Solved: Re: Upgrading a 6509?

jim.billings · ‎07-26-2007

We just recently ran fiber to connect 2 more buildings and purchased a WS-X6724-SFP to connect them to our core 6509. I know this card requires us to upgrade our Sup2's to a Sup720. It appears we would then need to add a fan tray WS-C6K-9SLOT-FAN2. Im I on the right track and is there anything else I am overlooking. Is the existing WS-X6148-GE-TX going to be able to stay with these upgrades? I believe out IOS would need upgrading also from 12.1(13)

This is a basic enterprise network with department vlans routed to server and internet vlans.

I have the following:

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software

IOS (tm) MSFC2 Software (C6MSFC2-PSV-M), Version 12.1(13)E4, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

TAC Support: http://www.cisco.com/tac

Compiled Thu 30-Jan-03 16:18 by hqluong

Image text-base: 0x40008C00, data-base: 0x4187A000

ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 12.1(11r)E1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

BOOTLDR: MSFC2 Software (C6MSFC2-PSV-M), Version 12.1(13)E4, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

msfc1_Sheridan_County uptime is 42 weeks, 2 days, 20 hours, 56 minutes

System returned to ROM by power-on

System image file is "bootflash:c6msfc2-psv-mz.121-13.E4.bin"

cisco Cat6k-MSFC2 (R7000) processor with 114688K/16384K bytes of memory.

Processor board ID SAL0708DBNN

R7000 CPU at 300Mhz, Implementation 39, Rev 3.3, 256KB L2, 1024KB L3 Cache

Last reset from power-on

X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.

Bridging software.

16 Virtual Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)

509K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

32768K bytes of Flash internal SIMM (Sector size 512K).

Configuration register is 0x102

================================================================================================

WS-C6509 Software, Version NmpSW: 7.6(1)

NMP S/W compiled on Apr 16 2003, 17:59:12

System Bootstrap Version: 7.1(1)

System Boot Image File is 'bootflash:RTSYNC_cat6000-sup2k8.7-6-1.bin'

System Configuration register is 0x2

Hardware Version: 3.0 Model: WS-C6509 Serial #: TSC07100014

PS1 Module: WS-CAC-2500W Serial #: ART06500069

PS2 Module: WS-CAC-2500W Serial #: ART0708016L

Mod Port Model Serial # Versions

--- ---- ------------------- ----------- --------------------------------------

1 2 WS-X6K-SUP2-2GE SAL0706CMUB Hw : 4.1

Fw : 7.1(1)

Fw1: 6.1(3)

Sw : 7.6(1)

Sw1: 7.6(1)

WS-X6K-SUP2-2GE SAL0706CMUB Hw : 4.1

Sw :

2 2 WS-X6K-SUP2-2GE SAL0706CM31 Hw : 4.1

Fw : 7.1(1)

Fw1: 6.1(3)

Sw : 7.6(1)

Sw1: 7.6(1)

WS-X6K-SUP2-2GE SAL0706CM31 Hw : 4.1

Sw :

3 48 WS-X6148-GE-TX SAD072002XD Hw : 1.0

Fw : 7.2(1)

Sw : 7.6(1)

15 1 WS-F6K-MSFC2 SAL0708DBNV Hw : 2.5

Fw : 12.1(13)E4

Sw : 12.1(13)E4

16 1 WS-F6K-MSFC2 SAL0708DBNN Hw : 2.5

Fw : 12.1(13)E4

Sw : 12.1(13)E4

DRAM FLASH NVRAM

Module Total Used Free Total Used Free Total Used Free

------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ----- ----- -----

2 131072K 65511K 65561K 32768K 15039K 17729K 512K 284K 228K

roadhouse1387 · ‎07-26-2007

Hi Jim,

Yes, you will need the high speed fan tray (the part number you quoted). You also need minimum 2500w psu, but you have thoes so your fine there.

The 6148 is a 'classic' line card which will run fine alongside a sup720 (which has a switching fabric) and a 6700 series fabric card but when you mix 'classic' cards with 'fabric cards' on a switch with a fabric, the switch runs in 'truncated mode' In this mode the supervisor runs at 15mpps, (same as a sup2/sup32). So negating most of the performance features of the sup720.

However, the 3724 will be able to make use of the fabric. It will run with a dedicated 20gig connection directly into the sup720 fabric. so you will be getting some performance benefit from 3724 card. So the actual through put may be higher than 15mpps, but it depends on how much traffic is flowing through the 6700 card.

If you only need to add a couple of uplinks, can you not get hold of a 6516A (16 port gbic instead of the 6724 ?, i think they have only just gone End of Sale, but you may still be able to get one) in which case you need not upgrade your sup2/msfc and fan tray.

