most standard 75-inch racks. All router models contain the following major components (Figure 1-1):
•
Blower module—Supplies cooling air to the router so it does not overheat. See the "Blower Module" section for additional information.
•
Alarm display—Monitors various router functions such as power and CSC and SFC status. See the "Alarm Cards and Alarm Display" section for additional information.
•
Horizontal cable management bracket—Used to neatly route line card cables. See the "Horizontal Cable Management Bracket" section for additional information.
•
Line card and Route Processor card cage—Has 10 user-configurable slots that support a combination of line cards and either one or two route processors (RPs). See the "Line Card and Route Processor Overview" section for additional information.
•
Switch fabric and alarm card cage—Located behind the air filter door, this card cage contains 7 slots for the switch fabric card set, and two slots for alarm cards. The switch fabric card set is made up of five switch fabric cards (SFCs) and two clock scheduler cards (CSCs). See the "Switch Fabric and Alarm Card Overview" section for additional information.
•
Power Entry Modules—Either two AC power entry modules (PEMs) or two DC PEMs provide power to the router. See the "AC and DC Power Subsystems" section for additional information.
•
Chassis backplane (not shown)—Distributes power to the chassis components.
Figure 1-1 Cisco 12010 Series Router Components—Front View
Figure 1-2 shows the slot numbering layout of the router with the location of the major components. Power is distributed to these components over the chassis backplane (not shown).
Figure 1-2 Router Components and Slot-Numbering
AC and DC Power Subsystems
A router ships as either an AC or DC powered system. Source power connects to power distribution units (PDUs) on the back of the chassis which route power to the power supplies, also referred to as power entry modules (PEMs).
Caution 
To ensure that the chassis configuration complies with the required power budgets, use the on-line power calculator. Failure to properly verify the configuration may result in an unpredictable state if one of the power units fails. Contact your local sales representative for assistance.
AC Power Entry Modules
An AC powered router consists of two (2400 W or 2800 W) AC PDUs and AC PEMs. AC power to the router is provided through power cords connected from AC power outlets to the PDUs on the chassis rear panel as shown in Figure 1-3.
Figure 1-3 AC PDU Connection—2400 W
Each AC PEM converts 200 to 240 VAC into -48 VDC, which is distributed through the chassis backplane to all cards, RPs, and the blower module.
The status LED s on an AC PEM provide information about the current operational status of the power supply. For example, the LEDs on a 2400 W AC PEM provide following information (Figure 1-4):
Figure 1-4 AC PEM Status LEDs—2400 W
•
PWR OK (green)—Indicates that the power supply module is operating normally.
•
FAULT (yellow)—Indicates that a fault is detected within the PEM.
•
TEMP (yellow)—Indicates the PEM is in an over-temperature condition and shutdown has occurred.
•
ILIM (yellow)—Indicates the PEM is operating in a current-limiting condition.
For additional information about troubleshooting AC PEMs, see the "Troubleshooting the AC-Input Power Subsystem" section on page 5-5.
DC Power Supplies
A DC powered router consists of two (2400 W or 2800 W) DC PDUs and DC PEMs. DC power to the router is provided from cables from a DC power source that are connected to threaded DC-input terminal studs on the chassis rear panel as shown in Figure 1-5.
Figure 1-5 DC Input Terminal Connections—2400 W
The terminal studs are labeled on the PDU and a clear plastic cover (not shown) fits over the studs to protect the connections.
Each DC PEM operates from a nominal source DC voltage of -48 to -60 VDC and requires a dedicated 60-amp service.
The status LEDs on a DC PEM provide information about the current operational status of the power supply. For example, the LEDs on a 2400 W DC PEM provide following information (Figure 1-6):
Figure 1-6 DC PEM Status LEDs—2400 W
•
PWR OK (green)—Indicates that the power supply module is operating normally.
•
FAULT (yellow)—Indicates that a fault is detected within the PEM.
•
TEMP (yellow)—Indicates the PEM is in an overtemperature condition and shutdown has occurred.
For additional information about troubleshooting DC PEMs, see the "Troubleshooting the DC-Input Power Subsystem" section on page 5-8.
