[nsp] 7609 IOS

[Lars Erik Gullerud]

On Wed, 2002-11-27 at 20:51, sthaug@nethelp.no wrote:
> > It seems that only OSM modules can run MPLS protocol in order to be a P
> > interface, and also only OSM interfaces can be configured in VRF's as PE
> > interfaces.
> 
> That's our conclusion too. Since the GE-WAN OSM port price is rather
> high compared to normal 6516 or 6816 ports, we try to only use them
> when we have to. Currently we're testing a solution based on 6516 to
> connect to lots of other switches, and then an external connection
> from a 6516 port to a GE-WAN port in order to put only those VLANs
> we need into VRFs.

I'm no hardware guru on the 6500/7600 platforms, but I would assume that
is because of the fact that non-OSM modules have their non-L2 packets
switched (well, actually "rewritten") by the PFC2, whose ASICs aren't
MPLS-capable? While the OSM modules, who do dCEF directly on the
linecards handle the labels there. (Whether they are using the PXF's or
something else for this, someone @cisco.com can probably answer...)

/leg