[c-nsp] Cat6500 - Support for MPLS and IPv6

[Phil Mayers]

Dean Smith wrote:
> We can't moan about IOS deficiencies....and also moan when Cisco take the
> opportunity of fundamentally new hardware to fundamentally re-architect the
> software to fix those problems.

You've completely mis-understood what I said.

> 
> I like many I suspect have been suffering recently. They don't seem to be
> able to add a feature (or even fix a bug) without breaking 2 others. And not
> minor breaks but fundamental things like QoS in recent mainline 12.4 code.
> 
> Its killing us in terms of testing. We cant simply do a few spot checks - we
> have to check every release we want to use in fine detail. 
> 
> I'm hoping that something like IOS XE will give a clean break with the
> legacy code base (at least on some platforms). Of course time will tell and
> I'm hopeful....not confident!

"On some platforms". IOS XE is, so far, for the ASR. As was debated at 
length, we now have a vendor (supposedly) supporting IOS "basic", IOS 
modular, IOS XR (GSR/CRS), NX-OS on the nexus 7000, and various 
IOS-alike software on bought-in products like the WISM, ACE and of 
course, PIX-os.

The issue is not an attempt to re-architect. It's 4 (ION, IOS-XR, NS-OS, 
IOS XE), on platforms with partially overlapping coverage.

I contend that the experiences you and others are suffering are an 
inevitable result of Cisco diluting their software development efforts, 
and that it ought to be possible to maintain *TWO* trains:

  1. IOS classic, which will clearly be maintained forever

  2. IOS "new" (take your pick which of the above it should be) which 
runs on everything new, and would hopefully not look like something from 
the 1970s

Zooming back out further to a point made previously in the thread; it 
seems readily apparent that the Cisco business units are increasingly 
doing their own thing, and in some cases actively competing with each 
other. I believe the dilution of their effort is a result of this and 
harms the customer.