Table Of Contents
Release Notes for the
Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch
Cisco IOS Release 12.1(6)EA1Recommended Platform Configuration for Web-Based Management
Operating System and Browser Support
Installing the Required Plug-In
Creating Clusters with Different Releases of IOS Software
Supported Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL Switches
Supported Catalyst 2950 Switches
Supported Catalyst 1900 and 2820 Switches
Determining the Software Version and Feature Set
Upgrading a Switch by Using CMS
Upgrading a Switch by Using the CLI
Recovering from Software Failure
Setting Up the Catalyst 3550 Initial Configuration
Configuring Browsers and Accessing CMS
Configuring Netscape Communicator (All Versions)
Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer (4.01)
Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer (5.0)
Displaying the CMS Access Page
Open Cluster Management Suite Caveats
Resolved Cluster Management Suite Caveats
Obtaining Technical Assistance
Release Notes for the
Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch
Cisco IOS Release 12.1(6)EA1
November 16, 2001
Cisco IOS Release 12.1(6)EA1 runs on Catalyst 3550 multilayer switches.
These release notes include important information about this IOS release and any limitations, restrictions, and caveats that apply to it. For the complete list of Catalyst 3550 switch documentation, see the "Related Documentation" section.
This IOS release is part of a special release of Cisco IOS software that is not released on the same 8-week maintenance cycle that is used for other platforms. As maintenance releases and future IOS releases become available, they will be posted to Cisco.com (previously Cisco Connection Online [CCO]) in the Cisco IOS software area.
Contents
This document has these sections:
•
"System Requirements" section
•
•
•
•
•
•
System Requirements
This section describes these system requirements for this IOS release:
•
Hardware Supported
Table 1 lists the hardware supported by this IOS release.
Software Compatibility
This section describes these software compatibility requirements for this IOS release:
•
•
•
•
Recommended Platform Configuration for Web-Based Management
Table 2 lists the recommended platforms for web-based management.
The minimum PC requirement is a Pentium processor running at 233 MHz with 64 MB of DRAM. The minimum UNIX workstation requirement is a Sun Ultra 1 running at 143 MHz with 64 MB of DRAM.
For information about supported operating systems, see the next section.
Operating System and Browser Support
You can access the web-based interfaces through the browsers listed in Table 3. The switch checks the browser version when starting a session to ensure that the browser is supported. If the browser is not supported, the switch displays an error message, and the session does not start.
Table 3 Operating System and Browser Support
Windows 95
Service Pack 1
4.61, 4.7
4.01a or 5.0
Windows 98
Second Edition
4.61, 4.7
4.01a or 5.0
Windows NT 4.0
Service Pack 3 or later
4.61, 4.7
4.01a or 5.0
Windows 2000
None
4.61, 4.7
4.01a or 5.0
Solaris 2.5.1 or later
Sun-recommended patch cluster for the OS and Motif library patch 103461-24
4.61, 4.7
Not supported
1 Netscape Communicator version 4.60 is not supported.
Note
Installing the Required Plug-In
A Java plug-in is required for the browser to access the Java-based Cluster Management Suite (CMS). Download and install the plug-in before you start CMS. Each platform, Windows and Solaris, supports two plug-in versions, one of which is recommended. For information on the supported plug-ins, see the "Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 Platforms" section and "Solaris Platforms" section.
You can download the recommended plug-ins from this site: http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java.
If the Java applet does not initialize after you have installed the plug-in, open the Java Plug-in Control Panel (Start > Programs > Java Plug-in Control Panel), and verify these settings:
In the Proxies tab, verify that Use browser settings is checked and that no proxies are enabled.
Note
From the Start menu, disable the options by selecting Start > Programs > Network Associates > Virus Scan Console > Configure.
or
From the taskbar, right-click the Virus Shield icon and in the Quick Enable menu, disable the options by deselecting Internet Filter or Download Scan.
Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 Platforms
These Java plug-ins are supported on the Windows platform:
Caution
•
If you start CMS without having installed the required Java plug-in, the browser automatically detects this. If you are using a supported Internet Explorer browser, it automatically downloads and installs the plug-in. If you are using a supported Netscape browser, the browser displays a Cisco.com page that contains the Java plug-in and installation instructions.
If you are using Windows 2000, Netscape Communicator might not detect the missing Java plug-in.
You can download this plug-in and instructions from this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java
Note
•
This plug-in is not automatically downloaded to the switch; however, you can download it from http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java.
Solaris Platforms
These Java plug-ins are supported on the Solaris platform:
Caution
•
–
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java
–
•
–
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java
–
Creating Clusters with Different Releases of IOS Software
When a cluster consists of Catalyst 3550 switches and a mixture of other Catalyst switches, we strongly recommend using only the Catalyst 3550 switches as the command and standby command switches. When the command switch is a Catalyst 3550 switch, all standby command switches must also be Catalyst 3550 switches.
These switches are eligible cluster members:
•
•
•
•
•
Some versions of the Catalyst 2900 XL software do not support clustering and if you have a cluster with switches that are running different versions of IOS software, software features added on the latest release might not be reflected on switches running the older versions. For example, if you start Visual Switch Manager (VSM) on a Catalyst 2900 XL switch running Release 11.2(8)SA6, the windows and functionality can be different from a switch running Release 12.0(5)WC(1) or later.
Note
Supported Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL Switches
Table 4 lists the cluster capabilities and software versions for Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches.
Supported Catalyst 2950 Switches
The Catalyst 2950 switches can be command and member switches.
Supported Catalyst 1900 and 2820 Switches
Catalyst 1900 and 2820 switches are always member switches, not command switches. Catalyst 1900 and 2820 switches must be running Software Release 9.00 (-A or -EN) to be cluster members.
