Description
Product Overview of Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine
In the world of networking, Cisco is a renowned name, known for its innovative solutions that power communication networks across the globe. One of its flagship products, the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine, plays a crucial role in managing and enhancing the performance of Cisco Catalyst 6000 series switches. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the features, capabilities, and applications of the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine in simple English, suitable for both beginners and enthusiasts.
Understanding Supervisor Engines in Networking
Before diving into the specifics of the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE 2 Ports Supervisor Engine, it’s essential to grasp the concept of supervisor engines in networking devices. A supervisor engine serves as the brain of a modular switch or router, overseeing its operations, managing traffic, and providing advanced features and functionalities.
Unveiling of Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine
The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine is designed to provide high performance and reliability for Catalyst 6000 series switches. It features two Gigabit Ethernet (GE) ports and supports enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, making it ideal for demanding networking environments.
Key Features of the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine
- Enhanced QoS (Quality of Service): Quality of Service allows network administrators to prioritize certain types of traffic over others, ensuring that critical applications receive the necessary bandwidth and low latency. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine offers enhanced QoS capabilities, enabling fine-grained control over traffic prioritization and shaping.
- Gigabit Ethernet Ports: With two Gigabit Ethernet ports, the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine facilitates high-speed connectivity to network devices, servers, and other switches, supporting bandwidth-intensive applications and data transfers.
- Scalability and Modularity: The Supervisor Engine is designed to support modular expansion, allowing network administrators to scale their networks according to evolving needs. Additional modules can be added to the Catalyst 6000 series switch to enhance functionality and accommodate growing traffic demands.
- High Availability: Cisco’s Supervisor Engine architecture is built for high availability, with features such as redundancy and failover mechanisms to minimize downtime and ensure uninterrupted network operation. The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine contributes to the overall reliability of the network infrastructure.
- Advanced Management Capabilities: The Supervisor Engine provides comprehensive management capabilities, allowing administrators to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot the switch and attached devices through a user-friendly interface. This simplifies network management tasks and enhances operational efficiency.
Performance Specifications
In addition to its key features, the performance specifications of the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine are crucial considerations for network deployment. Let’s examine some of the performance metrics associated with this Supervisor Engine:
- Throughput: Throughput refers to the rate at which data can be processed and forwarded by the Supervisor Engine. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE offers high throughput, ensuring efficient data transmission and minimal latency within the network.
- Forwarding Rate: The forwarding rate indicates the number of packets per second that the Supervisor Engine can process and forward. With its high forwarding rate, the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE is capable of handling large volumes of traffic with ease, making it suitable for enterprise and data center environments.
- Memory and CPU Resources: Ample memory and CPU resources are essential for handling complex networking tasks and supporting advanced features such as QoS and security. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine is equipped with sufficient memory and processing power to meet the demands of modern network applications.
- Compatibility and Interoperability: Compatibility with existing network infrastructure and interoperability with other Cisco devices are critical factors in network design and deployment. The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine seamlessly integrates with Catalyst 6000 series switches and other Cisco networking equipment, ensuring smooth operation and easy expansion.
Use Cases and Applications
The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine finds applications in a wide range of networking environments, including:
- Enterprise Networks: In large enterprise networks, the Supervisor Engine serves as the backbone, providing centralized management, traffic control, and security features. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE enhances the performance and reliability of enterprise networks, supporting mission-critical applications and services.
- Data Centers: Data centers require high-performance networking solutions to handle the massive volumes of traffic generated by servers, storage systems, and virtualized environments. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine delivers the scalability, throughput, and reliability needed to power modern data center networks.
- Service Providers: Telecom service providers and internet service providers (ISPs) rely on robust networking equipment to deliver high-speed connectivity and services to their customers. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine enables service providers to build scalable and resilient networks that meet the demands of their subscribers.
- Campus Networks: Educational institutions, corporate campuses, and government agencies require efficient and reliable networking solutions to support their day-to-day operations. The Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine enhances campus networks by providing advanced management features, security capabilities, and high-speed connectivity.
Features and Benefits
The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE is a Cisco Catalyst 2 Ports Fabric Module that provides high-speed connectivity between the Supervisor Engine and the Switch Fabric. This module is designed to be used with the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches, and it offers several features and benefits.
Features:
- High-speed connectivity: The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE provides high-speed connectivity between the Supervisor Engine and the Switch Fabric. It uses a high-speed 32 Gbps bus to transfer data, which helps to ensure that there is no bottleneck in the network.