Switch Fabric and Alarm Card Overview
The switch fabric provides synchronized gigabit-speed connections between line cards and the route processor. The 9-slot switch fabric and alarm card cage contain:
•
2 clock scheduler cards (CSCs)
•
5 switch fabric cards (SFCs)
•
2 alarm cards
Note
The two alarm cards that are located in the switch fabric and alarm card cage are not part of the switch fabric.
One CSC and four SFCs are required for an active switch fabric; the second CSC and the fifth SFC provide redundancy. The combination of CSCs and SFCs make up the 2.5-Gbps, 10-Gbps, or 40-Gbps per-slot switch fabric.
Routers are identified by the switch fabrics they use:
•
Cisco 12010: 2.5-Gbps switch fabric
•
Cisco 12410: 10-Gbps switch fabric
•
Cisco 12810: 40-Gbps switch fabric
Each SFC or CSC provides a 2.5-Gbps, 10-Gbps, or 40-Gbps full-duplex connection to each line card in the system. For example, in a Cisco 12410 router with 8 line cards, each with 2 x 10 Gbps capacity (full duplex), the system switching bandwidth is 8 x 20 Gbps = 160 Gbps.
Figure 1-2 shows the slot configuration in the switch fabric and alarm card cage. The labeling identifies the type of card for each slot and can only be seen when the air filter door is opened.
Note
Cisco 12000 series routers support online insertion and removal (OIR), allowing you to remove and replace a card while the router remains powered on.
Switch Fabric Card Functionality
Routers ship from the factory with 2 CSCs and 5 SFCs installed in the 7 slots in the switch fabric and alarm card cage (see Figure 1-2).
•
CSCs are installed in slot 0 (CSC0) or slot 1 (CSC1).
•
SFCs are installed in slot 2 (SFC0), slot 3 (SFC1), slot 4 (SFC2), slot 5 (SFC3), and slot 6 (SFC4).
Clock Scheduler Card
Clock scheduler cards provide the following functionality:
•
Scheduler—Handles all scheduling requests from the line cards for access to the switch fabric.
•
System clock—Supplies the synchronizing signal to all SFCs, line cards, and the RP. The system clock synchronizes data transfers between line cards or between line cards and the RP through the switch fabric.
•
Switch fabric—Carries user traffic between line cards or between the RP and a line card. The switch fabric on the CSC is identical to the switch fabric on the SFC.
The second CSC provides redundancy for the data path, scheduler, and reference clock. Traffic between the line cards and the switch fabric is monitored constantly. If the system detects a loss of synchronization (LOS), it automatically activates the data paths on the redundant CSC so data flows across the redundant paths. The switch to the redundant CSC occurs within sub-seconds (the actual switch time depends on your configuration and its scale).
Switch Fabric Card
The switch fabric cards augment the traffic capacity of the router. SFCs contain switch fabric circuitry that can only carry user traffic between line cards or between the RP and the line cards. SFCs receive all scheduling information and the system clock signal from the CSCs.
Alarm Cards and Alarm Display
The two alarm cards (in the switch fabric and alarm card cage) provide several functions:
•
Supply +5 VDC to the MBus modules on router components (see AC and DC Power Subsystems).
•
Work in conjunction with the alarm display to monitor the system. The alarm display (sometimes referred to as the alarm display card) is above the horizontal cable management bracket (Figure 1-7).
Figure 1-7 Alarm Display Location
The following connectors and LEDs are on the front panel of the alarm display (Figure 1-8):
Figure 1-8 Alarm Display
•
Cable connections for the two alarm cards (labeled Alarm A and Alarm B)
•
Critical, Major, and Minor LEDs that identify system level alarm conditions
•
A pair of status LEDs that correspond to each of the 9 card slots in the switch fabric and alarm card cage (seven fabric cards and two alarm cards):
–
ENABLED (green)
On—The card installed in that slot is operational and functioning properly.
Off—Either the slot is empty or the card installed in that slot is faulty.
–
FAIL (yellow)—The card in that slot is faulty.
Line Card and Route Processor Overview
The line card and route processor (RP) card cage has 10 user-configurable slots that support a combination of line cards and either one or two RPs (see Figure 1-2). Router configurations can consist of either nine line cards and one RP, or eight line cards and two RPs (one primary and one redundant) using the following slot configurations:
•
Slots 0 to 7 accommodate the newer (wider) line card designs. These wider line card slots can also accept narrower legacy line cards.