Downloading Software
This section describes these procedures for downloading software:
•
•
•
Note
Determining the Software Version and Feature Set
The IOS image is stored as a .bin file in a directory that is named with the IOS release. A subdirectory contains the HTML files needed for web management. The image is stored on the system board Flash device (flash:).
You can use the show version privileged EXEC command to see the software version that is running on your switch. In the display, check the line that begins with System image file is. It shows the directory name in Flash memory where the image is stored. A couple of lines below the image name, you see Running Layer 2/3 Switching Image, which means you are running the enhanced multilayer switch image.
You can also use the dir filesystem: privileged EXEC command to see the directory names of other software images that you might have stored in Flash memory.
Which Files to Use
The upgrade procedures in these release notes describe how to perform the upgrade by using a combined .tar file. This file contains both the IOS image file and the HTML files (needed for the CMS). You must use the combined .tar file to upgrade the switch through the CMS.
The .tar file is an archive file from which you can extract files by using the tar command. You also use the .tar file to upgrade the system by using the archive download-sw privileged EXEC command.
Table 5 lists the software file name for this IOS release.
Upgrading a Switch by Using CMS
You can upgrade switch software by using CMS. From the menu bar, select Administration > Software Upgrade. For detailed instructions, click Help.
Upgrading a Switch by Using the CLI
This procedure is for copying the combined .tar file to the Catalyst 3550 switch. You copy the file to the switch from a TFTP server and extract the files. You can download an image file and replace or keep the current image.
To download software, and if necessary, the TFTP server application, follow these steps:
Step 1
Step 2
If you have a SmartNet support contract, log in to one of these URLs to download the appropriate files:
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuildpl/cat3550
If you do not have a SmartNet contract, download the appropriate files from this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cat3550
Step 3
Step 4
For more information, refer to Appendix B in the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide.
Step 5
Step 6
archive download-sw /overwrite /reload tftp:[[//location]/directory]/image-name.tarThe /overwrite option overwrites the software image in Flash memory with the downloaded one.
The /reload option reloads the system after downloading the image unless the configuration has been changed and not been saved.
For //location, specify the IP address of the TFTP server.
For /directory/image-name.tar, specify the directory (optional) and the image to download. Directory and image names are case sensitive.
This example shows how to download an image from a TFTP server at 172.20.129.10 and to overwrite the image on the switch:
Switch# archive download-sw /overwrite tftp://172.20.129.10/c3550-i5q3l2-mz.121-6.EA1.tar
Note
Recovering from Software Failure
In the software fails, you can reload the software. For detailed recovery procedures, refer to the "Troubleshooting" chapter in the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide.
Installation Notes
You can assign IP information to your switch by using the setup program, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)-based autoconfiguration (refer to the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide), or by manually assigning an IP address (refer to the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide).
This section describes these installation procedures:
•
•
Setting Up the Catalyst 3550 Initial Configuration
The first time that you access the switch, it runs a setup program that prompts you for an IP address and other configuration information necessary for the switch to communicate with the local routers and the Internet. This information is also required if you plan to use the CMS to configure and manage the switch.
Note
Follow these steps to create an initial configuration for the switch:
Step 1
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: yesAt any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help.Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt.Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.Basic management setup configures only enough connectivityfor management of the system, extended setup will ask youto configure each interface on the system.Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]: yesStep 2
On a command switch, the host name is limited to 28 characters; on a member switch to 31 characters. Do not use -n, where n is a number, as the last character in a host name for any switch.
Enter host name [Switch]: host_nameStep 3
The password can be from 1 to 25 alphanumeric characters, can start with a number, is case sensitive, allows spaces, but ignores leading spaces.
Enter enable secret: secret_passwordStep 4
Enter enable password: enable_passwordStep 5
The password can be from 1 to 25 alphanumeric characters, is case sensitive, allows spaces, but ignores leading spaces.
Enter virtual terminal password: terminal-passwordStep 6
Step 7
Enter interface name used to connect to themanagement network from the above interface summary: vlan 1Step 8
Configuring interface vlan 1:Configure IP on this interface? [yes]: yesIP address for this interface: 10.4.120.106Subnet mask for this interface [255.0.0.0]: 255.255.255.0Step 9
If you enter N, the switch appears as a candidate switch in the CMS. In this case, the message in Step 10 is not displayed.
Would you like to enable as a cluster command switch? [yes/no]: yesStep 10
Enter cluster name: cluster_nameThe cluster name can be 1 to 31 alphanumeric characters, dashes, or underscores.
The initial configuration appears:
The following configuration command script was created:hostname host-nameenable secret 5 $1$LiBw$0Xc1wyT.PXPkuhFwqyhVi0enable password enable-passwordline vty 0 15password terminal-passwordsnmp-server community public!no ip routing!interface vlan 1no shutdownip address 10.4.120.106 255.255.255.0interface GigabitEthernet0/1shutdownno ip address!interface GigabitEthernet0/2shutdownno ip address!...<output abbreviated>!interface GigabitEthernet0/12shutdownno ip addresscluster enable cluster-name!endStep 11
[0] Go to the IOS command prompt without saving this config.[1] Return back to the setup without saving this config.[2] Save this configuration to nvram and exit.Enter your selection [2]:Make your selection, and press Return.
After you complete the setup program, the switch can run the created default configuration. If you want to change this configuration or want to perform other management tasks, use one of these tools:
•
•
Configuring Browsers and Accessing CMS
For the browser to use CMS, a Java plug-in is required, as described in the "Installing the Required Plug-In" section. After you have assigned an IP address to the switch and installed the plug-in, you can access the switch from your browser and use the CMS to configure other switches. To use the web-based tools, see the "Software Compatibility" section to set up the appropriate browser options.
