Downloads |
Table Of Contents
Release Notes for Cisco MGX 8950 Software Version 2.1.79
Design Guides and Application Notes
Software/Firmware Compatibility Matrix
Additional Compatibility Information
New Features and Enhancements in Release 2.1.60 through 2.1.79
Hierarchical PNNI (Multiple Peer Group [MPG])
New Features in Release 2.1.70
New Features in Release 2.1.79
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) over ATM using VC Merge
Additional Software Information
Service Class Template File Information
New Hardware Supported in Release 2.1.76
AXSM-1-2488/B (No APS support)
New Commands for the MGX 8850 Switch Only
Previously Undocumented Commands
General Limitations, Restrictions, and Notes
Limitations for rteopt via parallel links
RPM-PR and MPLS Limitations, Restrictions, and Notes
Clearing the Configuration on Redundant PXM45 Cards
Installing and Upgrading to Release 2.1.79
Quickstart Procedures for Software Upgrades
Copying Software Files to the Switch
Upgrade Procedures for PXM45 and AXSM Cards
Upgrade Procedures for RPM-PR Cards
Using XModem to Download Flash to RPM Cards
Troubleshooting Upgrade Problems
Cisco WAN Manager Release 10.5 Documentation
Cisco MGX 8850 Release 2.1 Documentation
Cisco MGX 8950 Release 2.1 Documentation
SES PNNI Release 1.1 Documentation
Cisco WAN Switching Software, Release 9.3 Documentation
MGX 8850 Multiservice Switch, Release 1.1.40 Documentation
MGX 8250 Edge Concentrator, Release 1.1.40 Documentation
MGX 8230 Multiservice Gateway, Release 1.1.40 Documentation
Documentation on the World Wide Web
Contacting TAC by Using the Cisco TAC Website
Known Anomalies in Release 2.1.79
Anomalies Resolved in Release 2.1.79
Anomalies Known in Release 2.1.76
Release Notes for Cisco MGX 8950 Software Version 2.1.79
Contents
About Release 2.1.79
These release notes describe the system requirements, new features, and limitations that apply to Release 2.1.79 for the MGX 8950 multi-service switch. These notes also contain Cisco support information.
Use this document in conjunction with the documents listed in the "Related Documentation" section.
Type of Release
Release 2.1.79 is a maintenance release for the MGX 8850 switch and a hardware and software release for the new MGX 8950 switch.
For information about the MGX 8850, see the "Release Notes for Cisco MGX 8850 Software Version 2.1.79."
About the New MGX 8950 Switch
Description
The MGX 8950 Multiservice Switch was introduced with software release 2.1.76. For your convenience, information from that release is repeated here.
The MGX 8950 switch extends the MGX family to provide backbone switching solutions for major service provider networks.
In its first release, the MGX 8950 leverages the AXSM/B card set currently available on the MGX 8850 for the service modules and the PXM-45/B for the control processor. MGX Release 2.1.76 is the first MGX software to support the MGX 8950 platform.
The MGX 8950 differs from the MGX 8850 in two major areas:
•
The MGX 8950 switch has no future narrowband support capability planned.
•
The majority of features developed in earlier releases of the MGX 8850 switch also apply to the new MGX 8950 switch. Please call Product Management for confirmation of a particular feature.
The XM-60 Switch Fabric Card
In order to increase the switching capacity of the MGX 8950 product, a new switch fabric card was developed, called the XM-60. MGX 8950 can accommodate up to four XM-60 cards, each of which provides up to 60 Gbps of raw switching capacity. MGX 8950 does not use the 45 Gbps switch on the PXM like the MGX 8850, the PXM45/Bs are used as processors and management interfaces. This physically separates the user traffic from the control traffic, an architecture designed for the highest availability. In later releases, an MGX 8950 populated with 4 XM-60 switching fabrics and OC192c/STM64 cards will allow a full-duplex 10 Gbps line rate to each slot (even if one of the XM-60s were to fail). In the first release (2.1.76), the AXSM/B cards will use the XM-60s to achieve full line rate OC48c/STM-1, just as in the MGX 8850.
