Catalyst Switches Support From CCIE and CCNP Qualified Professionals
Cisco's current line of smart switches focus on providing intelligence at the edge of the network, where one network exchanges data with another. The need for intelligence at the edge of the network is being driven primarily by four key trends:
Growth in desktop computing ability
Proliferation of throughput-intensive applications
Expansion of highly sensitive information on the network
Greater variety of devices, such as Voice over IP phones and wireless LAN bridges
The latest corporate applications demand more throughput resulting in the necessity to differentiate and control network traffic. Applications like enterprise resource planning and Voice over IP need a higher priority to network bandwidth than less performance-sensitive applications like FTP or, for messaging, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is no longer acceptable, for example, for a big file transfer destined to a single port on a switch to extend the latency, and reduce the quality, in voice data destined to a different port on a given switch. This condition is eliminated by making sure that voice traffic is properly classified and prioritized throughout the environment.
Cisco switches deliver industry-leading QoS to make sure that network traffic is differentiated and prioritized, and that congestion is eliminated. Set up of QoS is greatly simplified via automatic QoS, a process that detects Cisco IP phones and sets up the switch for the right classification and exit queuing. This optimizes traffic hierarchies and system availability without requiring your network management department to implement a complicated set up strategy.
Through Catalyst switches for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Cisco enables customers to get all the advantages of integrating smart services into their infratstructure. Cisco's switches allow you to install capabilities that make the connectivity environment resilient to accommodate time-critical needs, scalable to support growth, secure enough to guard confidential data, and capable of classifying and prioritizing traffic flows to improve network efficiency.
Cisco Catalyst 2950 Line of Switches Catalyst 2950-24 and 2950-12 fixed-configuration, managed 10/100 switches offer basic workgroup networking for small to medium-size companies. These wire-rate desktop switches deliver Cisco IOS Software functions for simple mixed-media traffic services at the edge of the network.
Cisco Catalyst 2950G-12, 2950G-24, and 2950G-48 switches are stackable devices that provide wire-speed connectivity to the desktop and Gbit uplink speed by means of a variety of available Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) products. These switches, as well as the Cisco 2950T-24 and 2950C-24 products, offer smart services such as resiliency, protection, and quality of service to the network edge by means of the convenient Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS) Software web utility. The appliances also come with Cisco Enhanced Image (EI) Software incorporated to implement intelligent services.
The Catalyst 2950C-24 provides 24 10/100 ports plus two fixed 100BASE ports. The Cisco 2950T-24 provides an easy upgrade path to Gigabit by utilizing in-place copper wiring environments with 24 auto-sensing 10/100 ports plus 2 dedicated 10/100/1000 Ethernet uplinks. Embedded in the Cisco Catalyst 2950 switch is the CMS web-based utility, which enables support personnel simultaneously to configure and troubleshoot multiple Cisco Catalyst desktop products utilizing a standard browser.
Cisco Catalyst 3560 Family Switches Cisco’s Catalyst 3560 family is a selection of non-modular switches that features IEEE 802.3af and prestandard Power over Ethernet capability in Fast Ethernet and Gigabit implementations. Cisco's Catalyst 3560 switch is a proven access-layer switch for small enterprise network connectivity or branch-office environments, combining both Gigabit and PoE options for maximum efficiency and fast ROI while facilitating the deployment of new technology such a IP telephony, WiFi, video monitoring, and remote video kiosks. Customers can deploy comprehensive intelligent services such as advanced QoS, rate management, access control lists (ACLs), multicast administration, and fast IP routing with the ease of conventional network switching.
Cisco's Catalyst 3560 Series switch is provided with a robust array of features that allow for network scalability and enhanced availability via IP routing plus a complete suite of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) enhancements aimed to increase availability in a Layer 2 LAN. Improvements to the standard Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), including PVST+, Uplink Fast, and Port Fast, plus advances like as Flex Links, maximize network efficiency. Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus allows for Layer 2 load sharing on redundant connections to exploit the additional bandwidth associated with a redundant architecture.
Efficient technologies including Open Shortest Path First, Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), static routing, and Policy Based Routing increase network scale; Protocol Independent Multicast optimizes system resources; and Virtual Route Forwarding Lite protects traffic. data.