This section describes these installation procedures:
•
•
•
•
Configuring Netscape Communicator (All Versions)
Follow these steps to configure Netscape Communicator:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer (4.01)
Follow these steps to configure Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
a.
b.
Step 4
a.
b.
Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer (5.0)
Note
Follow these steps to configure Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
a.
b.
Step 4
a.
b.
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 to make configuration changes to the switch, note that this browser does not automatically reflect the latest configuration changes. Make sure that you click Refresh for every configuration change.
Displaying the CMS Access Page
After the browser is configured, display the CMS access page:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
If you access CMS from a standalone or a cluster-member switch, Device Manager appears.
New Features in This Release
This section describes the new supported hardware and the new software features for the Catalyst 3550 switches that are provided in this release.
•
•
New Hardware Features
For a list of supported hardware, see the "Hardware Supported" section.
New Software Features
This software release contains these new features or enhancements:
•
•
•
•
For a detailed description of the software features supported on the switch, refer to the Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide.
Limitations and Restrictions
You should review this section before you begin working with the switches. These are known limitations that will not be fixed, and there is not always a workaround. Some features might not work as documented, and some features could be affected by recent changes to the switch hardware or software.
•
•
•
When you remove an EtherChannel group, enter the no shutdown interface configuration command on the interfaces that belonged to the port group to bring them back on line. (CSCdt10825)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(CSCds32517, CSCds44529, CSCds55711, CSCds55787, CSCdt70872)•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The workaround is to not configure the switch to operate with more than the maximum number of supported multicast routes. You can use the show sdm prefer and show sdm prefer routing privileged EXEC commands to view approximate maximum configuration guidelines for the current SDM template and the routing template.
•
•
After updating a multicast boundary, the workaround is to use the clear ip mroute privileged EXEC command to delete any existing multicast routes that violate the updated boundary. (CSCdr79083)
•
•
•
When the security hardware ACL matches a packet on input, the match uses the original DSCP value. For output security ACLs, the security ACL hardware should match against the final, possibly changed, DSCP value as set by the QoS hardware. Under some circumstances, a match to a security ACL in hardware prevents the QoS hardware from rewriting the DSCP and causes the CPU to use the original DSCP.
If a security ACL is applied in software (because the ACL did not fit into hardware, and packets were sent to the CPU for examination), the match probably uses the new DSCP value as determined by the QoS hardware, regardless of whether the ACL is applied at the input or at the output. When packets are logged by the ACL, this problem can also affect whether or not a match is logged by the CPU even if the ACL fits into hardware and the permit or deny filtering was completed in hardware.
To avoid these issues, whenever the switch rewrites the DSCP of any packet to a value different from the original DSCP, security ACLs should not test against DSCP values in any of their access control entries (ACEs), regardless of whether the ACL is being applied to an IP access group or to a VLAN map. This restriction does not apply to ACLs used in QoS class maps.
If the switch is not configured to rewrite the DSCP value of any packet, it is safe to match against DSCP in ACLs used for IP access groups or for VLAN maps because the DSCP does not change as the packet is processed by the switch.
The DSCP field of an IP packet encompasses the two fields that were originally designated precedence and TOS (type of service). Statements relating to DSCP apply equally to either IP precedence or IP TOS. (CSCdt94355)
•
•
•
•
•
Important Notes
This section describes important information related to this IOS release.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Resize the browser window again when CMS is not busy.
•
The workaround is to remove all the jar_cache*.tmp files from the temporary directory. The path to the directory is different for different operating systems:
Solaris: /var/tmp
Windows NT and Windows 2000: \TEMP
Windows 95 and 98: \Windows\TempOpen Caveats
This section describes these open caveats with possible unexpected activity in this IOS release:
•
•
Open IOS Caveats
This section describes the severity 3 IOS configuration caveats:
•
You cannot set the vmVlanType object in CISCO-VLAN-MEMBERSHIP-MIB, which means that you cannot convert a port from static to dynamic access by using SNMP.
The workaround is to use the switchport access vlan dynamic interface configuration command to to change an access port from static to dynamic.
•
The switch does not generate the vmVmpsChange trap in CISCO-VLAN-MEMBERSHIP-MIB, so there is no way to monitor VMPS change event by using SNMP.
There is no workaround.
•
Sometimes unknown unicast, unknown multicast, and broadcast packets are flooded from the multicast VLAN to MVR receiver ports.
There is no workaround.
•
If a routed interface is configured with a multicast boundary by using the ip multicast boundary interface configuration command, and there are ACLs configured, if the ACLs are modified or the multicast boundary is removed, this might not affect the existing multicast routes.
The workaround is to delete the multicast routing table by using the clear ip mroute * privileged EXEC command.
•
An interface-range macro created with the define interface-range global configuration command might be rejected when referenced in a subsequent interface range macro global configuration command or might produce results on interfaces that were not included in the macro definition.
The workaround is to not use the define interface-range command to configure a range of interfaces. Instead, use the interface range port-range global configuration command.
•
When a dynamic port is configured with an access VLAN that is later deleted from the VLAN database, Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) negotiation might fail on that port the next time the switch is reloaded or the port is shut down and re-enabled.
The workaround after you delete a VLAN from the VLAN database is to verify access VLAN assignments for all ports to ensure that all access VLANs are still valid. Alternatively, use the switchport mode trunk interface configuration command to configure static trunking on the port.
•
If the MAC address table associated with an MVR VLAN or an MVR receiver VLAN contains a large number of MAC addresses, disabling and re-enabling MVR might take a long time because the CPU needs to search the table for conflicting static multicast addresses.