•
Slots 8 and 9 only accept RPs or a narrower legacy line card.
Note
If a system uses only one RP install it in slot 9. You can use slot 8 for a legacy line card.
Line Cards
Ports and connectors on the line card front panels provide interfaces for external connections. Line cards communicate with the RP and exchange packet data with each other through the switch fabric cards.
Caution 
Any unoccupied card slot in the line card and RP card cage must have a blank filler panel installed to meet electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements and to ensure proper air flow through the chassis. Also, if the front panel of a line card does not completely fill the card slot opening, a narrow card filler panel must be installed to meet the EMC requirements.
A cable management bracket on the front panel of each line card helps to organize the interface cables connected to that line card.
Note
The Cisco 12000 series of routers support online insertion and removal (OIR), allowing you to remove and replace a card while the router remains powered on.
Route Processor Selection
Two types of RPs are available: a Gigabit Route Processor (GRP) or a Performance Route Processor (PRP). The GRP is the route processor that shipped with earlier Cisco 12000 series routers; the PRP is the route processor shipping with all current Cisco 12000 series routers. You cannot mix GRPs with PRPs. If you install a redundant RP, it must be the same type as the primary RP.
Note
This publication uses the term route processor (RP) to indicate either a Gigabit Route Processor (GRP) or a Performance Route Processor (PRP) unless otherwise specified.
Each system includes at least one RP that performs a variety of functions including the following:
•
Downloads the Cisco IOS software to all installed line cards at power-on.
•
Processes the network routing protocols and distributes updates to the Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) tables on the line cards.
•
Communicates with the line cards, either through the switch fabric or the maintenance bus (MBus):
–
The switch fabric connection is the main data path for distributing routing tables, as well as packets passed, between the RP and the line cards.
–
The MBus connection allows the RP to download a system bootstrap image, collect or load diagnostic information, and perform general, internal system maintenance operations.
Gigabit Route Processor Overview
The GRP uses an IDT R5000 Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) CPU that runs at an external bus clock speed of 100 MHz and has an internal clock speed of 200 MHz.
Figure 1-9 identifies the connectors and LEDs on the GRP front panel.
Figure 1-9 Gigabit Route Processor Front Panel
1
|
PCMCIA flash card slots, eject buttons, and slot LEDs
|
5
|
RJ-45 Ethernet port and data status LEDs
|
2
|
Reset button
|
6
|
MII Ethernet connection
|
3
|
Auxiliary serial port
|
7
|
Alphanumeric message displays
|
4
|
Console serial port
|
GRP PCMCIA Card Slots and Status LEDs
Two PCMCIA card slots (slot 0 and slot 1) provide the GRP with additional flash memory capacity or other input/output (I/O) device capability.
Caution 
The GRP only supports +5.2 VDC Type I and Type II devices. It does not support +3.3 VDC PCMCIA devices.
Status LEDs (Slot-0/Slot-1) indicate when the flash memory card or I/O device in that slot is accessed. Each slot has an eject button to remove the card from the slot (Figure 1-10).
Figure 1-10 Slot Activity LEDs—Front Panel
GRP Reset Switch
Access the (soft) reset switch through a small opening in the GRP front panel. To press the switch, insert a paper clip or similar small pointed object into the opening (see Figure 1-11).
Caution 
The reset switch is
not a mechanism for resetting the GRP and reloading the Cisco IOS image. It is intended for software development use only. To prevent system problems or loss of data, use the reset switch only on the advice of Cisco service personnel.
Pressing the reset switch causes a nonmaskable interrupt (NMI) and places the GRP in ROM monitor mode. When the GRP enters ROM monitor mode, its behavior depends on the setting of the GRP software configuration register. For example, if the boot field of the software configuration register is set to:
•
0x0—The GRP remains at the ROM monitor prompt (rommon>) and waits for a user command to boot the system manually.
•
0x1—The system automatically boots the first Cisco IOS image found in flash memory on the GRP.
For more information on the software configuration register, see the "Configuring the Software Configuration Register" section on page 4-31.
GRP Auxiliary and Console Ports
The auxiliary and console ports on the GRP are EIA/TIA-232 (also known as RS-232) asynchronous serial ports. These ports are used to connect external devices to monitor and manage the system.
