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C H A P T E R

Overview 1-1

1

OverviewThe Catalyst 3500 series XL switches are workgroup Ethernet switches that supply GigabitEthernet and autosensing 10BaseT or 100BaseTX connections in individual switches andin clustered configurations. These switches—also referred to as 3500 XL switches—can bedeployed as backbone switches aggregating 10/100 and Gigabit Ethernet traffic from otherswitches and hubs or in mixed configurations connecting hubs, switches, servers, anddesktop computers or servers.

This chapter is a functional overview of the 3500 XL switches. The following topics brieflydescribe the components and features that are shared by the switches in the series:

• Switch features

• Descriptions of the front and rear panels

• Management options

• Examples of the 3500 XL switches in different network topologies

Switch FeaturesThe Catalyst 3500 XL switches are members of an extended network system of stackable,modular LAN and WAN products that increase LAN performance, connect remote officesand users, and provide secure access.

Figure 1-1 shows the four models of the switches, and Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 list their keyfeatures. Switches running standard edition software are designated by the letter A, andswitches running Enterprise Edition Software are designated by the letters EN.

Switch Features

Catalyst 3500 Series XL Installation Guide1-2

Figure 1-1 Catalyst 3500 Series XL Switches

8 fixed GBIC1-based Gigabit Ethernet ports

12 fixed autosensing10/100 Ethernet ports 2 fixed GBIC-based Gigabit Ethernet ports

24 fixed autosensing 10/100 Ethernet ports

2 fixed GBIC-based Gigabit Ethernet ports

48 fixed autosensing 10/100Ethernet ports

2 fixed GBIC-based GigabitEthernet ports

2801

1

Version Description Switch

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

56

78

43

21

1

2

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

1

2

1. GBIC = Gigabit Interface Converter

WS-C3508G-XL-A

WS-C3508G-XL-EN

WS-C3512-XL-A

WS-C3512-XL-EN

WS-C3524-XL-A

WS-C3524-XL-EN

WS-C3548-XL-A

WS-C3548-XL-EN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121X

2X

11X

12X

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121X

2X

11X

12X

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2413X

14X

23X

24X

2

1

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUS

UTIL

DUPLEX

MODE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 161X

2X

15X

16X

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3217X

18X

31X

32X

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 4833X

34X

47X

48X

Overview 1-3

Switch Features

Table 1-1 Catalyst 3508G XL Features

Feature Description

Performance and Configuration • 8 GBIC-based 1000BaseX Gigabit Ethernet slots

• Support for up to 250 port-based virtual LANs (VLANs)

• Inter-Switch Link (ISL) and IEEE 802.1Q trunking support on allports (Enterprise Edition software only)

• IEEE 802.1p capable

• High-speed EtherChannel connections between switches and servers

• 8192 MAC addresses

• Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP support

• Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP) to limit the flooding ofIP multicast traffic

• Broadcast storm control to prevent performance degradation frombroadcast storms

• Support for Cisco GBIC modules

— 1000BaseSX GBIC module

— 1000BaseLX/LH GBIC module

— GigaStack GBIC module

• Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) port monitoring on any port

Management • Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI) through the console port orTelnet

• CiscoView device-management application

• Cluster management, a web-based tool for managing switch clustersthrough a single IP address

• Cisco Visual Switch Manager (CVSM) and Cisco Switch NetworkView, web-based tools for managing individual switches and viewingthe network

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

Redundancy • Connection for optional Cisco 600W Redundant Power System(RPS) that operates on AC input and supplies DC output to the switch

Switch Features


Table 1-2 Catalyst 3512, 3524, and 3548 XL Features

Feature Description

Performance and Configuration • Autonegotiation of speed and duplex operation on 10/100 Ethernet ports

• 12, 24, or 48 10/100 Ethernet ports and 2 GBIC-based Gigabit Ethernet slots

• Support for up to 250 port-based VLANs

• ISL and IEEE 802.1Q trunking support on all ports (Enterprise Editionsoftware only)

• High-speed EtherChannel connections between switches and servers

• 8192 MAC addresses

• Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP support

• IEEE 802.1p capable

• CGMP to limit the flooding of IP multicast traffic

• Broadcast storm control to prevent performance degradation from broadcaststorms

• Support for Cisco GBIC modules

— 1000BaseSX GBIC module

— 1000BaseLX/LH GBIC module

— GigaStack GBIC module

• SPAN port monitoring on any port

Management • Cisco IOS CLI through the console port or Telnet

• CiscoView device-management application

• Cluster management, a web-based tool for managing switch clusters througha single IP address

• CVSM and Cisco Switch Network View, web-based tools for managingindividual switches and viewing the network

• SNMP

Redundancy • Connection for optional Cisco 600W RPS that operates on AC input andsupplies DC output to the switch

Overview 1-5

Front-Panel Description

Front-Panel DescriptionThe switch front panel contains the ports and the LEDs. This section describes thesefeatures.