The workaround is to clear the MAC address tables for the associated VLANs by using the clear mac-address-table dynamic vlan vlan-id (where the vlan-id is the MVR VLAN and the receiver VLANs) privileged EXEC command before re-enabling MVR.
•
Applying VLAN access maps to a VLAN might cause frames to be forwarded between protected ports.
The workaround is to not apply VLAN maps to VLANs that include protected ports.
•
When the show snmp host privileged EXEC command is executed through the CMS, the browser output does not provide full information as does the CLI, making it impossible for you to configure some of the SNMP trap management features.
The workaround is to enter the show snmp host privileged EXEC command from the CLI to display the full information and to use the snmp commands to configure the features.
•
Pause frame counters are not displayed with the show interfaces interface-id privileged EXEC command.
The workaround is to display pause frame counters by using the show controllers ethernet-controller interface-id privileged EXEC command.
•
When the internal power supply of the Catalyst 3550 switch fails and the RPS is providing power to the switch, the RPS LED flashes green. This is incorrect, and it should flash amber.
When the RPS is backing up another switch and is not available to the Catalyst 3550 switch, the RPS LED flashes amber. This is incorrect, and it should flash green.
There is no workaround.
•
When IGMP snooping or MVR is enabled, non-IP packets with a destination MAC address matching the multicast group address are forwarded as IP packets. If the multicast VLAN belongs to a bridge group, non-IP packets might be forwarded to the receiver ports instead of being fallback bridged within the bridge group.
The workaround is to not apply a bridge group to a multicast VLAN or to a VLAN that has IGMP snooping enabled.
•
If you apply a policy map to an interface and then change the interface to the trust DSCP state by using the trust dscp policy-map class configuration command, the DSCP and CoS values in the packets received from that interface cannot be trusted.
The workaround is to always remove the policy map from the interface by using the no service-policy interface configuration command before configuring the trust state of the interface.
•
If you configure a trunk port for DTP nonegotiate mode and change the encapsulation type from ISL to 802.1Q by using the switchport trunk encapsulation interface configuration command, the port becomes an access port and is no longer trunking.
There is no workaround.
•
The switch might fail while deleting 7000 multicast routes with the maximum number of SVIs supported by the SDM access template.
There is no workaround.
•
If you use the SNMP get operation to retrieve the portIfIndex object in CISCO-STACK-MIB, the switch does not return the correct value for GBIC ports. Instead, it always returns the value zero.
The workaround is to use the show interfaces status privileged EXEC command to determine the portIfIndex of the GBIC interfaces on the switch.
•
The configurations for the tunnel keywords and commands related to IP multicasting and the track keyword related to the Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) are not kept properly after rebooting the switch. If these configurations reference routed ports, the configuration is not applied after reboot.
There is no workaround.
•
Although the Catalyst 3550 switch does not support QoS policy maps on virtual interfaces such as a port channel or a VLAN interface, the switch software allows you to apply a policy map to a virtual interface.
There is no workaround. Do not apply a QoS policy map to a virtual interface.
•
You cannot use SNMP to set the port priority, path cost, or Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) enable MIB objects in CISCO-BRIDGE-MIB.
The workaround is use the spanning-tree port-priority interface configuration command to set the port priority, the spanning-tree [vlan vlan-id] cost interface configuration command to set the path cost, and the [no] spanning-tree vlan vlan-id global configuration command to disable or enable STP on a VLAN.
•
If you try to configure an ACL that uses the log keyword, an error is displayed, and a match none statement is added to the show class-map class-map-name display. Not only does the match none statement make the ACL useless, but any previously entered match commands for the same class map are not retained.
The workaround is to re-enter the old ACL without the log keyword.
•
When using cross-stack UplinkFast (CSUF), temporary spanning tree loops might occur when the switches in the stack first receive bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) from a new root switch that is not a member of the stack, or when the BPDUs from an old root switch age out without any loss of link or other loss of connectivity between any of the switches in the stack and the immediate neighbor switches of the stack.
The workaround is to disable CSUF by using the no spanning-tree stack-port interface configuration command.
•
If you configure a bridge group on VLAN interfaces or routed ports without configuring the global bridge protocol, data packets will be forwarded within the bridge group with STP disabled, which could result in potential loops in the network.
The workaround is to always enter the bridge bridge-group protocol vlan-bridge global configuration command before applying the bridge group to VLAN interfaces or routed ports.
•
If you configure a static forwarding address on a VLAN that is a member of a bridge group before you configure the global bridge protocol for the bridge group, traffic is forwarded to only the trunk ports but not the access ports in that VLAN.
The workaround is to always enter the bridge bridge-group protocol vlan-bridge global configuration command before applying the bridge group to VLAN interfaces and configuring static forwarding addresses.
•
If you configure the DHCP server to allocate addresses from a pool to the switch, two devices on the network might have the same IP address. Pooled addresses are temporarily allocated to a device and are returned to the pool when not in use. If you save the configuration file after the switch receives such an address, the pooled address is saved, and the switch does not attempt to access the DHCP server after a reboot to receive a new IP address. As a result, two devices might have the same IP address.
The workaround is to make sure that you configure the DHCP server with reserved leases that are bound to each switch by the switch hardware address.
•
The Cisco BRIDGE-MIB extension that manages multiple spanning-tree instances by using community string indexing does not work on the Catalyst 3550 switch.
There is no workaround for this problem.
•
When you use the setup program during initial installation, all the ports are administratively shut down when you exit the setup program, making it impossible to access the switch without manually bringing up the ports.
