Datasheet

Data Sheet
© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 11 of 26
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dCEF720 Interface Modules: Use the distributed Cisco Express Forwarding engine on the
DFC3 (located on the interface module), connect to the 720-Gbps fabric located on the
supervisor engine with dual 20-Gbps full-duplex fabric connections, and forward packets at
up to 400 mpps of sustained performance
Note: All performance numbers refer to IPv4 forwarding.
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Module Types
In the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series architecture, special-purpose modules perform separate tasks—
allowing the feature set to evolve quickly, and allowing customers to add features and enhance
performance by adding new modules. The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series features the following types
of special-purpose modules:
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Supervisor Engines: Perform the control functions and make the forwarding decisions for
packets routed to other networks
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Ethernet Interface Modules: Provide IEEE-standard receive and forwarding interfaces;
forward packets within the defined network
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WAN Interface Modules: Provide the receive and forwarding interface at the WAN edge
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Services Modules: Support multigigabit security, application-aware Layer 4 through 7
content switching, wireless LAN services, network management, and voice gateway
services to traditional phones, fax machines, PBXs, and the PSTN
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Switch Fabric Modules: Pass network traffic from the interface module to the supervisor
engine or to another interface
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engines
The supervisor engines for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series support different forwarding
technologies and achieve different forwarding rates, depending on the configuration of the
supervisor engine and the capability of a particular interface module (Table 3).
Supervisor engines can be configured with optional factory-installed daughter cards—a PFC
providing hardware-based Layer 2 forwarding, and a Multilayer Switch Feature Card (MSFC)
providing Layer 3 capabilities.
A supervisor engine performs control operations centrally on processors that run either Cisco IOS
Software or Cisco Catalyst Operating System Software while special-purpose, application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs) perform bridging and routing (based on Cisco Express Forwarding),
QoS marking and policing, and access control. The same ASICs are used on the DFCs, daughter
cards that can be installed on certain interface modules to distribute forwarding in a decentralized
fashion to achieve system forwarding rates of up to 400 mpps.
For more information about the following Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series supervisor engines (Table 3),
visit
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_data_sheets_list.html.
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Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 720 data sheet
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Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 32 data sheet
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Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 1A and 2 data sheet