Catalyst is the brand for a variety of network switches, wireless controllers, and wireless access points sold by Cisco Systems. While commonly associated with Ethernet switches, a number of different types of network interfaces have been available throughout the history of the brand. Cisco acquired several different companies and rebranded their products as different versions of the Catalyst product line. The original Catalyst 5000 and 6000 series were based on technology acquired from Crescendo Communications. The 1700, 1900, and 2800 series Catalysts came from Grand Junction Networks, and the Catalyst 3000 series came from Kalpana in 1994. [1]
The newest Catalyst series is the Catalyst 9000 family. The Catalyst 9000 family includes switches, wireless access points, and wireless controllers. [2]
In most cases, the technology for the Catalyst Switch was developed separately from Cisco's router technology. The Catalyst switches originally ran software called CatOS rather than the more widely known Cisco IOS software used by routers. However, this has changed as the product lines have merged closer together. In some cases, particularly in the modular chassis switches, a configuration called hybrid has emerged - this is where the layer 2 functions are configured using CatOS, and the layer 3 elements are configured using IOS. Native IOS can also be found with newer software versions that have eliminated CatOS entirely in favor of IOS, even on hardware that originally required CatOS. [3]
Some newer Catalyst switch models (with recent versions of the Cisco IOS) also allow web-based management using a graphical interface (GUI) module which is hosted on a HTTP server located on the switch. The Catalyst 2960-L SM Series of switches is an example of a Cisco Catalyst switch that allows this style of GUI via HTTP.
Cisco IOS , formally the Cisco Internetwork Operating System, is a family of network operating systems used on many Cisco Systems network switches, routers, wireless controllers and wireless access points. Earlier, Cisco switches ran CatOS. Cisco IOS is a package of routing, switching, internetworking and telecommunications functions integrated into a multitasking operating system. Although the IOS code base includes a cooperative multitasking kernel, most IOS features have been ported to other kernels such as QNX and Linux for use in Cisco products. Cisco Catalyst products run IOS or a Linux-derived version called Cisco IOS XE. It was originally called XDI [4] by the switching company Crescendo Communications, Inc. Cisco renamed it to CatOS when they acquired Crescendo and later still to Cisco IOS as the operating system was extended to other Cisco products. The newer Catalyst 9000 family uses the Cisco IOS XE operating system. [5]
As Catalyst devices are primarily Ethernet switches, all modern Catalyst models have Ethernet interfaces ranging from 10 Mbit/s to 100 Gbit/s depending on the model. Other models can support T1, E1, and ISDN PRI interfaces to provide connections to the PSTN.[ citation needed ] Legacy models supported a variety of interfaces, such as Token Ring, FDDI, Asynchronous Transfer Mode and 100BaseVG, but are no longer sold by Cisco Systems.
All models have basic layer 2 functions and are capable of switching Ethernet frames between ports. Commonly found additional features are VLANs, trunking and QoS. The switches, whether IOS or IOS XE, are fully manageable.
Many Catalyst switches that run IOS or IOS XE are also capable of functioning as a router, making them layer 3 devices; when coupled with TCP and UDP filtering, these switches are capable of layer 2-4 operation. Depending on the exact software image, a Catalyst switch that runs IOS or IOS XE may be able to tackle large-scale enterprise routing tasks, using router technologies like OSPF or BGP.
Modular chassis-based Catalyst switching models, like the Catalyst 9400 and 9600 Series, have the concept of field-replaceable supervisor, line cards, power supplies and fans. Mirroring most Cisco router designs, these work by separating the line cards, chassis, and supervisor engine. The chassis provides power and a high-speed backplane, the line cards provide interfaces to the network, and the supervisor engine moves packets, participates in routing protocols, etc. This gives several advantages:
Catalyst switches offer advanced customization and manageability. The switches can be configured using a serial console, telnet or Secure Shell. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allows monitoring of many states, and measurement of traffic flows. Many devices can also run an HTTP server.
Configuration of the switch is done in plain text and is thus easy to audit. No special tools are required to generate a useful configuration. For sites with more than a few devices, it is useful to set up a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server for storing the configuration files and any IOS images for updating. Complex configurations are best created using a text editor (using a site standard template), putting the file on the TFTP server and copying it to the Cisco device. However, it can be noted that a TFTP server can present its own security problems.
StackWise and Stackwise Virtual previously known as VSS are technologies offered by Cisco Systems that allows some models of Catalyst switches to operate as though they were one switch. One switch from the stack will act as the primary switch. The primary switch will maintain the stack and allows for configuration and monitoring of the whole stack as though one via a single console. This allows for more efficient management and typically provides more bandwidth between individual switches than other uplink technology.
If one switch fails, the remaining switches will continue to operate by bypassing it. If the primary switch fails, another switch in the stack will automatically take over as primary. This feature means greater redundancy, as one switch's failure will not bring about a failure of the entire stack.