The workaround after exiting the setup program is to bring up all of the ports on the switch by entering the interface range port-range global configuration command (for example, interface range gigabitethernet0/1 - 12) and then the no shutdown command in the interface range subconfiguration mode.
•
If you use the setup program for initial configuration and set an IP address for a specific port (making it a router port and not a switch port), the setup program does not write the no switchport mode access interface configuration command to the configuration file, making the port unusable without manual reconfiguration.
The workaround is to not use the setup program for configuring routed ports. Always enter no when prompted with the Configure IP on this interface? message.
•
The CSUF feature uses a special protocol to quickly advise all stack members of spanning-tree changes on individual stack members. Even though CSUF receives configuration information, the hello timer and the message age timer are not being started. If the hello timer is not started when one of the stack members becomes the root switch of the spanning tree, then periodic hellos are not sent through the network, resulting in an unstable spanning-tree configuration. If the message age timer is not started, then one of the switches in the stack might treat a configuration message from an old root that is no longer present in the network as the correct configuration message. The message is counted as received on the stack port, and because the switch does not receive messages from this root on any other port, it does not block any other port even if it is necessary to break a loop in the network.
Because the hello timer is not started, excessive numbers of new root traps are sent and possible spanning-tree loops might occur. Because the message age timer is not started, possible spanning-tree loops might occur.
The workaround for the hello timer problem is to design the network so that no network partition leaves any of the stack switches connected to a switch outside of the stack or causes a switch in the stack to become the root bridge. Another workaround is to disable CSUF by using the no spanning-tree stack-port interface configuration command.
The workaround for the message age timer problem is to disable CSUF by using the no spanning-tree stack-port interface configuration command. You can also clear the condition without rebooting the switch by shutting down the affected stack port by using the shutdown interface configuration command and then re-enabling it.
•
If UplinkFast is enabled and all physical ports that can receive BPDUs from the root bridge of the spanning tree gain link within the same short period of time (such as when a neighboring switch that multiple uplinks connect to is rebooted), temporary spanning-tree loops might occur. These uplink ports do not need to be directly connected to the root bridge; they might also indirectly learn about the root bridge from other bridges in the network. The short period of time during which the vulnerability occurs is approximately 5 to 10 seconds.
The workaround is to not make multiple uplink connections to the same neighboring switch. You can group the multiple physical links together into a single EtherChannel, which will behave as a single port for spanning-tree purposes. You can also disable UplinkFast by using the no spanning-tree uplinkfast global configuration command.
•
You might see this message, where dec represents an internal implementation value in hexadecimal:
ETHCNTR-3-UNEXPECTED_EVENT: Request [dec] encountered event 1 in state 2The workaround is to ignore this message; switch operation is not affected.
•
Configuring too many multicast groups might result in an extremely low memory condition and cause the software control data structure to go out of sync, resulting in unpredictable forwarding behavior. The memory resources can only be recovered by issuing the clear ip mroute privileged EXEC command.
To prevent this situation, do not configure more than the recommended multicast routes on the switch.
•
You cannot configure the cluster SNMP traps by using the snmp-server host global configuration command through the CLI, and you cannot monitor SNMP traps for the cluster on the Catalyst 3550 switch.
There is no workaround.
•
The Catalyst 3550 switch does not send topology change and newRoot trap messages.
There is no workaround for this problem.
•
If an active QoS ACL is changed, or an active class map is changed to use a different ACL when the QoS ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) region is nearly full, the QoS ACL entries in the TCAM might get corrupted. As a result, ACL-based QoS classification might not behave correctly on the Catalyst 3550 switch.
The workaround for this problem is before changing the ACL or the class map, use the no service-policy interface configuration command to detach the affected policy map from all interfaces that have the policy map applied. After the ACL or the class map is changed, re-apply the policy map using the service-policy interface configuration command.
•
If a stack contains some members that are Catalyst 3550 switches, and other members that are Catalyst 2900 XL, 3500 XL, or 2950 switches running a version of IOS Release 12.0, the cross-stack UplinkFast transitions only occur on the management VLAN of the Catalyst 2900 XL, 3500 XL, or 2950 switches. All other VLANs on the stack port undergo slow STP transitions.
There is no workaround.
•
When configuring an EtherChannel between a Catalyst 3550 and a Catalyst 1900 switch, some of Catalyst 3550 links in the EtherChannel might go down, but one link in the channel remains up, and connectivity is maintained.
The workaround is to disable the Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) on both devices by using the channel-group channel-group-number mode on interface configuration command. PAgP negotiation between these two devices is not reliable.
•
When the switch is operating with equal-cost routes and it is required to learn more unicast routes than it can support, the CPU might run out of memory and the switch might fail.
The workaround is to remain within the documented recommended and supported limits.
•
The switch can support a policer traffic rate up to 1,000,000,000 bps even though the help string for the police rate-bps burst-byte [exceed-action {drop | policed-dscp-transmit}] policy-map class configuration command shows the traffic-rate range as 8,000 to 2,000,000,000.
The switch can support a policer burst size up to 2,000,000 bytes even though the help string for the police rate-bps burst-byte [exceed-action {drop | policed-dscp-transmit}] policy-map class configuration command shows the burst-size range as 8,000 to 512,000,000.
Any traffic rate configured larger than 1,000,000,000 bps and any burst size configured larger than 2,000,000 bytes leads to inaccurate policing operation.
The workaround is to not configure policer traffic rate larger than 1,000,000,000 bps and to not configure the policer burst size larger than 2,000,000 bytes on the switch.
•
Debug messages do not always get logged. If you enter the logging synchronous line configuration command on the console line and then log out or disconnect from the console, when the console's synchronous message queue fills up, all logging to all destinations ceases.
