System
Overview
The Cajun P550
Routing Switch delivers traditional wire-speed Layer 3 IP
and IPX routing that scales to 18,000,000 packets per
second. The Cajun P550 Routing Switch directs internetwork
traffic 10-100 times faster than more expensive
software-based routers while providing more scalability
than other hardware-based routers. This new technology
provides the wire-speed, gigabit-scaled capacity you need
for Internet traffic, multimedia and client/server
applications in the campus backbone.
The Cajun P550 Routing Switch lets you deploy IP/IPX
routing that is completely standards-compliant and
interoperable. It delivers its performance without
requiring new software, configurations or protocols in
other routers, switches or host computers. The Cajun P550
Routing Switch answers the growing demand for scalable,
flexible, gigabit-speed switching and routing as
data-intensive multimedia applications proliferate, and as
greater shares of traffic involve sites outside individual
LAN boundaries.
Highlights
• Combines 18 million pps of scaleable IP and IPX
routing with industry-leading 45.76 Gbps of backplane
capacity in the same fault-tolerant chassis
• Delivers full Quality of Service (QoS) support for
multimedia through RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol)
• Offers policy-based prioritization and filtering:
IP source and destination address;
IPX service name, service type, network numbers and MAC
address of
sender;
Layer 4 TCP/UDP port number;
• Routes across undersubscribed crossbar switching
fabric; prevents packet loss or delay
• Classic, standards-compliant packet-by-packet routing;
no shortcuts or "marketectures" that require new
software, configurations or protocols in other routers,
switches or hosts
• Intelligent Cache technology maximizes addressing
hits; increases the share of packets taking the fast path
through system
• Delivers a choice of mixing Layer 2-only modules with
new Multilayer Modules to deliver cost-effective switching
and routing - where needed and when needed
• Multilayer Supervisor Module delivers first 1.5
million pps of ASIC-based IP/IPX routing for use by Layer
2 only media modules; more routing horsepower than most
existing routers
• Each Multilayer Supervisor Module maintains a master
table of 16,000 routes; routing scales with Multilayer
Media Modules to 240,000 destination hosts or flows per
system
• Supports a full suite of IP protocols for unicast (OSPF,
RIP, RIP2) and multicast (IGMP, MOSPF, DVMRP); as well as
IPX (RIP and, in later releases, NLSP)
Built on a Solid Foundation
The Cajun P550 Routing Switch combines scalable,
packet-by-packet, IP and IPX routing at wire-speed with
all the unrivaled Layer 2 switching capabilities of the
Cajun P550 Gigabit Switch in the same top-to-bottom,
fault-tolerant, 7-slot chassis. The Cajun P550 Routing
Switch performs the same Layer 3 functions as legacy
software-based routers, but at gigabit speed.
Layer 3 packets transit the Cajun P550 Routing Switch's
undersubscribed crossbar switching fabric, which is
designed to handle as much traffic as users can deliver.
With an unmatched backplane switching capacity of 45.76
gigabits per second (Gbps), the Cajun P550 Routing Switch
is the industry's highest-capacity multilayer switch, and
has a wide range of features that give you the most
flexibility, interoperability and fault-tolerance
available.
Traditional Routing at Wire Speed
The Cajun P550 Routing Switch's new ASIC-based Packet
Routing Engine performs classic packet-by-packet routing
without resorting to shortcuts or proprietary "marketecture"
schemes. The new multilayer modules are also completely
compatible with the existing Cajun P550 Layer 2-only
modules. Network managers can now tailor the precise
proportions of routing and switching performance they
require in their campus networks, either at the center of
the network or near the edge as required.
How Integrated Routing Works
As packets arrive at a Multilayer Media Module they are
switched to find their Layer 2 destinations. Then they can
take either or both of the following paths:
• Layer 2 Path: Frames that are staying in the same VLAN
are buffered for transmission across the switching fabric.
• Layer 3 Path: Frames that are to be routed are sent to
the Packet Routing Engine, which filters and prioritizes
each packet, looks up its next hop, decrements its
time-to-live, and recalculates its checksum. Then frames
are switched at Layer 2 based on their next hops and are
buffered for transmission across the switching fabric.
Quality of Service Support
The Cajun P550 Routing Switch delivers full Quality of
Service (QoS) support for multimedia through RSVP
(Resource Reservation Protocol). It also lets managers
fine-tune internetwork communications by performing policy
IP filtering and prioritization based on source IP
address, destination IP address, Layer 4 TCP/UDP port
number, or IPX filtering and prioritization based on
service name, service type, network numbers and MAC
address of the sender.
The Cajun P550 Routing Switch supports the full suite of
IP protocols for unicast (OSPF, RIP and RIP2) and
multicast (IGMP, MOSPF,PIM and DVMRP), plus IPX (RIP) at
no extra charge.
Modular, Scalable Architecture
The Multilayer Supervisor Module is the first building
block that integrates routing into the Cajun P550 Switch.
This module delivers the first 1.5 million packets per
second of ASIC-based IP/IPX routing capacity, which by
itself, is more routing horsepower than most routers
currently on the market. You can then mix and match the
following new multilayer media modules to provide up to 12
Gigabit Ethernet ports, 60 fiber Fast Ethernet ports or 72
10/100 Ethernet ports in a single Cajun P550 Switch:
• 2-Port Gigabit Ethernet Module that adds 3 million
packets per second of IP/IPX routing capacity to the Cajun
P550 Routing Switch. These modules are available in either
short wavelength (850nM), long wavelength (1300nM) or long
distance (10 Km) versions;
• 10-Port Fiber Fast Ethernet Module that adds 1.5
million packets per second of IP/IPX routing; and
• 12-Port 10/100 Ethernet Module that adds 1.5 million
packets per second of IP/IPX routing.
Optimized for the Campus LAN
Avaya has optimized the Cajun P550 Routing Switch for
campus LAN traffic. Its Intelligent Cache technology
maximizes the chance of addressing "hits," which
increase the share of packets taking the "fast
path" through the system. Each Multilayer Supervisor
Module maintains a table of 16,000 routes that feeds the
caches. Routing scales with media modules to support a
total of 240,000 destination hosts or flows per system.
Comprehensive, Web-Based Management
The capacity and scalability of the Cajun P550 are equaled
by its comprehensive, Web-based management system, which
provides point-and-click configuration of Cajun P550
Switches with any frames-capable Web browser. The system
includes Cajun Web agent software running on the
RISC-based Supervisor Module in the P550 Switch. Standard
with every Cajun P550 Switch, the Supervisor Module
provides Web-based management for all on-board
diagnostics, VLAN management, RMON monitoring and
configuration management.
Administrators can manage and configure multiple Cajun
switches with a Java-based CajunView™ Suite Management
System that runs on Windows NT and Windows 95, and
delivers snap-in HP OpenView support. The SNMP-based
CajunView Suite allows full topology mapping, integrated
drag and drop VLAN management, performance management,
configuration management and integrated alarm and event
logging. Or, the Cajun P550 switch offers a familiar
Command Line Interface for configuration and management.
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