As each switch contains the entire configuration for the stack, one of the benefits of this technology is the ability to replace a faulty switch (any—including primary) with a new switch. The stack will configure the new switch on-the-fly to accommodate minimal downtime and reduce maintenance effort and errors.
Stackwise physically connects the switch stack using special stack interconnect cables, typically up to eight switches per stack. StackWise Virtual and VSS allow for the virtual clustering of two chassis together into a single, logical entity without physical interconnect cables.
The primary switch of a stack is elected in the following order: [6]
There are two general types of Catalyst switches: fixed configuration models that are usually one or two rack units in size, with 12 to 80 ports; and modular switches in which virtually every component, from the CPU card to power supplies to switch cards, are individually installed in a chassis.
In general, switch model designations start with WS-C or C, followed by the model line (e.g. C9600). A letter at the end of this number signifies a special feature, followed by the number of ports (usually 24 or 48) and additional nomenclature indicating other features like UPOE (e.g. C9300-48U). Catalyst 9000 switches also include software subscription license indicators (e.g. C9200-48T-P, E for Essentials, A for Advantage and P for Premier)
Cisco modular switches offer a configurable selection of chassis, power supplies, line cards and supervisor modules. Among Cisco's modular series are:
Base Model | Form Factor | Variants | Available ports/Modules | Number of power supplies | Number/Type of supervisors | Expansion type | Sync | End-of-life (only major notices listed) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catalyst 2940 [19] | Fixed | 2940 | 8 8P8C/1 8P8C 8 8P8C/1 8P8C or 1 SFP [20] | 1 (fixed) | None | None | None | Announced 2009 [21] | |
Catalyst 2900 [22] | Fixed | 2918 2926 2948 2980 [23] | 24 8P8C 48 8P8C | None | None | None | Announced 2007 (all except 2918), [24] Announced 2015 (2918 only) | ||
Catalyst 2950 [25] | Fixed | 2950 2950SX [26] | 12 8P8C 24 8P8C 24 8P8C/2 GBIC or 1000SX 48 8P8C/2 GBIC or 1000SX [27] | 1 (fixed) | None | None | None | Announced 2007 [28] | Optional Gigastack modules [29] |
Catalyst 2960 [30] | Fixed | 2960 2960S [31] 2960CX [32] 2960-X 2960-XR [33] | 8 8P8C/2 SFP 24 8P8C/2 SFP 48 8P8C/4 SFP 24 8P8C/2 SFP+ [34] 48 8P8C/2 SFP+ [34] | 1 (fixed) (*note: cannot stack power, only backplane) | None | None | Stack (up to four 2960-S, up to 8 2960-X or 2960XR) | Announced 2013 (2960 only) [35] Announced 2020 (remainder including 2960-X [36] & 2960-XR [37] ) | PoE only available on models with P designator, 2960C is compact version |
Catalyst 3550 | Fixed | 3550 | 24 8P8C/2 GBIC 48 8P8C/2 GBIC | 1 (fixed) | None | None | None | Announced 2005 [38] | PoE optional, optional Gigastack modules [39] |
Catalyst 3560 [40] | Fixed | 3560 3560V2 3560E [41] 3560C [42] | 8 8P8C/2 SFP or 8P8C 12 8P8C/2 SFP or 8P8C 8 SFP 12 SFP 24 8P8C/2 SFP 48 8P8C/4 SFP 12 X2 [43] 12 SFP/2 X2 | 1 (up to 2 on 3560E only) | None | None (10 Gbit/s options on 3560E only) [44] | Stack (V2 and E only) | Announced 2012 (all except 3560C) [45] | PoE optional, 3560C is compact version |
Catalyst 3750 [46] | Fixed | 3750 3750V2 3750G [47] 3750E 3750-X | 12 SFP 24 8P8C/2 SFP 48 8P8C/4 SFP 24/48 8P8C/2 X2 (3750E) | 1 (up to 2 on 3750V2) | None | None | All are stack capable | Announced 2010 (3750), [48] Announced 2013 (3750V2) [49] | PoE optional |
Catalyst 3750X [50] | Fixed | 3750X | 12 SFP 24 8P8C/2 SFP 48 8P8C/4 SFP | 2 | None | Uplink module with 1- and 10-Gbit/s options [51] | All are stack capable | Announced 2015 [52] | PoE optional |
Catalyst 4900M [53] | Fixed | 4900M | 48 8P8C/4 SFP 48 8P8C/2 X2 28 SFP/2 X2 | up to 2 | None | Various X2 modules | None | Announced 2013 (4900M) [54] |