You can use any one of these workarounds:
–
–
–
•
If Catalyst 3550 GBIC ports containing GigaStack GBICs are configured as routed ports with EtherChannel group assignments, they might not correctly join the channel group.
GigaStack GBICs are not supported as EtherChannel group members on the Catalyst 3550 switch. The workaround is to not configure channel-group settings on interfaces containing GigaStack GBICs.
•
If the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) is enabled and configured on the switch and the maximum number of supported routes are operating, disabling EIGRP routing by using the no router eigrp global configuration command might cause the switch to reset.
The workaround is to not shut down the EIGRP routing process after it has been configured.
•
Spurious output appears on the console part way through the setup program. Sometimes keyboard inputs must be entered several times before they are accepted, making the setup program almost unusable.
The workaround is to not use the setup program. When the switch is powered up, enter no when prompted with the Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no] message. You might have to enter no several times to exit from the setup program.
Open Cluster Caveats
There are no open severity 3 cluster configuration caveats.
Open Cluster Management Suite Caveats
This section describes the severity 3 CMS configuration caveats:
•
CMS performance degrades if the Topology View is open for several hours on a Solaris machine. The cause might be a memory leak.
The workaround is to close the browser, reopen it, and launch CMS again.
•
If you select multiple FastEthernet ports on a Catalyst 3550 switch, the speed of 1000 Mbps is shown as an option in the Modify Port Settings window. Ignore this speed option.
•
If you change the Policed DSCP table in the QoS Maps window and apply the changes, the table entries are not correctly updated on the device.
The workaround is to use the CLI to change the Policed DSCP table.
•
The burst rate and burst size that you request with the QoS wizard appear to be configured incorrectly if you display them in the Policy Details window.
There is no workaround. The values are configured on the device as you requested; this is a display problem.
•
You cannot modify the multicast groups that are shown in the IGMP Snooping window.
The workaround is to delete the group that you want to modify and then recreate it with the change that you want.
•
If you enable the STP BPDU guard feature on a switch, also enable Port Fast on a port that connects to that switch, and then disconnect and reconnect that switch, you cannot refresh the GUI.
The workaround is to disable Port Fast, and then shut down and re-enable the port by using the CLI.
•
The device manager does not launch properly if the HTTP port for the command switch is other than 80.
The workaround is to launch the device manager manually by entering the URL. For example, to view cluster member 1 by using HTTP port 5000, you would enter:
http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:5000/es1/homepage.htm
•
You cannot use CMS to configure dynamic-access ports on Catalyst 2900 XL switches that run the IOS Release 11.2(8.6)SA6.
The workaround is to use the CLI to configure dynamic-access ports on these devices.
•
If you select an HSRP group in the Router Redundancy window and click Delete, the group is not deleted but changes to a disabled state. To delete the group, you must click Delete again.
There is no workaround.
•
If you try to enable Port Fast on an interface that does not accept it—a trunk port, for example—no message warns you that Port Fast was not enabled.
There is no workaround.
•
If you are printing a Topology View or Front Panel View that contains many devices and are running Solaris 2.6 with JDK1.2.2, you might get an Out of Memory error message.
The workaround is to close the browser, re-open it, and launch CMS again. Before you perform any other task, bring up the view you want to print, and click Print in the CMS menu.
•
When you perform these actions, you sometimes cannot display a popup menu in the Front Panel view: launch the Front Panel view, browse a non-CMS page, use the browser's Back button, and launch the Front Panel view again.
The workaround is to close the browser, reopen it, and launch CMS again.
Resolved Caveats
This section describes caveats that have been resolved:
•
•
•
Resolved IOS Caveats
All of these severity 3 IOS configuration caveats are resolved in Release 12.1(6)EA1:
•
The time-range option in the access-list access-list-number {deny | permit} global configuration command now works on QoS classification.
•
When routed ports are grouped into an EtherChannel and a single physical interface in the EtherChannel is shut down by administrative command, all packets received on the remaining ports of that EtherChannel are now routed in hardware rather than in software.
•
The speed interface configuration command now has keywords to force the speed to 1000 Mbps.
•
If dynamic trunking is enabled on the physical interfaces that make up a port channel, the physical interfaces in the port channel are now put into the correct access VLAN, eliminating connectivity problems and preventing packets from being forwarded into the wrong VLAN.
•
The Catalyst 3550 switch now creates a crashinfo file that saves information that helps Cisco technical support representatives debug problems that caused the IOS image to fail (crash). The switch writes the crash information to the console at the time of the failure, and the file is created the next time you boot the IOS image after the failure. You can provide this information to the Cisco technical support representative by using the show tech-support privileged EXEC command.
All crashinfo files are kept in the same directory on the Flash file system as follows:
flash:/crashinfo/crashinfo_n, where n is a sequence number.
•
When copying the SVI configuration to a Layer 3 (routed) port, you no longer see this message:
SYS-3-MGDTIMER: Running timer, init, timer = 116FB7C•
When a VLAN in the VTP database has been deleted or disabled, the show interface privileged EXEC command now correctly displays the status for the ports in the VLAN as down.
•
If a switch running cross-stack UplinkFast is receiving BPDUs from the root on multiple ports, and the root configuration message ages out on the root port before it has aged out on all of the blocking ports, the switch no longer undergoes an UplinkFast transition that causes a temporary spanning-tree loop.
•
While toggling between the no switchport and switchport interface configuration commands, you no longer see this message:
SM-4-BADEVENT: Event linkup is invalid for the current state dtp•
When you configure the Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) and enter the standby priority interface configuration command, you are no longer forced to enter the preempt keyword, which had prevented you from forcing a change between two routers or command switches in HSRP mode.
