Table Of Contents
Catalyst 2900 and 3500 XL Switches
Catalyst 1900 and 2820 Switches
Cisco Cluster Management Suite
SNMP Network Management Platforms
Enterprise Workgroup Aggregation
Small- to Medium-Sized Business Workgroup Aggregation
Overview
Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU supports the Catalyst 2900 series XL and 3500 series XL switches. These workgroup Ethernet switches can connect 10BaseT, 100BaseT, Gigabit Ethernet, and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) devices. The switches can connect to other devices as backbone switches or they can be used in mixed configurations that connect hubs, servers, and end stations.
You can upgrade legacy switches to this release by downloading a new image from Cisco Connection Online. Table 1-1 lists the switches that support this software release.
This chapter provides information on the following topics:
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Key features
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Key Features
This section describes the key features of this software release. Table 4-2 lists each of these features with its default setting and a cross-reference to the section describing it. The following are the key features of this release:
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Supported Hardware
When switches are grouped into clusters, one switch is the command switch, and the other switches are member switches. The IP address for the entire cluster is assigned to the command switch, and it distributes configuration and management information to the other switches. This section lists the supported switches and modules in a cluster environment.
Catalyst 2900 and 3500 XL Switches
Table 1-1 describes the 2900 and 3500 XL switches supported by this release and shows those switches that can act as command switches. All switches can function as standalone devices.
Table 1-1 Catalyst 2900 and 3500 XL Switches as Command or Member Switches
3500 XL switches
Yes
Yes
Yes
2900 XL switches (8 MB of DRAM)
Yes
Yes
Yes
2900 XL switches (4 MB of DRAM)1
No
Yes
No
1 These switches can act as cluster members if they are running IOS Release 11.2(8.x)SA6 original edition software. They can interoperate with this software release, but they cannot be upgraded to it.
Catalyst 1900 and 2820 Switches
Table 1-2 lists the Catalyst 1900 and 2820 switches and the required software for them to be cluster members.
Supported Switch Modules
All 2900 XL modules are supported in cluster configurations. For more information, refer to the Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL
and Catalyst 3500 Series XL, Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU.All Catalyst 2820 modules are supported in cluster configurations. For more information, refer to the Catalyst 2820 Modules User Guide and
the Catalyst 2820 ATM Modules Installation and Configuration Guide.Management Options
This software release supports these management options:
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Cisco Cluster Management Suite
The Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS) is an integrated set of web-based applications. Use these applications to create clusters of switches, monitor real-time images of the switches, and configure both clustered and standalone switches.
The four CMS applications have the following functions:
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A browser plug-in is required to access the Cluster Management Suite. See "Installing the Required Plug-In" section for more information.
IOS Command-Line Interface
This software release is based on Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5), but it has been enhanced to support a set of desktop-switching features. Those commands that have been added or changed for this software release are documented in this guide and in the Cisco IOS Desktop Switching Command Reference (online only).
You can access the CLI by connecting a PC or terminal to the switch console port or by using Telnet. "Using the Management Interfaces," describes how to use the IOS CLI.
SNMP Network Management Platforms
You can manage switches by using an SNMP-compatible management station running such platforms as HP OpenView or SunNet Manager. In a cluster configuration, the command switch manages communication between the SNMP management station and all switches in the cluster. The switch supports a comprehensive set of MIB extensions and MIB II, the IEEE 802.1D bridge MIB, and four Remote Monitoring (RMON) groups.
You can configure, monitor, and troubleshoot 2900 and 3500 XL switches by using the CiscoWorks2000 and CiscoView 5.0 network-management applications.
Deployment Examples
This section describes how you can use this IOS release with the 2900 and
3500 XL switches.Enterprise Workgroup Aggregation
The 3508G XL switch can be deployed to aggregate workgroup networking devices such as Ethernet 10/100 switches, 10BaseT and 10/100 hubs, workgroup servers, and Cisco 7960 IP Phones. The 3508G XL can be designated as the command switch for a single management point for the cluster. The command switch is assigned an IP address and manages other Catalyst 3500 XL, 2900 XL, 1900, and 2820 member switches deployed in an interconnected switch-clustering configuration. Figure 1-1 shows such a configuration.
Figure 1-1 Enterprise Workgroup Aggregation
Small- to Medium-Sized Business Workgroup Aggregation
The 3512 XL switch can be used in a small- to medium-sized business as a network backbone. It can aggregate Ethernet and Fast Ethernet network resources in the organization and provide 1000BaseX connections to Gigabit Ethernet servers. Figure 1-2 shows such a configuration.
Figure 1-2 Small- to Medium-sized Business Workgroup Aggregation
