Need to upgrade an ISR 2901 but not sure what to get. Any advice?

[okalautar]

We have a client currently running an 2901 and an ASA 5512-X. we are upgrading the ASA to a 5516-X but we're not sure what model would be best for the 2901.

We currently have a Business Fiber coming in to the main site and we also have a point to point to a site across the street. Our ISP bandwidth is 500M up/down with the point to point running at 200M. I was reading up on the ISR 4000 series and found that the throughput on these are really low. You can get performance upgrade licenses but I am not understanding how these work. Are these one time purchases or an annual thing like a support license?

Would it make more sense getting the 4331 and getting the Boost performance license or something like 4431 and getting the performance license? This is just confusing for me and the documentation I was able to find haven't been much help to me.

Sorry if I am not making my questions clear. I am just looking for the proper upgrade path for my client.

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

 Cisco recommend C1-CISCO4321/K9 as a replacement for 2901. 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/4000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/data_sheet-c78-732542.html 

[pman]

Hi,

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@okalautar wrote:

Our ISP bandwidth is 500M up/down with the point to point running at 200M.

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I saw the question asked about 500M - with your permission I will concentrate on this figure only.

If the upload and download rate (bidirectional) should be up to 500 MB then ISR 4431 with FL-44-PERF-K9 license.

Or Cisco 4451.

Product specifications

Table 4 lists the general product specifications for the Cisco 4000 Family routers.

Table 4.           Specifications of Cisco 4000 Family integrated services routers

Technical Specifications	Cisco 4461	Cisco 4451	Cisco 4431	Cisco 4351	Cisco 4331	Cisco 4321	Cisco 4221
Aggregate Throughput (Default)	1.5Gbps	1 Gbps	500 Mbps	200 Mbps	100 Mbps	50 Mbps	35Mbps

[Joseph W. Doherty]

"You can get performance upgrade licenses but I am not understanding how these work. Are these one time purchases or an annual thing like a support license?"

I believe they are a one-time purchase.  (However, unknown whether a higher performance license also bumps up contract maintenance costs.)

"Would it make more sense getting the 4331 and getting the Boost performance license or something like 4431 and getting the performance license? This is just confusing for me and the documentation I was able to find haven't been much help to me."

Well, the base performance is pretty much always possible.  The performance license usually (but possibly not always) also "guarantees" the licensed amount of throughput.  (Basically, both licenses levels restrict the router's performance such that it will never exceed the licensed level.)

A boost license, basically removes the performance restrictions.  You can obtain whatever the router can do.  This is basically what you had on prior gens of ISRs.  I.e. "your mileage may vary".  (Take careful note when performance tables, for boost licenses, often use the term "up to".)

Whether to choose an 4K with base license, performance license or boost license, based on your bandwidth needs, depends much on how accurately you've accessed your actual bandwidth requirements, future bandwidth requirements (future: for the next few years), and/cost of the platform with a particular license.  Also, again, with the base or performance level licenses, you pretty much can count on obtaining the licensed bandwidth thoughput.  At the boost level, you should obtain something more than the performance level, but it might be just a tad more for very, very much more.  (Much will depend on your traffic and your running config.)

Oh, I recall, the performance levels are done as shapers, not policers.  If true, this is an important difference.  For shaping, you might license for only your typical traffic level.

I've attached a whitepaper for performance of prior gen ISRs.  What to note is "impact" of different traffic kinds and configuration vs. maximum throughput.  4K ISR will be "faster", but running with a boost license, "impact" of different traffic kinds and configuration likely to be somewhat similar.