•
Auxiliary port —A (male) plug that provides a data terminal equipment (DTE) interface. The auxiliary port supports flow control and is often used to connect a modem, a channel service unit (CSU), or other optional equipment for Telnet management.
•
Console port—A (female) receptacle that provides a data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) interface for connecting a console terminal.
Caution 
To maintain Class B EMI compliance, use shielded cables when you connect to the auxiliary and console ports of original GRPs (Part Numbers GRP= and GRP-B=). An updated version of the GRP-B= board (Rev. F0) does not require shielded cables for Class B compliance.
GRP Ethernet Ports and Status LEDs
The GRP has two types of Ethernet connections for Telnet use:
•
RJ-45 port—An 8-pin media-dependent interface (MDI) RJ-45 port for either IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T (10 Mbps) or IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-TX (100 Mbps) Ethernet connections.
•
MII connector—A 40-pin media-independent interface (MII) that provides additional flexibility for Ethernet connections. The pinout of this standard 40-pin interface is defined by the IEEE 802.3u standard.
Note
The RJ-45 and MII interfaces on the GRP represent two physical connection options for one Ethernet interface; therefore, you can use either the RJ-45 connection or the MII connection, but not both simultaneously.
The transmission speed of the Ethernet port is not user-configurable. You set the speed through an autosensing scheme on the GRP which is determined by the network that the Ethernet port is connected to. However, even at an auto-sensed data transmission rate of 100 Mbps, the Ethernet port can only provide a usable bandwidth of substantially less than 100 Mbps. You can expect a maximum usable bandwidth of approximately 20 Mbps when using either the MII or RJ-45 connection.
The following LEDs on the front panel indicate traffic status and port selection (Figure 1-11):
•
LINK, COLL, TX, RX—Indicate link activity (LINK), collision detection (COLL), data transmission (TX), and data reception (RX).
Note
These LEDs are only used by the RJ-45 Ethernet connector and are disabled when the MII Ethernet port is in use.
•
MII/RJ-45—Indicates which Ethernet port is selected.
Figure 1-11 Port Activity LEDs—Front Panel
GRP Alphanumeric Message Displays
The alphanumeric message displays are organized in two rows of four LED characters (Figure 1-12).
Figure 1-12 Alphanumeric Message Displays on Front Panel
The alphanumeric message displays show router status messages during the boot process, and after the boot process is complete.
•
During the boot process, the message displays are controlled directly by the MBus module.
•
After the boot process, the message displays are controlled by Cisco IOS software (through the MBus).
The alphanumeric message displays also provide information about different levels of system operation, including the status of the GRP, router error messages, and user-defined status and error messages
Note
A complete, descriptive list of all system and error messages appears in the Cisco IOS System Error Messages publication.
GRP Memory Components
This section describes types of memory used on the GRP to support router functions. Table 1-1 provides a quick reference of the different types of memory, and Figure 1-13 shows the location on the GRP board.
Table 1-1 GRP Memory Components
Type
|
Size
|
Quantity
|
Description
|
Location
|
DRAM
|
1281 or 256 MB
|
1 or 2
|
Uses 64 MB or 128 MB DIMMs (based on DRAM configuration) for main Cisco IOS software functions
|
U39 (bank 1) U42 (bank 2)
|
SRAM
|
512 KB (fixed)
|
—
|
Secondary CPU cache memory functions
|
—
|
NVRAM
|
512 KB (fixed)
|
—
|
System configuration files, register settings, and logs
|
—
|
Flash memory
|
8 MB SIMM
|
1
|
Cisco IOS software images and other user-defined files
|
U17
|
Flash memory card
PCMCIA2
|
20 MB1
|
1 or 2
|
Cisco IOS software images, system configuration files, and other user-defined files on one or two flash memory cards
|
Slots 0 and 1
|
Flash boot ROM
|
512 KB
|
1
|
Flash EPROM for the ROM monitor program boot image
|
—
|
Figure 1-13 GRP Memory Locations
GRP DRAM
The GRP uses Extended Data-Out (EDO) Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) to store routing tables, protocols, network accounting applications, and to run Cisco IOS software.
Table 1-2 lists the DRAM configurations for the GRP.