Software Information
The MGX 8950 uses the same software as the MGX 8850. The initial release of software that supports MGX 8950 is Release 2.1.76. This release also supports MPLS functionality. A later release will add higher speed line cards to fully use the capacity of the XM-60s and the serial lines on the backplane.
PNNI Information
The MGX 8950 uses the same PNNI code base as the MGX 8850, and runs it on the same processor--the PXM45/B. Complete interoperability is tested, and many if not all PNNI features that are supported on the MGX 8850 are supported on MGX 8950.
MPLS Information
MPLS functionality is supported in Release 2.1.76 by using a Route Processor Module (RPM-PR). Please note that since MGX 8950 is intended to be primarily a core platform with the current release, the RPM-PR acts only as the label switch controller for the platform. Even though the RPM-PR is the same one that is supported on the MGX 8850, edge functionality is not provided on the MGX 8950 with Release 2.1.76.
CWM Information
Basic connection provisioning on MGX 8950 is supported by CWM 10.5.10.
Benefits
Network applications that will benefit from the MGX 8950 include the following:
•
•
•
Platforms/Considerations
The MGX 8950 is the high-end platform in the MGX family.
Design Guides and Application Notes
None available. See the "Related Documentation" list for additional customer documentation.
References
None available.
Limitations
•
•
Marketing Contact
Contact Hugues Metayer or David Pool in the Multiservice Switching Business Unit of Cisco.
Locating Software Updates
Software updates are located at Cisco Connection Online (CCO) at http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/beta
Acronyms
Table 1 lists acronyms used in these release notes.
System Requirements
This section describes software compatible with this release, and lists the hardware supported in this release.
Software/Firmware Compatibility Matrix
Table 2 lists Cisco WAN or IOS products that are interoperable with MGX Release 2.1.79.
Table 3 lists the software that is compatible for use in a switch running Release 2.1.79 software. Note that the AXSM/B cards use the same software as AXSM cards.
Table 3 MGX and RPM Software Version Compatibility Matrix
Additional Compatibility Information
The following notes provide additional compatibility information for this release:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hardware Supported
Table 4 lists the hardware supported in Release 2.1.79. Note that the MGX 8950 does not support the AXSM/A or the new AXSM-E cards. If these cards are present, they will show up as "Failed" when the dspcds command is issued.
Hardware Compatibility Matrix
Table 5 shows which back cards can be used with each front card in Release 2.1.79 .
New and Changed Information
This section contains a summary of recent features, hardware, or commands that have been implemented in MGX 8850.
New Features and Enhancements in Release 2.1.60 through 2.1.79
Release 2.1.60 contained these new features:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MGX/BPX APS Interoperability
This feature verifies that the Automatic Protection Switching (APS) feature operates as described in the Telcordia GR-253 standard on both the MGX and the BPX switches.
Benefits
Cisco's multiservice customers, whose networks started out with the BPX as a backbone switch, have APS operation unchanged as their networks evolve to include the MGX 8850 and 8950 switch.
Hierarchical PNNI (Multiple Peer Group [MPG])
Hierarchical PNNI (also referred to as Multiple Peer Group PNNI) allows the growth of PNNI networks to a very large size. As a simple example, a network with two levels of hierarchy and 50 nodes in each peer group and 50 groups would have 2500 nodes. Another way to describe this is as 50 peer groups, each containing 50 nodes. Expanding the same design to 3 levels of hierarchy yields 125,000 nodes. While network topology constraints will usually limit the size to smaller numbers, the growth potential is clear.
The practical size of PNNI networks is limited by several factors, all of which use either processor real time, or memory on the node:
•
•
•
•
•
•
For complete details, refer to the "Cisco MGX and SES PNNI Network Planning Guide" (see "Related Documentation" later in these notes).
