SPAs and SIPs

[visitor68]

Hi all:

What exactly is a Shared Port Adapter? And what is a SIP?

I know they are types of linecards, but I cant put my finger on exactly how they differ from ethernet linecards or flex wan modules, etc....

Thanks

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Joe,

with SPAs and SIPs Cisco has done again a strategy they have already used on C7500 and C7200 and FlexWAN linecards for C6500/C7600

A shared port adapter provides for example one or more POS ports.

The SPAs are portable on high end devices  from C6500/7600 to 12000 to CRS-1 and also some SPA can be installed on ASR series including ASR 1000.

Different types of SIPs exist and they are platform specific: there are SIP linecards for C6500/C7600, SIP linecards for 12000, SIP linecards for CRS.

The ASR 1000 has probably a built in SIP to install some SPA modules.

The combination SPA/SIPs provide WAN services with rich QoS toolset like high end routers

see for Cisco 6500

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps368/product_data_sheet0900aecd8033998f_ps708_Products_Data_Sheet.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps368/product_data_sheet0900aecd8027c9e6_ps708_Products_Data_Sheet.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps368/product_data_sheet0900aecd8027c9df_ps708_Products_Data_Sheet.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/interfaces_modules/shared_port_adapters/install_upgrade/6500series/sipspahw.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/interfaces_modules/shared_port_adapters/configuration/6500series/sipspasw.html

an older WAN linecard for C6500/C7600 is the flexwan that allows to use old PAs for C7500/C7200 (only two in a linecard)

For example, on one C7600 we have a SIP 600 with two 2,5 Gbps POS ports.

not all SPAs can be installed in every SIP as you can see in the datasheet above.

the SSC provides support for an IPSEC SPA to provide encryption services

Hope to help

Giuseppe