Catalyst 5000 Is Key Platform for Scalable, Switched Internetworks
NETWORLD+INTEROP, LAS VEGAS, March 28, 1995 -- Cisco Systems, theworldwide leader in LAN switching, today announced the first multi-layermodular switch that brings switching, routing and virtual LANcapabilitiestogether, providing customers with a strategic platform for building andmanaging large networks. The Catalyst 5000 embraces all current andemerging switching technologies, providing high speed connectivity from thewiring closet to network backbones and workgroups.
The Catalyst 5000 integrates routing and switching using theCisco InternetworkOperating System (Cisco IOS) to facilitatecommunication across different virtual LANs. It also provides extensions tosupport new multimedia applications, ATM internetworking and LAN emulationsoftware. Multi-layer switching with the Cisco IOS also ensures networksecurity through firewalls and packet filtering, while enabling users tologically route, manage and control sensitive traffic.
"We've addressed a critical customer need in bringing scalableswitching to corporate networks," said Jayshree Ullal, director ofmarketing for Cisco's Workgroup Business Unit. "Integratinghigh-performance switching with the Cisco IOS in one platform also helpscustomers create a secure, manageable environment."
The Catalyst 5000 chassis has five slots. A Supervisor Engine Modulecontrols access to the switching backplane, which can switch more than 1million packets per second. The module supports local and remote networkmanagement and two Fast Ethernet ports, which can be used for connection toa local server or cascading of other Catalyst 5000s. The remaining slots inthe chassis can be used for a mix and match of hot-swappable switchingmodules.
The system will support all the popular and emerging interfaces,including switched Ethernet, 100Base-T Fast Ethernet, Token Ring, 100VG-AnyLAN, ATM or FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface).
Moving From Shared to Switched Environments
Optimized for easy migration from today's shared-media hubs to switchedenvironments, the Catalyst 5000 provides scalability with high port densityswitching (ranging from 10 to 100 Mbps) and has been architected to supportLayer 3 switching. This enables customers to build switching into theirnetworks now, while laying the foundation for large, easily managedswitched internetworks.Unique Traffic Management Capabilities
Embedded traffic management functionality is a critical component of theCatalyst 5000 design. The Catalyst 5000 supports extensive input buffersacross its switching modules that function with buffer management softwareto eliminate packet loss during peak traffic periods.The Catalyst 5000 architecture supports multiple levels of dataprioritization, with each interface separately user-configurable as high orlow priority. Maintenance of separate logical queues for each priorityclass reduces buffering delays, a critical issue with typically burstynetwork traffic and delay-sensitive traffic types such as voice and video.
The Catalyst 5000 family supports switched port analyzer software. Thissoftware gives network managers the ability to track traffic on any one ofthe 5000's switching ports.
Cisco is the only vendor to support embedded remote monitoring(RMON)across all of its switching platforms. Because RMON is fully integratedwith the CiscoViewdevice management application, network managers canview, configure and set alarms on a graphical representation of the switch.
Catalyst 5000 also supports RFC 1271 standard-compliant RMON across allports, enabling users to centrally manage, administer and control trafficmonitoring for all switched LAN segments simultaneously. Offeringcentralized control that greatly reduces administrative overhead, theembedded RMON agent can save the user up to 80 percent of the cost of usingspecialized hardware probes on each LAN segment.
Availability is as follows:
------------------------------------------------------- Product Availability ======================================================= Catalyst 5000 Chassis June Redundant Power Supply June Supervisor Engine Module June 24-port Switched Ethernet Module June 12-port Switched Fast Ethernet Module July ATM LAN Emulation Module July FDDI Switching Module July Token Ring Switching Module Q1 1996 -------------------------------------------------------Cisco Systems,Inc. is the leading global supplier of enterprise networks, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up accessserversand network management software. These products, integrated by Cisco'sInternetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) link geographicallydispersed LANs, WANs, and IBM networks. Cisco is headquartered in San Jose,Calif., and in the U.S. is traded under the NASDAQ symbol CSCO.