- Two Gigabit Ethernet ports: The module comes with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, which can be used for network connectivity. The ports support both copper and fiber connections, which makes it easy to integrate with existing network infrastructure.
- Hot-swappable: The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE module is hot-swappable, which means that it can be replaced without shutting down the entire system. This helps to minimize downtime and ensures that the network stays up and running.
- Compatible with Supervisor Engine 1A: This module is designed to be used with the Supervisor Engine 1A, which is a powerful engine that provides advanced features and functionality.
Benefits:
- Improved network performance: The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE provides high-speed connectivity between the Supervisor Engine and the Switch Fabric, which helps to improve network performance. This module ensures that data can be transferred quickly and efficiently, which reduces latency and improves overall network performance.
- Easy integration: The two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the module make it easy to integrate with existing network infrastructure. The ports support both copper and fiber connections, which means that it can be used with a wide range of devices.
- High availability: The hot-swappable feature of the WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE ensures that the network stays up and running even if the module needs to be replaced. This helps to ensure high availability and minimizes downtime.
- Advanced functionality: The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE is designed to be used with the Supervisor Engine 1A, which provides advanced features and functionality. This allows network administrators to optimize network performance and implement advanced security features.
Compatibility and Interoperability
The WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE is a Cisco Catalyst 2-ports fabric module designed to provide high-speed connectivity between different modules and components within a Cisco Catalyst switch. This module is compatible with several different Cisco Catalyst switch models, including the Catalyst 6500, 6506, 6509, and 6513.
In terms of interoperability, the WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE module is designed to work seamlessly with other modules and components within a Cisco Catalyst switch. This includes other fabric modules, supervisor modules, line cards, and power supplies.
When selecting and installing components within a Cisco Catalyst switch, it is important to ensure that all components are compatible with each other and that they are installed in the correct slots and configurations. The Cisco website provides detailed documentation and compatibility matrices to assist with this process.
General Information about this Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Part Number or SKU# WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE
- Product Name: Supervisor Engine 1A and Switch Fabric Module
- Product Type: Supervisor Engine
Technical Information
- Application/Usage: Data Networking
Interfaces / Ports
- Interfaces/Ports Details: 1 x RJ-45 Female Console/Auxiliary Management
Performance
- Maximum Data Transfer Rate: 1 Gbit/s
I/O Expansions
- Number of Total Expansion Slots: 3
- Expansion Slot Type: GBIC
Processor & Chipset
- Processor Speed: 150 MHz
Miscellaneous
- Additional Information
- Intelligent multi-layer switching and network management
- Support for the FlexWAN module for WAN-edge connectivity
- 2 GBIC-based Gigabit uplink ports
- Wire-speed IP/IPX Multicast
- Full Internet routing table support
- Wire-rate inter-VLAN IOS access control lists (ACL) and intra— VLAN access control lists (VACL)
- HSRP for high availability and load balancing
- QoS port architecture (Rx/Tx) is 1p1q4t/1p2q2t
- Switch Load approximates switch load from one to 100 percent
- Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF): No
- PFC daughter card available: Yes (PFC); Not field upgradeable
- MSFC2 daughter card available: Yes, not field upgradable
- SFM supported: No
- Layer 2 forwarding: Performs Layer 2 forwarding with Layer 4 features
- MAC addresses: 128K
- Forwarding rate: Up to 15 Mpps per system
- Bandwidth: 32 Gbps per system
- Layer 2, 3 traffic classification and marking: Layer 2 only, not upgradable to support Layer 3
- Multilayer (Layer 3) switching: Unsupported
- Distributed forwarding: Unsupported
- Operating system: Cisco Catalyst OS only
- Upgrade support: None
Compatibility
- 6006
- 6009
- 6503
- 6506
- 6509
- 6509-NEB
- 6509-NEB-A
- 7603
- 7606
- 7609
- OSR-7609
- Not supported:
- 6513
- 7613
In summary, the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine is a versatile and powerful networking component that enhances the performance, reliability, and scalability of Cisco Catalyst 6000 series switches. With its advanced features, enhanced QoS capabilities, and high-speed Gigabit Ethernet ports, this Supervisor Engine is well-suited for a variety of networking environments, including enterprise networks, data centers, service provider networks, and campus environments. Whether deployed as part of a core network infrastructure or as a standalone component, the Cisco WS-X6K-SUP1A-2GE Supervisor Engine delivers the performance and functionality required to meet the evolving demands of modern digital networks.
