Introduction
This document describes the main general differences between ethernet line cards (-TR and -SE) on a Cisco Aggregation Services Router (ASR) 9000 Series.
Prerequisites
Requirements
Cisco recommends that you have knowledge of these topics:
- Cisco ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers
- ASR 9000 Series Line Card Types
The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration.
Components Used
Components used in this document include Typhoon and Tomahawk Line cards with Packet Transport and Service Edge capabilities.
Note: The next link provides information of all Trident, Typhoon and Tomahawk line cards part ID (PID) and datasheets: ASR 9000 Series Line Card Types
The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, ensure that you understand the potential impact of any command.
Background Information
ASR 9000 platform ethernet line cards are classified based on their Network Processor (NP) name. First generation line cards are referred as Trident-based, second generation as Typhoon-based and third generation as Tomahawk-based.
Prefixes -TR and -SE are used in Typhoon and Tomahawk based line cards. These prefixes stand for:
SE - Services Edge Optimized
TR - Packet Transport Optimized
Among the Typhoon and Tomahawk line cards there are variants of the same type of line card, for example:
Typhoon
A9K-MOD80-SE
A9K-MOD80-TR
Tomahawk
A9K-8X100G-LB-SE
A9K-8X100G-LB-TR
These variants difference from each other mainly by the resources available in their Network Processors (NPs) for Quality of Service (QoS) and Ethernet Flowpoints (EFPs) capabilities. Knowledge of these differences is important to meet network design requirements, network growth plan or troubleshoot hardware capacity issues related to ASR 9000 platform deployments.
Typhoon, Tomahawk based -TR and -SE Line cards Resources Comparison Table
| Feature |
Packet Transport (TR) Optimized |
Service Edge (SE) Optimized |
| Total Queues |
8 per port |
256,000 / NP |
| Policers |
8000 / NP |
256,000 / NP |
| Ethernet Flow Points (EFPs) |
16,000 |
64,000 |
| FIB Routes(v4/v6) |
4M/2M |
4M/2M |
| MAC Addresses |
2M |
2M |
| L3 VRFs |
8000 |
8000 |
| Bridge Domains / VFI |
64000 |
64000 |
ASR 9001 Built-in Ports
ASR 9001 built-in ports do not behave as Packet Transport Optimized Line card (-TR) ports and are not subject to -TR QoS/EFP limitations. Instead, they provide all capabilities of a Service Edge (-SE) line card.
Note: Different line card variants such as the -TR and the -SE can coexist in the same chassis. They do not cause any conflict in the system.
Packet Transport Optimized (-TR) Line cards Common QoS Error messages
Be particularly aware of Packet Transport Optimized (-TR) Ethernet Line card variants limitations:
Packet Transport Optimized (-TR) line cards support only up to 6 non-priority queues (consider that class-default queue counts as one non-priority queue) + 2 priority queues.
You can configure only up to 5 non-priority queues+class-default queue. If you exceed this limitation the next error message is seen:
RP/0/RSP0/CPU0:ASR9000(config-if)#service-policy output TRcardPolicy
RP/0/RSP0/CPU0:ASR9000(config-pmap)#commit
% Failed to commit one or more configuration items during a pseudo-atomic operation. All changes made have been reverted. Please issue 'show configuration failed [inheritance]' from this session to view the errors
RP/0/RSP0/CPU0:ASR9001-D(config-pmap)#show configuration failed
!! SEMANTIC ERRORS: This configuration was rejected by
!! the system due to semantic errors. The individual
!! errors with each failed configuration command can be
!! found below.
...
!
!!% Given combination of p1, p2, p3, ..., pn queues are not supported at leaf-level of a queuing hierarchy: InPlace Modify Error: Policy pm-core-parent: 'qos-ea' detected the 'warning' condition 'Given combination of p1, p2, p3, ..., pn queues are not supported at leaf-level of a queuing hierarchy'
end
Packet Transport Optimized (-TR) line cards support only up to 8 queues per port (consider this if sub-interfaces are used). If the number of queues configured in a port exceeds 7 queues + class-default queue then the next error message is seen:
RP/0/RSP0/CPU0:ASR9000(config-if)#service-policy output 9Queues
RP/0/RSP0/CPU0:ASR9000(config-pmap)#commit
% Failed to commit one or more configuration items during a pseudo-atomic operation. All changes made have been reverted. Please issue 'show configuration failed [inheritance]' from this session to view the errors
RP/0/RSP0/CPU0:ASR9001-D(config-pmap)#show configuration failed
!! SEMANTIC ERRORS: This configuration was rejected by
!! the system due to semantic errors. The individual
!! errors with each failed configuration command can be
!! found below.
...
!!% 'prm_ezhal' detected the 'warning' condition 'Ran out of 8 Queues for the port'
!
end
The comparison table provides a good contrast of the differences mentioned previously and give insight to useful elements for future references.
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