Table 1-2 GRP DRAM Configurations
Total DRAM
|
Part Number
|
DRAM Sockets
|
Number of DIMMs
|
128 MB1
|
MEM-GRP/LC-64(=)
|
U39 (bank 1) U42 (bank 2)
|
Two 64 MB DIMMs
|
128 MB
|
MEM-GRP/LC-128(=)
|
U39 (bank 1)
|
One 128 MB DIMM
|
256 MB
|
MEM-GRP/LC-256(=)
|
U39 (bank 1) U42 (bank 2)
|
Two 128 MB DIMMs
|
Caution 
DRAM DIMMs must be 3.3-volt, 60-nanosecond devices only. Do not attempt to install other devices in the DIMM sockets. To prevent memory problems, use the Cisco approved memory products listed in
Table 1-2.
GRP SRAM
Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) provides 512 KB of secondary CPU cache memory. Its principal function is to act as a staging area for routing table updates, and for information sent to and received from the line cards. SRAM is not user-configurable and cannot be upgraded in the field.
GRP NVRAM
Nonvolatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) provides 512 KB of memory for system configuration files, software register settings, and environmental monitoring logs. Built-in lithium batteries retain the contents of NVRAM for a minimum of 5 years. NVRAM is not user configurable and cannot be upgraded in the field.
GRP Flash Memory
Use flash memory to store multiple Cisco IOS software and microcode images that you can use to operate the router. You can download new images to flash memory over the network (or from a local server) to replace an existing image, or to add it as an additional image. The router can be booted (manually or automatically) from any of the stored images in flash memory.
Flash memory also functions as a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server that allows other servers to boot remotely from the stored images, or to copy them into their own flash memory.
The system uses two types of flash memory:
•
Onboard flash memory (called bootflash)—Contains the Cisco IOS boot image.
•
20 MB Type II PCMCIA flash memory cards (MEM-GRP-FL20=)—Contain Cisco IOS software images.
Performance Route Processor Overview
The performance route processor (PRP) uses a Motorola PowerPC 7450 CPU that runs at an external bus clock speed of 133 MHz and has an internal clock speed of 667 MHz.
Figure 1-14 identifies the slots, ports, and LEDs on the PRP front panel.
Figure 1-14 Performance Route Processor Front Panel
1
|
PCMCIA flash disk slots (shown with cover in place) and slot LEDs
|
4
|
Console serial port
|
2
|
RJ-45 Ethernet ports and data status LEDs
|
5
|
Reset button
|
3
|
Auxiliary serial port
|
6
|
Alphanumeric message displays
|
PRP PCMCIA Card Slots and Status LEDs
Two PCMCIA card slots (slot 0 and slot 1) provide the PRP with additional flash memory capacity. All combinations of different flash devices are supported by the PRP. You can use ATA flash disks, Type 1 or Type 2 linear flash memory cards, or a combination of the two.
Note
The PRP only supports +5.2 VDC flash memory devices. It does not support +3.3 VDC PCMCIA devices.
Status LEDs (Slot-0/Slot-1) indicate when the flash memory card in that slot is accessed (see Figure 1-14). Each slot has an eject button (located behind the cover) to remove a flash card from the slot.
PRP Ethernet Ports and Status LEDs
The PRP has two 8-pin media-dependent interface (MDI) RJ-45 ports for either IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T (10 Mbps) or IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-TX (100 Mbps) Ethernet connections. These ports are labeled ETH 0 and ETH 1.
The transmission speed of the Ethernet port is not user-configurable. You set the speed through an autosensing scheme on the PRP which is determined by the network that the Ethernet port is connected to. However, even at an autosensed data transmission rate of 100 Mbps, the Ethernet port can only provide a usable bandwidth of substantially less than 100 Mbps. You can expect a maximum usable bandwidth of approximately 20 Mbps when using an Ethernet connection.
The following LEDs on the front panel indicate traffic status and port selection (Figure 1-15):
•
LINK, EN, TX, RX—Indicate link activity (LINK), port enabled (EN), data transmission (TX), and data reception (RX).
•
PRIMARY—Indicates which Ethernet port is selected (ETH 0 or ETH 1).
Note
Because both ports are supported on the PRP, ETH 0 is always on. ETH 1 lights when it is selected.
