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In reply to post:
From: markv@vcd.hp.com (Mark Vanderford)
Subject: cisco 7000

> I recently read in some trade rags about the New and Improved cisco 7000
> router.  Could someone at cisco, or anyone else, provide some of the
> details that were missing from the article that I saw?  I'm most interested
> in cost, availability, features, performance, compatibility, &c.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> 
> Mark Vanderford
> Vancouver Division - Hewlett-Packard Co.
> markv@vcd.hp.com

Certainly! We announced our new router platform this Tuesday (January 19th).

Although there's lots to describe (the product announcement was over 25 pages
of close-set type!), let me give the basics. For more specifics, contact our
Customer Service help desk at 800-553-NETS, or send e-mail to cs@cisco.com.

Here's the major points:

The Cisco 7000 is a 7-slot router, of which two slots are filled with a pair
of new processors: the Route Processor, and the Switch Processor. The other
five slots are available for interface cards (more on those below).

The Route Processor is a combination of the CPU, Environmental Monitor and
Flash Memory cards all in one. It is based on a Motorola 68040 @ 25MHz CPU,
with 16MB of DRAM, 4MB of Flash RAM, and 128K of NVRAM (non-volatile RAM). It
can also accept an 8MB Flash "Credit Card" for future software versions.
(When our software image size gets REALLY gross! ;-)

The Switch Processor acts like a souped-up cBus Controller. With it, the 7000
performed 66% faster than any other router ever tested by LANQuest Labs (the
old records being set by our AGS+/4 just last year!)  The tests run by
LanQuest Test Labs and Scott Bradner at Harvard show significantly better
performance than the Wellfleet BLN and Digital DECNIS 600 as well. For
examples, the Cisco 7000 slammed 107,000 pps through a five-to-five Token
Ring test, and 110,000 pps on a one-to-one FDDI test. The Cisco 7000's best
results were 115,000 pps on a ten-to-ten Ethernet test run by Scott Bradner
at the Harvard Network Device Test Lab. (Whereas the competition were rated
in the 50,000-80,000 pps ranges.)

Key reasons for the outstanding performance are two new buses built into the
architecture. The Route Processor and Switch Processor communicate directly
over a new bus, dubbed the SxBus. Another bus, the dBus, is used for
housekeeping and diagnostic communications (such as SNMP management) between
the Route Processor and all the other cards in the system. These two separate
buses off-load traffic from the main 533 Mbps CxBus, which is used primarily
for passing data.

The five other slots in the chassis accept any of the available interface
cards. (Yup, no more memorizing which cards have to go in which slots!)
All cards provide equivalent or better performance than similar AGS+ cBus
cards, but they are not mutually compatible (different form factor, design,
microcode, etc.)

Interface cards that are currently available include up to 6-port Ethernet,
4-port Token Ring, Dual-Attached FDDI, 4-port Serial (8-port Serial will be
available later this calendar year). HSSI will be available very soon. Other
future interfaces include ATM (at SONET and 100 Mbps rates), 48 channelized
serial interfaces, ISDN PRI (23B+D and 30B+D), and IBM channel for ES/9000
and S/370 systems.

The interface cards have their ports built right into them -- no more
appliques. For example, the 6-port Ethernet card has 6 AUI connectors built
right on to it. The only card that is the exception is the 4/8-port serial
card. This interface card has slots for mini-connectors, called "Port
Adapters" (PAs). Each PA has the circuitry required to support a specific
type of synchronous serial signalling: RS-232, RS-449, V.35 or X.21. The
physical connector on the interface is a generic high-density serial port,
which then breaks out to standard physical interfaces (DB-25 for RS-232,
34-pin for V.35, etc.) using a transition cable. You can mix any type of PAs
on a single 4 or 8 port card to meet your desired configuration, and they are
included in the cost of the card itself. Spare PAs are also available if you
change your configuration at a later date.

Day-to-day workings should be helped by two other major features:
  1) On-line insertion and removal of interface cards, and
  2) Dual hot-swappable power supplies for redundancy.
Now, you can replace some major failing components without taking the *whole*
box down!

Physically, the unit is big and beautiful (IMHO). Big in the literal sense --
the router itself is 150 lbs/70 kg fully configured. (With packing materials &
documents that's 200 lbs/90 kg shipping weight!) By beautiful, I mean it looks
great, both front and back. The casing is a dark blue/black, similar to the
Cisco 4000 design. The interface cards are recessed from the back of the
chassis, so cables and connectors have a bit more room to play around inside a
cramped rack. Each interface card and power supply has a handle to pull it
out with, and the interface cards have both screws and snaps to lock them in
place.

Well, so much for the blatant propaganda. Please let me know if you have any
feedback regarding the Cisco 7000. As always, I remain...

At your service!

-Peter Corless.

 -------------------------------------------------------
 Peter Corless
 Cisco Customer Service
 US Federal Business Representative
 -------------------------------------------------------
 e-mail: pcorless@cisco.com    toll free: (800) 553-NETS
 fax:       (415) 903-8080     direct:    (415) 903-8723