The software can support up to 10 hierarchical levels. Testing of 2.1.79 is performed for four hierarchical levels.
To prepare for the future addition of hierarchy to a PNNI network, the addressing scheme should be planned prior to the provisioning of any connections on a PNNI network. If, at any time in the future, hierarchy must be added to a network in which the addressing was not planned properly, connections will have to be re-provisioned using the new addressing scheme.
Benefits
The introduction of hierarchical PNNI enables the building of very large ATM networks. It also enables the growth of flat PNNI networks with the addition of hierarchy. Enabling hierarchy on an existing PNNI network has no impact on existing ATM connections, assuming that the addressing scheme was planned in advance to accommodate hierarchy. Since connections can be managed end-to-end across a hierarchical network, the manageability of networks can be increased in situations that previously required splitting a large network into multiple routing domains.
192 Interfaces on PXM45/B
The PXM45/B module supports up to 192 interfaces. A physical port/trunk, virtual trunk or a logical port is counted as an interface. Among 192 interfaces, up to 100 interfaces can be signaling ports. The other 92 interfaces should be non-signaling ports, such as non self-supporting ports.
Benefits
Support for 192 interfaces allows the ability to completely fill the chassis (12 slots) with broadband service module ports, e.g., AXSM-16-155/B.
UNI 4.0
MGX 8850 switches currently provide UNI signaling compliant with ATM Forum UNI 3.1 (af-uni-0010.002). This feature adds the ability to utilize the UNI 4.0 protocol when connecting to ATM UNI devices that require signaling support. Also included in this feature is support for the ITU signaling specification Q.2931.
Benefits
The UNI 4.0 signaling capability is required to provide complete and standard interoperability with UNI devices in common use. Applications enabled by the full implementation of UNI 4.0 include voice transport, connection to certain class 5 voice switching equipment, and enhanced SVC UNI services including ABR.
AINI
The ATM Inter-Network Interface (AINI) is the new inter-networking standard for PNNI to PNNI, PNNI to B-ISUP, and B-ISUP to B-ISUP internetworking. AINI provides most of the advantages of PNNI networking and allows for a secure interface that does not allow the exchange of network topology and availability information.
AINI provides a resilient interface between networks since it takes advantage of many aspects of PNNI. Despite using static routes, AINI offers crankback, alternate routes, and load balancing across multiple parallel links. Crankback is defined as a mechanism for partially releasing a connection setup in progress, which has encountered a failure. This mechanism allows PNNI to perform alternate routing.
AINI support includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Note
Benefits
AINI allows two or more carriers to interconnect their PNNI-based networks without exchanging topology information. It provides end-to-end provisioning and resiliency of connections. This provides a significant manageability improvement over the traditional method of interconnecting such networks using standard NNI links.
The DSL Forum has defined AINI as the preferred protocol for interconnecting ATM switches with DSLAMs. This feature allows use of the MGX 8850 in applications such as DSL, wireless, and other aggregation applications.
LDP on RPM-PR
The MPLS label distribution protocol (LDP), as standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and as enabled by Cisco IOS software, allows the construction of highly scalable and flexible IP Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that support multiple levels of services.
LDP provides a standard methodology for hop-by-hop, or dynamic label, distribution in an MPLS network by assigning labels to routes that have been chosen by the underlying Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing protocols. The resulting labeled paths, called label switch paths or LSPs, forward label traffic across an MPLS backbone to particular destinations. These capabilities enable service providers to implement Cisco's MPLS-based IP VPNs and IP+ATM services across multivendor MPLS networks.
From an historical and functional standpoint, LDP is a superset of Cisco's pre-standard Tag Distribution Protocol (TDP), which also supports MPLS forwarding along normally routed paths. For those features that LDP and TDP share in common, the pattern of protocol exchanges between network routing platforms is identical. The differences between LDP and TDP for those features supported by both protocols are largely embedded in their respective implementation details, such as the encoding of protocol messages, for example.
