Catalyst 6500 Architectural Overview 255
*Modules are only supported with Supervisor II.
As mentioned earlier, the Catalyst 6500 is capable of supporting QoS utilizing multiple
modes of software. One software option is to support both the supervisor engine and MSFC
with two separate images; this configuration is known as Hybrid mode. The alternative is
to load one single image to support the entire platform. This software option is referred to
as Cisco IOS (Native mode).
When running in Hybrid mode, the administrator must load one version of code for the
supervisor module, referred to as the Catalyst Operating System (CatOS). If an MSFC
exists on the supervisor, a separate version of IOS supporting the MSFC also needs to be
loaded. The IOS on the MSFC is also responsible for supporting any FlexWAN modules
and installed port adapters.
Native mode allows for the seamless integration of both the supervisor and MSFC, offering
the administrator one command line to configure both components. This chapter provides
numerous examples of the support for QoS in both Hybrid and Cisco IOS. These examples
demonstrate QoS configurations utilizing both modes of operation.
Identifying the Catalyst Software
After the desired operational mode has been determined, it is necessary to download the
appropriate software version. When running Hybrid, as already noted, the administrator
must download separate images for the supervisor and MSFC components. For the super-
visor engine, two software versions are available. One version supports the Supervisor I
module, the other supports the Supervisor II module.
The fundamental difference between the two images is based on the numeric value prefaced
by “cat6000-sup”, which indicates the software is a supervisor image. If the string cat6000-
sup is not immediately followed by a number, the software supports Supervisor I and IA
engines. If the string is followed by a 2, however, the software supports all Supervisor II
Engines. The same naming convention applies to images available for the MSFC. For 6500s
utilizing an MSFC 1, the image name is preceded by “c6msfc”. For switches equipped with
an MSFC 2, the “c6msfc” string is immediately followed by the numeral 2.
Module
Linecard
Composition
Receive
Ports
Transmit
Ports
Priority
Queue
Architecture
to Backplane
WS-X6501 1 X 10GE 1p1q8t 1p2q1t RX/TX Bus/fabric
WS-X6502 1 X 10GE 1p1q8t 1p2q1t RX/TX Bus/fabric
WS-X6516 16 X 10/100/
1000
1p1q4t 1p2q2t RX/TX Bus/fabric
WS-X6524 24 X 100 1p1q0t 1p3q1t RX/TX Bus/fabric
WS-X6548 48 X 10/100 1p1q0t 1p3q1t RX/TX Bus/fabric
WS-X6816* 16 X 1000 1p1q4t 1p2q2t RX/TX Fabric only
Table 8-2 Overview of Modules Supporting QoS (Continued)
256 Chapter 8: QoS Support on the Catalyst 6500
The supervisor engine naming convention for Hybrid images is as follows:
• “cat6000-sup” indicates image supports Supervisor I/IA Engines.
• “cat6000-sup2” indicates image supports Supervisor II Engines.
The MSFC naming convention for Hybrid images is as follows:
• “c6msfc” indicates image supports MSFC 1.
• “c6msfc2” indicates image supports MSFC 2.
When running in Native mode, the image is bundled, incorporating the software essential
for operating both the supervisor and the MSFC. In this instance, the string used to identify
the version of code as a Cisco IOS image is “c6sup”. Again, the numeric values immedi-
ately following the string specify the supervisor and MSFC versions supported by the
image, respectively.
The naming convention for bundled Cisco IOS images is as follows:
• “c6sup11” indicates the image supports Supervisor I/IA engines and MSFC 1.
• “c6sup12” indicates the image supports Supervisor I/IA engines and MSFC 2.
• “c6sup22” indicates the image supports Supervisor II engine and MSFC 2.
NOTE “c6sup” was the original designation used to identify the initial release of Cisco IOS for the
Catalyst 6500. Images with this naming convention supported platforms with a Supervisor
I Engine and MSFC 1.
Table 8-3 summarizes some of the fundamental differences applicable to operating in
Hybrid and Native modes on the Catalyst 6500. For additional comparative information
about CatOS and Cisco IOS, consult the following technical document at Cisco.com:
“White Paper: Comparison of the Cisco Catalyst and Cisco IOS Operating Systems
for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switch”
www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/si/casi/ca6000/tech/catos_wp.pdf
Table 8-3 Default Differences Between Hybrid and Cisco IOS
Feature HybridCisco IOS
Required software images 2 software images: Supervisor
and MSFC.
1 software image: bundled
Supervisor and MSFC.
Required configuration files 2 configuration files:
Supervisor and MSFC.
1 configuration file: combined
Supervisor and MSFC.
Default interface/port state All ports default to Layer 2
switch ports.
All interfaces default to Layer
3 routed interfaces.
Default interface/port status All ports default to enabled. All interfaces default to
administratively shut down.
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