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Missing 1000, 9600 series.(December 2022) |
Base Model | Form Factor | Variants | Available ports/Modules | Number of power supplies | Number/Type of supervisors | Expansion type | Sync | End-of-life (only major notices listed) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catalyst 3650 [55] | Fixed | 3650 [56] | 24 8P8C/4 SFP 48 8P8C/4 SFP 24 8P8C/2 SFP+ 48 8P8C/2 SFP+ | None | None | Stackwise-160 (requires optional module) | PoE optional | ||
Catalyst 3850 [57] | Fixed | 3850 | 12 SFP 24 8P8C 48 8P8C 12 SFP+ 16 SFP+ 24 SFP+ 32 SFP+ 48 SFP+ [58] | Up to 2, most capable of stacking power | None | 1 Gbit/s, 10 Gbit/s and 40 Gbit/s options on all models [59] | Stackwise-480 | Announced 2019 [60] | PoE optional |
Catalyst 4500 [61] | Chassis | 4503 4503-E 4506 4506-E 4507R 4507R+E 4507R-E 4510R 4510R+E 4510R-E [62] | 24 SFP module 48 SFP module 48 8P8C module | up to 2 | 4503:1, 4506:1, all else:up to 2 [63] Sup II+, Sup III, Sup IV, Sup V (EoSale), Sup 6-E Sup 7-E, Sup 8-E [64] | Line cards | VSS (with Sup7) | Announced 2010 (non-E line cards), [65] Announced 2010 (non-E chassis), [66] Announced 2012 (Supervisor V), [67] Announced 2014 (Supervisor 6-E, Supervisor 6L-E) [68] | PoE optional (per module) |
Catalyst 4500-X [69] | Fixed | 4500-X | 16 SFP+ 32 SFP+ [70] | up to 2 | None | 8 SFP+ module | None | Announced 2019 [71] | Can select front to back or back to front air flow options |
Catalyst 6500-E [72] | Chassis | 6503-E 6504-E 6506-E 6509-E/V-E 6513-E [73] | 4 port, 8 port, 16 port, 24 port and 48 port modules in 10/100/1G/10G/40G speeds of various physical medium [74] | up to 2 | 6503:1, all else:up to 2 [75] Sup 2T, Sup 720 VSS, Sup 720, Sup 32 (EoSale) [76] | Line cards, Firewall, Wireless, Network Analysis (NAM), VPN, Application control engine, ASA Services [77] | VSS (with Sup 720-10G or Sup 2T) [78] | Announced 2012 (Supervisor 32), [79] Announced 2012 (6513 chassis (non-e)) [80] | PoE optional (per module) |
Catalyst 6800 [81] | Both (6840-X and 6800ia models are fixed) | 6880-X 6840-X 6800-XL 6800-ia | Announced 2019 [82] | Can support some 6500 modules (ASA, NAM, WiSM) [83] | |||||
Catalyst 9200 [84] | Fixed | 9200 9200L | 24 port, 48 port, 1 Network Module slot (modular uplinks). 9200L has no modular uplinks, fixed configuration | up to 2 depending on model | None | 4 additional SFP/SFP+ ports or 2 25G/40G SFP on network module | Stackwise-160/80 (requires optional module) | PoE and MGig support on various models | |
Catalyst 9300 [85] | Fixed | 9300 9300L | 24 port, 48 port, 1 Network Module slot. 9300L has no module, fixed configuration | up to 2 depending on model | None | up to 8 additional SFP ports on network module | PoE and MGig support on various models | ||
Catalyst 9400 [86] | Chassis | 9404R 9407R 9410R [87] | 24 8P8C module 48 8P8C module 24 SFP module 48 SFP module 24 SFP+ module 48 SFP+ module [88] | 9404R: up to 4 9407R: up to 8 9410R: up to 8 | 2 dedicated Supervisor engine slots C9400X-SUP-2XL C9400X-SUP-2 C9400-SUP-1XL C9400-SUP-1XL-Y C9400-SUP-1 [89] | Line cards | StackWise Virtual | PoE optional (per module) | |
Catalyst 9500 [90] | Fixed | 12, 24, 32, 40, 48 port 1/10/25/40/100 Gbit fixed configuration | Up to 2 | None |
A network switch is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
The Internetworking Operating System (IOS) is a family of proprietary network operating systems used on several router and network switch models manufactured by Cisco Systems. The system is a package of routing, switching, internetworking, and telecommunications functions integrated into a multitasking operating system. Although the IOS code base includes a cooperative multitasking kernel, most IOS features have been ported to other kernels, such as Linux and QNX, for use in Cisco products.