This software release of LDP provides the means for transitioning an existing network from a TDP operating environment to an LDP operating environment. Thus, you can run LDP and TDP simultaneously on any given router platform. The routing protocol that you select can be configured on a per-interface basis for directly connected neighbors and on a per-session basis for non directly connected (targeted) neighbors. In addition, a label switch path (LSP) across an MPLS network can be supported by LDP on some hops and by TDP on other hops.
Benefits
•
•
•
Multi-LVC on RPM
This feature enables support for initiation of Multiple label switched paths (LSPs) per destination on the RPM. Different label switched paths are established for different class of services. This feature enables interface level queueing rather than per-vc level on the RPM based on MPLS class of service policy.
Benefits
Customers can deploy IP VPN services with Class of Service SLAs.
RPM 1:N Redundancy
RPM 1:N redundancy is used to switch configuration and traffic from one RPM card to another. The main benefits are:
•
•
•
switchredcd Command on RPM-PR
The MGX RPM-PR now uses the switchredcd command to change active cards. This command replaces the softswitch command that was previously used and is now obsolete.
Enter the switchredcd command to manually change the active card to the standby card. You may want to do this if you need to remove the original active card from the MGX 8850 or MGX 8950 shelf.
Note
Using switchredcd to Change the Active Card
To change the active cards, follow the steps below, in which the primary or active card in slot 2 is switched to standby or secondary, and the standby card in slot 11 is switched to primary or active.
Step 1
Unknown.7.PXM.a > switchredcd 2 11switchredcd:Do you want to proceed (Yes/No)? ywhere 2 is the active or primary card and 11 is the standby or secondary card.
The card in slot 11 is now the active RPM-PR card, and the RPM-PR card in slot 2 is reset. It comes up in standby mode after a couple of minutes.
The new active card will not revert to standby mode automatically. Enter switchredcd to manually switch over the active card back to standby mode. This is the only way the active card will switch over to standby, unless the active card fails.
Step 2
Unknown.7.PXM.a > switchredcd 11 2switchredcd:Do you want to proceed (Yes/No)? ywhere 11 is now the active card and 2 is now the standby/secondary card.
New Features in Release 2.1.70
The following features were new in release 2.1.70:
•
Config Verify
This is an off-line utility that runs on a Solaris workstation to verify the integrity of configuration files transferred from the hard disk of the MGX 8850 to the Solaris workstation. This tool helps validate uploaded configuration files.
New Features in Release 2.1.79
Release 2.1.79 was a maintenance release.
Release 2.1.76 introduced Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) over ATM using virtual circuit (VC) merge.
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) over ATM using VC Merge
The virtual circuit (VC) merge facility allows a switch to aggregate multiple incoming flows with the same destination address into a single outgoing flow. Wherever VC merge occurs, several incoming labels are mapped to one single outgoing label. Cells from different virtual channel identifiers (VCIs) going to the same destination are transmitted to the same outgoing VC using multipoint-to-point connections. This sharing of labels reduces the total number of VCs required for label switching.
Without VC merge, each path consumes one label VC on each interface along the path. VC merge reduces the label space shortage by sharing labels for different flows with the same destination. Therefore, VC-Merge connections are unidirectional, and furthermore, all merged connections must be of the same service type.
Note
VC Merge is enabled by default when the MPLS over ATM network is configured and is only used when the RPM is used as an LSC (Label Switch Controller). Because it is enabled by default, the only commands necessary are:
no tag-switching atm vc-merge to disable VC Merge
and
tag-switching atm vc-merge to enable VC Merge
For more information, see MPLS Label Switch Controller and Enhancements at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/software/ios122/122newft/122t/122t8/ftlsc.htm#xtocid15
Enhancements
The product enhancement requests (PERs) in Table 6 were included in MGX 8850 and/or MGX 8950 Releases 2.1.70 through 2.1.76. Refer to the "MGX 8850 and MGX 8950 Command Reference for Release 2.1"at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/wanbu/8850r21/index.htm for further details about the commands mentioned in these enhancements.