Catalyst 3750 Family Switches For midsized organizations and corporate local offices, the Cisco Catalyst 3750 switch facilitates deployment of unified technologies and accommodates evolving business needs by providing configuration versatility, ability to manage converged network traffic, and automatic configuration of smart network services. Also, Cisco's Catalyst 3750 Series is optimized for high-density Gigabit Ethernet deployments and incorporates a wide range of switches that comply with connectivity, aggregation, or small-network backbone-interface requirements.
The Cisco Catalyst 3750 switch is available with either the IP Base or the Services image. The IP Base image capabilities include advanced QoS, rate-limiting, ACLs, and basic static and Routing Information Protocol routing capability. The IP Services image provides a richer selection of enterprise-class features, such as advanced built-in IP unicast and multicast routing.
StackWise technology is an architecture optimized for 1000 Ethernet. StackWise is intended to respond to installs, deletions, and redeployments while maintaining constant operation. StackWise technology combines as many as 9 separate switches into a single functional unit, using special stack-interface cables and stacking software. The individual switches can be any mix of the Catalyst 3750 Series and the Cisco Catalyst 3750-E switches. The stack behaves as a single switching appliance that is directed by a control switch, chosen from among the stack of switches. The control switch intelligently builds and keeps current all the switching and user-selected routing databases. A running stack can accept new switches or remove existing switches without operational discontinuity.
Catalyst 4500 Family Switches Catalyst 4500 Series switches are targeted for corporate Local Area Network connectivity, satellite offices, Layer 3 distribution points, small and midsize businesses (SMBs), and metropolitan Ethernet installations. The Catalyst 4500 family consists of a selection of enclosures containing from three to 10 slots and a set of supervisor mechanisms offering up to 136 Gbps of layers 2 through 4 switching. Cisco Catalyst 4500 family switches accept an extensive variety of interface modules, including high-density 10/100, 10/100/1000 (either one with Power over Ethernet options), 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-BX-D, Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
The Cisco's Catalyst 4500 Series offers a price-performance range of chassis: Cisco Catalyst 4510R (10-module capacity) with redundant supervisor option), Cisco's Catalyst 4507R (7 slots) with backup supervisor capability), Cisco Catalyst 4506 (six slots) and Catalyst 4503 (three slots).
Catalyst 4948 Series Switches The Catalyst 4948 switch is a wire-speed, low-latency, layer 2 through layer 4, one RU fixed-configuration switch for rack-optimized server switching. Utilizing the tested Catalyst 4500 Series switch hardware and software architecture, the Catalyst 4948 Series offers exceptional performance and dependability for multilayer aggregation of high performance servers and workstations. High performance and scalability of smart network services is made possible through dedicated resources known as TCAM. Plentiful TCAM resources (64,000 entries) support high feature density, which provides wire-speed routing/switching performance with concurrent support of features such as Quality of Service and protection. This allows scalability for today's traffic requirements with plenty of capacity for future expansion.
The Catalyst 4948 provides 48 ports of wire-speed 10/100/1000 Ethernet with four alternative ports that can accommodate 1000BASE-X Small Form-Factor Pluggable optics. Industry-leading dependability and serviceability are delivered with available internal AC or DC 1 + 1 hot-swappable fault-tolerant power units and redundant fans.
The Catalyst 4948 switch can separate different data link layer network traffic concurrently, while preserving IP address space. The Cisco Catalyst 4948 can halt man-in-the-middle and IP spoofing threats to the rest of community with no modification of the server setup.These attacks can be recorded by the Cisco Catalyst 4948 for security analysis.
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Switches The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is a high-performance modular switch and router engineered for convergence of data center, campus, and WAN in a single system. Enterprise Wide Area Network, Internet connectivity, data center connectivity functions including Multiprotocol Label Switching, resilience, QoS, and protection combined with Cisco IOS Software scalability offer fast ROI in the Local Area Network and expand that value proposition to the WAN.