•
If a GBIC in the Catalyst 3550 switch is connected to another GBIC that does not support autonegotiation, you can now disable autonegotiation on 1000BASE-SX, -LX, and -ZX GBICs by using the speed nonegotiate interface configuration command. However, Gigastack GBICs and 1000BASE-T GBICs do not support the disabling of autonegotiation.
•
Enabling BPDU debug by using the debug spanning-tree bpdu privileged EXEC command no longer causes the switch to fail or possibly to reset.
•
The ip default-network network number global configuration command now works properly and adds a default network. It no longer adds a static route that cannot be deleted later.
•
A large number of multicast routes no longer causes the switch to reset due to a low-memory condition.
•
When the switch is operating in Layer 3 mode and you change the IP address of an interface, the old static route is now removed from the Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) table, and the old IP address can be used again for other interfaces. The route for the newly entered IP address is populated into the CEF table and functions properly.
•
If a Catalyst 1900 switch and a Catalyst 3550 switch are connected through an EtherChannel port group, a Catalyst 3550 port in the group no longer shuts down because of a falsely detected loopback condition.
•
If a Catalyst 3550 switch in Layer 3 mode exceeds the recommended number of unicast MAC addresses, unicast routes, and multicast routes, a TCAM overflow results. Entering a clear arp privileged EXEC command no longer causes the switch to reset.
•
When the switch is in Layer 3 mode and routing with Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), enabling EtherChannel and creating a port channel no longer increases the delay metric for the EIGRP route to a large value, thus making it unavailable as the preferred route.
•
An EtherChannel group between the Catalyst 3550 and another device that supports EtherChannel no longer is erroneously shut down on the Catalyst 3550 side because the Catalyst 3550 reported a detected loopback condition when there is actually no loopback situation.
•
When IP traffic is redirected for some reason, the IP redirects cache now ages out, and the switch relearns the original route to the destination.
•
If a GBIC port is disabled, either through an administrative command or because an error has been detected (loopback detection, UDLD, and so on), the switch now correctly shuts down the link on the GBIC port.
Resolved Cluster Caveats
All of these severity 3 cluster configuration caveats are resolved in Release 12.1(6)EA1:
•
In a full 16-member cluster with a Catalyst 3550 command switch, if the command switch is continuously polled from the CMS network management application, HTTP requests no longer fail with a Premature end of file message. You no longer need to close the browser and reopen it.
•
When both the active command-switch and the standby command-switch are Catalyst 3550 switches, HSRP priority changes on the command switch are now supported.
•
If there are more than two Catalyst 1900 or Catalyst 2820 switches in a cluster with the Catalyst 3550 as the command switch, the cluster no longer loses network connectivity when the CMS continuously polls the Catalyst 1900 or Catalyst 2820 switches.
•
If there are redundant paths from a cluster command-switch to a cluster candidate, and one of the paths goes through a routed port, the command switch always uses the routed port path, and subsequent candidates are now discovered on the correct VLAN.
•
When you use the cluster standby-group name global configuration command to bind an HSRP group to a cluster with the same name before you enable the cluster command switch, the cluster configuration is no longer lost.
Resolved Cluster Management Suite Caveats
All of these severity 3 Cluster Management Suite caveats are resolved in Release 12.1(6)EA1:
•
When you add a cluster member and remove a cluster member in quick succession, the Front Panel view now shows the replacement.
•
You can now use the Modify VLAN window to modify VLAN settings.
•
When you create a standby command group and then click Remove Group, the entire group is consistently removed.
•
If the command switch is a Catalyst 3550 switch that is running Release 12.1(4)EA1b, you can now use CMS on the command switch to upgrade software on Catalyst 2900 XL switches with only 4 MB of RAM.
•
EtherChannel links between Catalyst 3550 switches are now displayed correctly on the Topology view. These links no longer appear as multiple links (two separate lines).
•
Link reports now contain full and correct information when they are launched for a link to a device that has an STP-blocked link.
•
You can now change the VLAN mode of a port from a dynamic-access or static-access state to a trunk state.
•
When you select an extended ACL and click Modify or Details in the ACL window, the displayed ACE list is now consistently accurate.
•
In the Create VLAN and Modify VLAN windows, you can now enter a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size of as little as 576 bytes.
•
The inventory report now shows IP addresses for Catalyst 3550 switches.
•
When you request a routing table report from the Router Reports window, the report now shows all default routes.
•
When you apply changes to the Unknown MACs tab of the Flooding Control window and the device is a Catalyst 2950 switch, you no longer receive an error message.
•
The Max. update Rate field on the Uplink Fast tab of the STP window no longer shows that you can enter a value of up to 65535 packets per second.
•
Link graphs now show the total number of errors and total number of packets dropped on a link at each polling interval.
•
A default network other than 0.0.0.0 in the IP Routing window no longer prevents an IP address from appearing in the Default Router IP field.
•
A link report no longer halts if it is for a link that is configured as a trunk on a switch with more than 250 VLANs.
•
You can now use CMS to configure Protected Port on Catalyst 2950 switches.
•
The UplinkFast tab of the STP window now recognizes the stackable GBIC connector type.
•
When you enter a process ID (as part of the task of adding an IGRP, EIGRP, or OSPF network), the validity of the ID is now checked. For OSPF, the validity of the area value is now checked as well.
•
When a Catalyst 3550 switch is operating in Layer 3 mode, entering a clear adjacency privileged EXEC command no longer causes possible memory corruption or switch failure.
•
When you select an interface to be a monitor port in the SPAN window, the message Error: SPAN Grouped port cannot be a monitor port is no longer displayed when the interface is not in any port group.