Figure 1-15 Port Activity LEDs—Partial Front Panel
PRP Auxiliary and Console Ports
The auxiliary and console ports on the PRP are EIA/TIA-232 (also known as RS-232) asynchronous serial ports connect external devices to monitor and manage the system.
•
Auxiliary port—A (male) plug that provides a data terminal equipment (DTE) interface. The auxiliary port supports flow control and is often used to connect a modem, a channel service unit (CSU), or other optional equipment for Telnet management.
•
Console port—A (female) receptacle that provides a data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) interface for connecting a console terminal.
PRP Reset Switch
Access to the (soft) reset switch is through a small opening in the PRP front panel (see Figure 1-14). To press the switch, insert a paper clip or similar small pointed object into the opening.
Caution 
The reset switch is
not a mechanism for resetting the PRP and reloading the Cisco IOS image. It is intended for software development use only. To prevent system problems or loss of data, use the reset switch only on the advice of Cisco service personnel.
Pressing the reset switch causes a nonmaskable interrupt (NMI) and places the PRP in ROM monitor mode. When the PRP enters ROM monitor mode, its behavior depends on the setting of the PRP software configuration register. For example, if the boot field of the software configuration register is set to:
•
0x0—The PRP remains at the ROM monitor prompt (rommon>) and waits for a user command to boot the system manually.
•
0x1—The system automatically boots the first Cisco IOS image found in flash memory on the PRP.
For more information on the software configuration register, see the "Configuring the Software Configuration Register" section on page 4-31.
PRP Alphanumeric Message Displays
The alphanumeric message displays are organized in two rows of four LED characters each (Figure 1-16).
Figure 1-16 Alphanumeric Message Displays—Partial Front Panel
The alphanumeric message displays show router status messages during the boot process, and after the boot process is complete.
•
During the boot process, the message displays are controlled directly by the MBus module.
•
After the boot process, the message displays are controlled by Cisco IOS software (through the MBus).
The alphanumeric message displays also provide information about different levels of system operation, including the status of the GRP, router error messages, and user-defined status and error messages
Note
A list of all system and error messages appears in the Cisco IOS System Error Messages publication.
PRP Memory Components
This section describes types of memory used on the PRP to support router functions. Table 1-3 provides a quick reference of the different types of memory, and Figure 1-17 shows the location on the PRP board.
Table 1-3 PRP Memory Components
Type
|
Size
|
Quantity
|
Description
|
Location
|
SDRAM
|
512 MB1 , 1 GB, or 2 GB
|
1 or 2
|
Uses 512 MB or 1 GB DIMMs (based on SDRAM configuration) for main Cisco IOS software functions
|
U15 (bank 1) U18 (bank 2)
|
SRAM
|
2 MB (fixed)
|
—
|
Secondary CPU cache memory functions
|
—
|
NVRAM
|
2 MB (fixed)
|
—
|
System configuration files, register settings, and logs
|
—
|
Flash memory
|
64 MB SIMM
|
1
|
Cisco IOS boot image (bootflash), crash information, and other user-defined files
|
P3
|
Flash disk (PCMCIA)
|
64 MB1
|
1 or 2
|
Cisco IOS software images, system configuration files, and other user-defined files on one or two flash memory cards
|
Flash memory card slot 0 and slot 1
|
Flash boot ROM
|
512 KB
|
1
|
Flash EPROM for the ROM monitor program boot image
|
—
|
Figure 1-17 PRP Memory Locations
PRP SDRAM
The PRP uses Error Checking and Correction (ECC) Synchronized Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) to store routing tables, protocols, network accounting applications, and to run Cisco IOS software.
Table 1-4 lists the DRAM configurations for the PRP. If you are using:
•
One DIMM—Bank 1 (U15) must be populated first.
•
Two DIMMs—You cannot mix memory sizes; both banks must contain the same size DIMM.
Table 1-4 PRP DRAM Configurations
Total SDRAM
|
SDRAM Sockets
|
Number of DIMMs
|
512 MB1
|
U15 (bank 1) U18 (bank 2)
|
One 512 MB DIMM or Two 256 MB DIMMs
|
1 GB
|
U15 (bank 1) U18 (bank 2)
|
One 1 GB DIMM or Two 512 MB DIMMs
|
2 GB
|
U15 (bank 1) U18 (bank 2)
|
Two 1 GB DIMMs
|
Caution 
DRAM DIMMs must be 3.3-volt, 60-nanosecond devices only. Do not attempt to install other devices in the DIMM sockets. To prevent memory problems, use the Cisco approved memory products listed in
Table 1-4.