Naturally, I dont know what the loading on your switch is, but if you do need to upgrade to a sup720, then replacing the 6148 with at least a 6548 (CEF256 fabric card)at the same time, will pay dividends because that card can use 8gig of the sup720's fabric and increase the forwarding rate to 30mpps.

Either way, to use a 6724 with a sup720 you will need IOS 12.2(17a)sx minimum.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers

View solution in original post

ankbhasi · ‎07-26-2007

Hi Jim,

You are on a right track. You need sup 720 to support WS-X6724-SFP. And to support sup 720 you need high speed fan tray and also to support high speed fan tray you need minimum 2500W power supply.

Yes your existing cards will be supported and you need minimum 12.2(17a)SX release to support this card but WS-X6724-SFP HW rev 2.3 or later need minimum 12.2(17d)SXB1.

HTH

Ankur

*Pls rate all helpfull post

roadhouse1387 · ‎07-26-2007

Hi Jim,

Yes, you will need the high speed fan tray (the part number you quoted). You also need minimum 2500w psu, but you have thoes so your fine there.

The 6148 is a 'classic' line card which will run fine alongside a sup720 (which has a switching fabric) and a 6700 series fabric card but when you mix 'classic' cards with 'fabric cards' on a switch with a fabric, the switch runs in 'truncated mode' In this mode the supervisor runs at 15mpps, (same as a sup2/sup32). So negating most of the performance features of the sup720.

However, the 3724 will be able to make use of the fabric. It will run with a dedicated 20gig connection directly into the sup720 fabric. so you will be getting some performance benefit from 3724 card. So the actual through put may be higher than 15mpps, but it depends on how much traffic is flowing through the 6700 card.

If you only need to add a couple of uplinks, can you not get hold of a 6516A (16 port gbic instead of the 6724 ?, i think they have only just gone End of Sale, but you may still be able to get one) in which case you need not upgrade your sup2/msfc and fan tray.

Naturally, I dont know what the loading on your switch is, but if you do need to upgrade to a sup720, then replacing the 6148 with at least a 6548 (CEF256 fabric card)at the same time, will pay dividends because that card can use 8gig of the sup720's fabric and increase the forwarding rate to 30mpps.

Either way, to use a 6724 with a sup720 you will need IOS 12.2(17a)sx minimum.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers

jim.billings · ‎07-26-2007

Thanks for the help. Just wanted to make sure I was not forgetting anything.

Jim

Jon Marshall · ‎07-26-2007

Hi

Do you have any docs you could point to which verify that running a classic line card in a sup720 6500 chassis negates most of the performance.

I ask because even running in truncated mode the line cards that are fabric enabled will have dedicated connections to the switch fabric and as such i would have thought would still far out perform a Supervisor 32 and a Sup2 even with an SFM card in it.

I agree that running in truncated mode is worse than running in compact mode but i haven't seen any definite figures as to the performance hit when running in truncated mode.

Jon

roadhouse1387 · ‎07-27-2007

Hi Jon,

I agree with that, I think the figures quoted in the 6500 architecture white paper are refering to the centralised performance over both the shared bus and the fabric rather than the performance of an individual card. So what they are talking about is really the resulting performance of the PFC, which is limited to 15mpps when running in truncated mode.

The white paper does explain this behaviour and quotes that figure, but gives very little detail as to why. If 6500 has no classic line cards then the PFC can service all cards over the dedicated fabric resulting in higher centralised througput. So i guess it has to do with the shared nature of the 32gig bus.

I think what they are saying is that truncated mode reduces the overall performance of the switch because there is a performance hit for using the shared bus for data, which in turn impacts the performance of the PFC. The cef256/cef720 cards will still use the fabric but the PFC has to service the shared bus as well. Having said that, it does state that the actuall throughput may be higher due to the presence of the fabric cards, but I think this is due mainly to the uncontended nature of the line card connections into the fabric.

Removing the classic card and replacing it with a fabric card will mean that all the cards will be using the fabric for data and therefore the switch will run in compact mode and the PFC need only service the dedicated fabric connections to each card.

Here is the 6500 architecture white paper, its quite good, Let me know what you think Jon. Its entirely possible that I have misunderstood some of it.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_white_paper0900aecd80673385.shtml

Cheers

Shaun

Jon Marshall · ‎07-27-2007

Hi Shaun

Excellent post and fully deserves 5 points.

I've read this document before but i think i'll give it a reread as it's been quite a while :)

I asked the question because i can never get a definitive answer on this. When i was at Cisco a while back we got to talk to an engineer with a lot of experience of the 6500. I asked what performance impact it would have going from compact to truncated mode and he couldn't give a specific answer (not due to lack of knowledge). A lot depends on packet sizes apparently.

What he did say was that you would not expect the performance to be anywhere near halved in terms of overall switching performance by going from 30 to 15mpps.

Jon