Re: [nsp] flexwan for 6500

From: Andrew Fort (afort@choqolat.org)
Date: Wed Oct 03 2001 - 18:22:44 EDT


On Wed, Oct 03, 2001 at 08:22:24AM -0700, Benjie Ko wrote:

> Can you please share your experience on a 6509 with
> native IOS 12.1(8a)E3 with the flexwan module
> (WS-X6182-2PA). I want to terminate multiple E1 links
> to this box using PA-8T-V35.

we're just using our native ios cat6k as a colo/managed services ethernet switch, so i cant give you any datapoints on the flexwan. cisco and some on this list have been recommending 12.1(8a)E4, by the way. however, some have attached the words 'moving forward' to their recommendation of this release, and that sort of (wanker) MBA speak bothers me.

the release notes dont describe the reasons why 12.1(8a)E was deleted. can anyone else give bug IDs for why this release was deleted?

> Also, what is the flash card for?

it's slot0: or sup-slot0:, depending on your context. you can store your native IOS on here, as well as your Catalyst OS (you'll want to keep the CatOS handy in case you have to recover the unit). If you have a Sup1 (PFC1), you should keep a MSFC-BOOT (Hybrid mode boot image) on the MSFC bootflash (rp-bootflash: from native IOS context), as you'll need this in recovery procedures also.

Make sure you're comfortable with the mutually inaccessible SP and RP bootflash (i.e., when you're in SP ROMMON, you cant see the RP bootflash, and vice versa).

I'd recommend familiarising yourself with the documentation about switching to Native IOS mode, and recovering from a failed Native IOS image, respectively:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/473/81.shtml
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/473/14.shtml

The recovery procedure on PFC1 (to get native ios running again) in the event of RP bootflash corruption is fairly horrific :). Other than this qualm, we've been impressed with the performance (despite not doing wire-rate everything).

-amf



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