Additional Software Information
MIB
The SNMP MIB release for 2.1.76 is mgxmibs2176.tar.
Service Class Template File Information
The Service Class Template (SCT) bundle in release 2.1.79 includes updates:
•
•
•
The default SCTs provided with release 2.1.79 are as follows:
AXSM and AXSM/B
•
•
•
•
AXSM-E
•
•
•
Note
New Hardware Supported in Release 2.1.76
No new hardware was introduced in release 2.1.79, however the following new hardware was supported by Release 2.1.76 software:
•
•
AXSM-1-2488/B (No APS support)
The AXSM-1-2488/B/(OC-48/STM-16) is a double-height ATM service module that uses serial line traces to access the crossbar switching fabric. It supports 1:1 module redundancy and provides ATM switching and line functions. A future software release will activate the APS capability on the AXSM-1-2488/B.
One port is supported per single-height back card (SMFSR, SMFLR)
Benefits
This card is targeted for service providers using MGX 8950 and those who prefer to use a single OC-48/STM-16 card type for both MGX 8950 and the MGX 8850.
New and Changed Commands
Before the introduction of the MGX 8950 switch, releases 2.1.60 and 2.1.70 introduced many new commands. The commands that are common to both the MGX 8850 and MGX 8950 switches are listed in "New Commands". The commands that are unique to the MGX 8850 switch are listed under "New Commands for the MGX 8850 Switch Only." There are no commands that are unique to the MGX 8950 switch.
Please refer to the "MGX 8850 and MGX 8950 Command Reference, Release 2.1" (part DOC7812563=) for details about these commands (see the "Related Documentation" section later in these notes for additional documentation that supports this release).
New Commands
Caution
The command switchredcd is new to release 2.1.79, and makes softswitch obsolete. It is used to manually change the active card to the standby card.
These commands were new in Release 2.1.60:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
These commands were new to Release 2.1.70.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
New Commands for the MGX 8850 Switch Only
The following new commands apply only to the MGX 8850 switch:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Changed CLI Commands
There are no changed commands in this maintenance release.
This command was changed in release 2.1.79:
•
Removed Commands
These commands were removed from release 2.1.70
•
•
•
Previously Undocumented Commands
The following commands are now documented in the "MGX 8850 and MGX 8950 Command Reference, Release 2.1":
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Limitations and Restrictions
This section describes the following issues for Releases 2.1.60 through 2.1.79:
•
•
•
•
General Limitations, Restrictions, and Notes
The following limitations and restrictions apply to this release.
Note
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Limitations for rteopt via parallel links
The following are limitations for rteopt via parallel link.
link 1 . . . . . .. . . .. . . . .link 2
Node A ------------- Node B -------------- Node C
fwd & bwd aw= 500 fwd & bwd aw= 1000
-------------
link 3 fwd & bwd aw = 2000
Configuration:
•
•
•
•
Scenario 1: Link 2 is down (e.g., via dnpnport), connections are re-routed right away but Node A hasn't had that info updated in the routing tables yet.
So SPVC on Node A will have routing cost = 2*500 + 2*1000 = 3000, but since link 2 is down, Node B will choose link 3. But the routing cost on Node A SPVC is still 3000 as it did the calculation during the route search.
Now if link 2 is up, if you do rteopt on Node A, it gets the new route, the new path selected has a cost of 3000.
Since spvc has 3000, it doesn't re-route through link 2.
Scenario 2: Instead of link 2 down, if there is a crankback on link 2, the same result stated above will happen.
Scenario 3 (for CBR and VBR): link selection is set as maxavcr or maxcr or random on node B (via cnfpnni-selection) If link 2 has less bandwidth than link 3, and the link selection criteria at Node B is set to maxavcr, Node A will still put the cost as 3000 with least aw calculation, but Node B will choose link 3 (even though it is costlier) because it has more bandwidth.