PRP SRAM
Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) provides 2 MB of secondary CPU cache memory. Its principal function is to act as a staging area for routing table updates, and for information sent to and received from the line cards. SRAM is not user-configurable and cannot be upgraded in the field.
PRP NVRAM
Non-volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) provides 2 MB of memory for system configuration files, software register settings, and environmental monitoring logs. Built-in lithium batteries retain the contents of NVRAM for a minimum of 5 years. NVRAM is not user configurable and cannot be upgraded in the field.
PRP Flash Memory
Use flash memory to store multiple Cisco IOS software and microcode images that you can use to operate the router. You can download new images to flash memory over the network (or from a local server) to replace an existing image, or to add it as an additional image. The router can be booted (manually or automatically) from any of the stored images in flash memory.
Flash memory also functions as a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server to allow other servers to boot remotely from the stored images, or to copy them into their own flash memory.
The system uses two types of flash memory:
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Onboard flash memory (bootflash)—Contains the Cisco IOS boot image
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Flash memory disks (or cards)—Contain the Cisco IOS software images
Table 1-5 lists supported flash disk sizes and Cisco part numbers.
Table 1-5 Supported Flash Disk Sizes
|
|
Part Number
|
64 MB2
|
MEM-12KRP-FD64=
|
128 MB
|
MEM-12KRP-FD128=
|
1 GB
|
MEM-12KRP-FD1G=
|
Horizontal Cable Management Bracket
Cisco 12010, Cisco 12410, and Cisco 12810 series routers include a horizontal cable management bracket that works with individual line card cable management brackets to organize interface cables entering and exiting the router.
The horizontal cable management bracket is directly above the line card and RP card cage (Figure 1-18). Network interface cables connecting to the line cards are fed across the bracket, and then down through the openings to the individual line card cable management bracket. This system keeps cables out of the way and free of sharp bends.
Caution 
Excessive bending of interface cables can damage the cables.
Figure 1-18 Horizontal Cable Management Bracket
Blower Module
The blower module contains three variable speed fans and a controller card. The two front cover LEDs provide a visual indication of blower module status (Figure 1-19):
Figure 1-19 Blower Module
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OK (green)—All three fans are operating normally.
•
FAIL (red)—The system has detected a fan failure or other fault in the blower module. The fault can be caused by any of the following:
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One or more fans are not operating
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One or more fans are running below speed
–
A controller card fault
The blower module maintains acceptable operating temperatures for internal components by drawing cool air through a replaceable air filter into the switch fabric and alarm card cage, and then up through the line card and RP card cage. Figure 1-20 illustrates the air flow path through the chassis.
Figure 1-20 Cooling Air Flow
To ensure that there is adequate air flow to prevent overheating inside the card cages, keep the front and back of the router unobstructed. We recommend at least 6 inches (15.24 cm) of clearance.
Caution 
You should inspect and clean the air filter one time per month (more often in dusty environments). Do not operate the router without an air filter installed.
The blower module controller card monitors and controls operation of three variable-speed fans in the blower module. The variable-speed feature allows quieter operation by running the fans at below maximum speed, while still providing adequate cooling to maintain an acceptable operating temperature inside the card cages.
Two temperature sensors on each line card monitor the internal air temperature in the card cages:
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When the ambient air temperature is within the normal operating range, the fans operate at their lowest speed, which is 55 percent of the maximum speed.
•
If the air temperature rises inside the card cages the fan speed increases to provide additional cool air to the cards.
•
If the air temperature continues to rise beyond the specified threshold, the system environmental monitor shuts down all internal power to prevent equipment damage due to excessive heat.
•
If the system detects that one of the three fans within a blower module has failed, it displays a warning message on the console window. In addition, the two remaining fans go to full speed to compensate for the loss of the one fan. If another fan fails, the system shuts down to prevent equipment damage.
For additional troubleshooting information, see the "Blower Module Operation" section on page 5-30.