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches offer a broad selection of interface protocols ranging from DS0 to OC192/STM64, 10BASE-T to 10-Gbps modules. Catalyst 6500 Series switches form the core of enterprise Wide Area Network infrastructure by offering advanced IP routing technologies, built-in IPv4, IPv6, Multiprotocol Label Switching, and outstanding speed incorporated in a single platform. The Catalyst 6500 switch is the premier Cisco Layer 3 switching platform for the corporate WAN, connectivity, aggregation, and core edge of the corporate infrastructure with advantages in expandability and versatility that include 720 Gbps fabric capacity with Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 720, the power to scale up to 400 Mpps performance with intelligent forwarding, 32 Gbps design for low-speed Wide Area Network aggregation, a fast CPU for Layer 3 interface convergence and stability, as well as scalable IP routing and Multiprotocol Label Switching operation accelerated in hardware without throughput loss.
How Progent's Experts Can Help You with Catalyst Products
Progent's CCIE and CCNP qualified support professionals can help you choose and deploy switches in a way that make sense for your current competitive needs and your strategy for downstream expansion. Progent's CCIE can provide enterprise-class troubleshooting for complex network problems, and Progent's on-line service professionals can monitor your network operations and uncover early-stage problems and repair them so they don't seriously disturb productivity. Progent's CISM and CISSP certified security support professionals can help you develop a comprehensive security policy and deploy Cisco switches so they help support your protection plans.
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Catalyst 2950-24 and 2950-12 fixed-configuration, managed 10/100 switches offer basic workgroup networking for small to medium-size companies. These wire-rate desktop switches deliver Cisco IOS Software functions for simple mixed-media traffic services at the edge of the network.
Cisco’s Catalyst 3560 family is a selection of non-modular switches that features IEEE 802.3af and prestandard Power over Ethernet capability in Fast Ethernet and Gigabit implementations. Cisco's Catalyst 3560 switch is a proven access-layer switch for small enterprise network connectivity or branch-office environments, combining both Gigabit and PoE options for maximum efficiency and fast ROI while facilitating the deployment of new technology such a IP telephony, WiFi, video monitoring, and remote video kiosks. Customers can deploy comprehensive intelligent services such as advanced QoS, rate management, access control lists (ACLs), multicast administration, and fast IP routing with the ease of conventional network switching.
For midsized organizations and corporate local offices, the Cisco Catalyst 3750 switch facilitates deployment of unified technologies and accommodates evolving business needs by providing configuration versatility, ability to manage converged network traffic, and automatic configuration of smart network services. Also, Cisco's Catalyst 3750 Series is optimized for high-density Gigabit Ethernet deployments and incorporates a wide range of switches that comply with connectivity, aggregation, or small-network backbone-interface requirements.
Catalyst 4500 Series switches are targeted for corporate Local Area Network connectivity, satellite offices, Layer 3 distribution points, small and midsize businesses (SMBs), and metropolitan Ethernet installations. The Catalyst 4500 family consists of a selection of enclosures containing from three to 10 slots and a set of supervisor mechanisms offering up to 136 Gbps of layers 2 through 4 switching. Cisco Catalyst 4500 family switches accept an extensive variety of interface modules, including high-density 10/100, 10/100/1000 (either one with Power over Ethernet options), 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-BX-D, Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
The Catalyst 4948 switch is a wire-speed, low-latency, layer 2 through layer 4, one RU fixed-configuration switch for rack-optimized server switching. Utilizing the tested Catalyst 4500 Series switch hardware and software architecture, the Catalyst 4948 Series offers exceptional performance and dependability for multilayer aggregation of high performance servers and workstations. High performance and scalability of smart network services is made possible through dedicated resources known as TCAM. Plentiful TCAM resources (64,000 entries) support high feature density, which provides wire-speed routing/switching performance with concurrent support of features such as Quality of Service and protection. This allows scalability for today's traffic requirements with plenty of capacity for future expansion.
The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is a high-performance modular switch and router engineered for convergence of data center, campus, and WAN in a single system. Enterprise Wide Area Network, Internet connectivity, data center connectivity functions including Multiprotocol Label Switching, resilience, QoS, and protection combined with Cisco IOS Software scalability offer fast ROI in the Local Area Network and expand that value proposition to the WAN.