Carrier Routing System (CRS) is a modular and distributed core router developed by Cisco Systems Inc that enables service providers to deliver data, voice, and video services over a scalable IP Next-Generation Network (NGN) infrastructure. In a network topology, these routers are generally positioned in the core or edge of a service provider network. They are also used by Over-the-top content providers and large enterprises. It supports a wide range of interface speeds and types such as channelized OC3, OC12 to OC768 on Packet over SONET and from 1GE, 10GE all the way to 100GE on the Ethernet technologies. A standalone CRS-3 system can handle 2.2 Tbit/s and a multi-chassis system could be designed to handle 322 Tbit/s.
EtherChannel is a port link aggregation technology or port-channel architecture used primarily on Cisco switches. It allows grouping of several physical Ethernet links to create one logical Ethernet link for the purpose of providing fault-tolerance and high-speed links between switches, routers and servers. An EtherChannel can be created from between two and eight active Fast, Gigabit or 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, with an additional one to eight inactive (failover) ports which become active as the other active ports fail. EtherChannel is primarily used in the backbone network, but can also be used to connect end user machines.
Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) is a Cisco Systems proprietary networking protocol, which is used for the automated, link aggregation of Ethernet switch ports, known as an EtherChannel. PAgP is proprietary to Cisco Systems. A similar protocol known as Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) — released by the IEEE — is an industry standard and is not tied to a specific vendor.
The current portfolio of PowerConnect switches are now being offered as part of the Dell Networking brand: information on this page is an overview of all current and past PowerConnect switches as per August 2013, but any updates on current portfolio will be detailed on the Dell Networking page.
The Cisco Catalyst 6500 is a modular chassis network switch manufactured by Cisco Systems from 1999 to 2015, capable of delivering speeds of up to "400 million packets per second".
Private VLAN, also known as port isolation, is a technique in computer networking where a VLAN contains switch ports that are restricted such that they can only communicate with a given uplink. The restricted ports are called private ports. Each private VLAN typically contains many private ports, and a single uplink. The uplink will typically be a port connected to a router, firewall, server, provider network, or similar central resource.
A stackable switch is a network switch that is fully functional operating standalone but which can also be set up to operate together with one or more other network switches, with this group of switches showing the characteristics of a single switch but having the port capacity of the sum of the combined switches.
The Cisco Nexus series switches are modular and fixed port network switches designed for the data center. Cisco Systems introduced the Nexus Series of switches on January 28, 2008. The first chassis in the Nexus 7000 family is a 10-slot chassis with two supervisor engine slots and eight I/O module slots at the front, as well as five crossbar switch fabric modules at the rear. Beside the Nexus 7000 there are also other models in the Nexus range.
The Cisco Supervisor Engine serves as the management card for modular Cisco switches that can also, in some cases, act as forwarding/routing element.
The Cisco Aggregation Services Router (ASR) series of routers are modular routers produced by Cisco Systems. The highest end of the lineup, the ASR 9000 series, is intended for service provider (SP) core networks.
PAROLI is a proprietary protocol used inside a multi-shelf Carrier Routing System from Cisco and stands for "parallel optical link."
The Dell blade server products are built around their M1000e enclosure that can hold their server blades, an embedded EqualLogic iSCSI storage area network and I/O modules including Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand switches.
FTOS or Force10 Operating System is the firmware family used on Force10 Ethernet switches. It has a similar functionality as Cisco's NX-OS or Juniper's Junos. FTOS 10 is running on Debian. As part of a re-branding strategy of Dell FTOS will be renamed to Dell Networking Operating System (DNOS) 9.x or above, while the legacy PowerConnect switches will use DNOS 6.x: see the separate article on DNOS.
Ethernet Routing Switch 3500 series and Ethernet Routing Switch 2500 series or ERS 3500 and ERS 2500 in data computer networking terms are stackable routing switches designed and manufactured by Avaya.
Dell Networking is the name for the networking portfolio of Dell. In the first half of 2013, Dell started to rebrand their different existing networking product brands to Dell Networking. Dell Networking is the name for the networking equipment that was known as Dell PowerConnect, as well as the Force10 portfolio.
DNOS or Dell Networking Operating System is a network operating system running on switches from Dell Networking. It is derived from either the PowerConnect OS or Force10 OS/FTOS and will be made available for the 10G and faster Dell Networking S-series switches, the Z-series 40G core switches and DNOS6 is available for the N-series switches.
A modular switch or chassis switch is a type of network switch which can be configured using field-replaceable units. These units, often referred to as blades, can add more ports, bandwidth, and capabilities to a switch. These blades can be heterogenous, and this allows for a network based on multiple different protocols and cable types. Blades can typically be configured in a parallel or failover configuration, which can allow for higher bandwidth, or redundancy in the event of failure. Modular switches also typically support hot-swap of switch modules, this can be very important in managing downtime. Modular switches also support additional line cards which can provide new functions to the switch that would previously have been unavailable, such as a firewall. An example of a modular computer network switch is the Cisco Catalyst 6500, which can be configured with up to 13 slots, and supports connections from RJ45 to QSFP+.