•
In the Topology view, you can now display a link report for an EtherChannel.
•
Including a Catalyst 2820 switch with an FDDI Fiber SAS module in the cluster no longer prevents the Front Panel view from displaying the switches in the cluster.
Related Documentation
These documents provide complete information about the switch and are available from this Cisco.com site:
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/c3550/index.htm
You can order printed copies of documents with a DOC-xxxxxx= number from the Cisco.com sites and from the telephone numbers listed in the "Ordering Documentation" section.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Obtaining Documentation
The following sections explain how to obtain documentation from Cisco Systems.
World Wide Web
You can access the most current Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at the following URL:
Translated documentation is available at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/public/countries_languages.shtml
Documentation CD-ROM
Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a Cisco Documentation CD-ROM package, which is shipped with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM is updated monthly and may be more current than printed documentation. The CD-ROM package is available as a single unit or through an annual subscription.
Ordering Documentation
Cisco documentation is available in the following ways:
•
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/order/order_root.pl
•
http://www.cisco.com/go/subscription
•
Documentation Feedback
If you are reading Cisco product documentation on the World Wide Web, you can send us your comments by completing the online survey. When you display the document listing for this platform, click Give Us Your Feedback.
You can e-mail your comments to bug-doc@cisco.com.
To submit your comments by mail, use the response card behind the front cover of your document, or write to the following address:
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Attn: Document Resource Connection
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134-9883We appreciate your comments.
Obtaining Technical Assistance
Cisco provides Cisco.com as a starting point for all technical assistance. Customers and partners can obtain documentation, troubleshooting tips, and sample configurations from online tools by using the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) Web Site. Cisco.com registered users have complete access to the technical support resources on the Cisco TAC Web Site.
Cisco.com
Cisco.com is the foundation of a suite of interactive, networked services that provides immediate, open access to Cisco information, networking solutions, services, programs, and resources at any time, from anywhere in the world.
Cisco.com is a highly integrated Internet application and a powerful, easy-to-use tool that provides a broad range of features and services to help you to
•
•
•
•
•
You can self-register on Cisco.com to obtain customized information and service. To access Cisco.com, go to the following URL:
Technical Assistance Center
The Cisco TAC is available to all customers who need technical assistance with a Cisco product, technology, or solution. Two types of support are available through the Cisco TAC: the Cisco TAC Web Site and the Cisco TAC Escalation Center.
Inquiries to Cisco TAC are categorized according to the urgency of the issue:
•
•
•
•
Which Cisco TAC resource you choose is based on the priority of the problem and the conditions of service contracts, when applicable.
Cisco TAC Web Site
The Cisco TAC Web Site allows you to resolve P3 and P4 issues yourself, saving both cost and time. The site provides around-the-clock access to online tools, knowledge bases, and software. To access the Cisco TAC Web Site, go to the following URL:
All customers, partners, and resellers who have a valid Cisco services contract have complete access to the technical support resources on the Cisco TAC Web Site. The Cisco TAC Web Site requires a Cisco.com login ID and password. If you have a valid service contract but do not have a login ID or password, go to the following URL to register:
http://www.cisco.com/register/
If you cannot resolve your technical issues by using the Cisco TAC Web Site, and you are a Cisco.com registered user, you can open a case online by using the TAC Case Open tool at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/tac/caseopen
If you have Internet access, it is recommended that you open P3 and P4 cases through the Cisco TAC Web Site.
Cisco TAC Escalation Center
The Cisco TAC Escalation Center addresses issues that are classified as priority level 1 or priority level 2; these classifications are assigned when severe network degradation significantly impacts business operations. When you contact the TAC Escalation Center with a P1 or P2 problem, a Cisco TAC engineer will automatically open a case.
To obtain a directory of toll-free Cisco TAC telephone numbers for your country, go to the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml
Before calling, please check with your network operations center to determine the level of Cisco support services to which your company is entitled; for example, SMARTnet, SMARTnet Onsite, or Network Supported Accounts (NSA). In addition, please have available your service agreement number and your product serial number.
This document is to be with the document listed in the "Related Documentation" section.
AccessPath, AtmDirector, Browse with Me, CCIP, CCSI, CD-PAC, CiscoLink, the Cisco Powered Network logo, Cisco Systems Networking Academy, the Cisco Systems Networking Academy logo, Cisco Unity, Fast Step, Follow Me Browsing, FormShare, FrameShare, IGX, Internet Quotient, IP/VC, iQ Breakthrough, iQ Expertise, iQ FastTrack, the iQ Logo, iQ Net Readiness Scorecard, MGX, the Networkers logo, ScriptBuilder, ScriptShare, SMARTnet, TransPath, Voice LAN, Wavelength Router, and WebViewer are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Changing the Way We Work, Live, Play, and Learn, and Discover All That's Possible are service marks of Cisco Systems, Inc.; and Aironet, ASIST, BPX, Catalyst, CCDA, CCDP, CCIE, CCNA, CCNP, Cisco, the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert logo, Cisco IOS, the Cisco IOS logo, Cisco Press, Cisco Systems, Cisco Systems Capital, the Cisco Systems logo, Empowering the Internet Generation, Enterprise/Solver, EtherChannel, EtherSwitch, FastHub, FastSwitch, GigaStack, IOS, IP/TV, LightStream, MICA, Network Registrar, Packet, PIX, Post-Routing, Pre-Routing, RateMUX, Registrar, SlideCast, StrataView Plus, Stratm, SwitchProbe, TeleRouter, and VCO are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries.
All other trademarks mentioned in this document or Web site are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (0110R)
Copyright © 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Guest
