[c-nsp] 7200/NPE-G1 WCCPv2 performance - L2 redirect vs GRE

[Dale Shaw]

Hi all,

Does anyone know whether there is any notable performance difference
with WCCPv2 using L2 redirect vs GRE as a packet forwarding method on
7200s? (NPE-400, NPE-G1,
NPE-G2)?

WCCPv2 is a heavy user of processor cycles on our 7200s so I'm looking
at ways to reduce the impact without performing major heart surgery.
Currently we use GRE but our WCCP-speaking systems (cisco WAAS) are L2
adjacent so L2 redirect is a feasible option.

I'm not familiar enough with the guts of CEF to know whether this is
likely to make a big difference, but I guess there has to be less work
in re-writing a MAC header than completely encapsulating a packet.

cheers,
Dale