10/100 PortsFigure 1-2 shows the 10/100 Ethernet ports on the switches. The switch 10/100 Ethernetports are internally switched to all other switch ports and use RJ-45 connectors andCategory 5 cabling. They operate at either 10 or 100 Mbps in full or half duplex. Forautonegotiation with other devices, the ports are IEEE 802.3u-compliant.

When connected to another device, a port senses the speed and duplex settings of theattached device and advertises its own capabilities. If the connected device also supportsautonegotiation, the switch port negotiates the best connection (that is, the fastest line speedthat both devices support and full-duplex transmission, if the attached device supports it)and configures itself accordingly. Ports can also be explicitly set to operate in anycombination of half duplex, full duplex, 10 Mbps, or 100 Mbps. In all cases, the attacheddevice must be within 100 meters of the switch.



Figure 1-2 Catalyst 3512, 3524, and 3548 XL Switches

GBIC module slots10/100 ports

2623

5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121X

2X

11X

12X

SYSTEM

RPS

SPEED

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

2

1

GBIC module slots10/100 ports

2623

7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

1X

2X

11X

12X

13X

14X

23X

24X

2

1

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

SPEED

GBICmodule slots

10/100 ports

2

1

2801

0

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUS

UTIL

DUPLX

MODE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 161X

2X

15X

16X

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3217X

18X

31X

32X

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 4833X

34X

47X

48X

Overview 1-7

1000BaseX Ports

1000BaseX PortsThe Catalyst 3508G XL switch has eight 1000BaseX Gigabit Ethernet slots, and theCatalyst 3512, 3524, and 3548 XL switches have two1000BaseX Gigabit Ethernet slots.Figure 1-2 and Figure 1-3 show the GBIC slots for the switches.

Figure 1-3 Catalyst 3508G XL Switch

These switches have no factory installed GBIC modules. GBIC modules can be orderedseparately.

The 3500 XL switches support the following Cisco GBIC modules:

• 1000BaseSX module

• 1000BaseLX/LH module

• GigaStack GBIC module

Refer to the documentation that came with your GBIC module for more information onGBIC installation.

GBIC module slots

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

7

3

1896

6

56

8

4

21



Figure 1-4 shows a GBIC module installation.

Figure 1-4 Installing a GBIC Module in the Switch

SYSTEMRPS

STATUSMODEUTIL

23

1

DUPLXSPEED

1896

5

1000BaseX GBIC moduleGBIC module slot

Metal flap door

Overview 1-9

1000BaseX Ports

The GigaStack GBIC supports one full-duplex link (in a point-to-point configuration) or upto nine half-duplex links (in a stack configuration) to other Gigabit Ethernet devices. Usingthe required Cisco proprietary signaling and cabling, it operates within distances of lessthan 1 meter. The GigaStack GBICs can be installed in any of the GBIC slots on the3500 XL switches. For additional instructions on installing and cabling a GigaStack GBIC,refer to theCatalyst GigaStack Gigabit Interface Converter Installation Guide.

Figure 1-5 shows a GigaStack GBIC module installation.

Figure 1-5 Installing a GigaStack GBIC in the Switch

SYSTEMRPS

STATUSMODEUTIL

2208

1

23

1

DUPLXSPEED

GBIC module slot

GigaStackGBIC Module

Metal flap door

1 2



LEDsYou can use the switch LEDs described in this section to monitor switch activity and itsperformance. Figure 1-6, Figure 1-7, and Figure 1-8 show the location of the LEDs and theMode button that you use to select one of the port modes. Changing a port mode changesthe information provided by each port status LED.

All of the LEDs described in this section except the utilization meter (UTL) are visible onthe CVSM home page and Cluster Manager page. TheCisco IOS Desktop SwitchingSoftware Configuration Guidedescribes how to use CVSM to monitor individual switchesand how to use cluster management software to monitor all the switches in a cluster.

Figure 1-6 Catalyst 3508G XL LEDs

SYSTEMRPS

STATUSMODEUTIL

23

1

DUPLXSPEED

1896

1

GBIC module slot LEDs

System LED

Status LED

Speed LED

Utilization LED

Mode button Redundant power system LED

Duplex LED

Overview 1-11

LEDs

Figure 1-7 Catalyst 3512 and 3524 XL LEDs

The 10/100 ports on the Catalyst 3512, 3524, and 3548 XL switches are grouped in pairs.For example, in Figure 1-7 and Figure 1-8, pair 1 and 2 is the left-most pair. The firstmember of the pair (port 1) is above the second member (port 2). Port 3 is above port 4, andso on.

2202

8

Port LEDs

System LED

Status LED

Speed LED

Utilization LED

Mode button Redundant power system LED

Duplex LED

MODE

SYSTEMRPS

STATUSUTIL

DUPLXSPEED

2X

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121X

11X

12X



Figure 1-8 Catalyst 3548 XL LEDs

System LEDThe system LED shows whether the system is receiving power and is functioning properly.Table 1-3 lists the LED colors and their meanings.

Table 1-3 System LED

Color System Status

Off System is not powered up.

Green System is operating normally.

Amber System is receiving power but is not functioning properly.

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUS

UTIL

DUPLX

MODE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 161X

2X

15X

16X

2832

5

Port LEDs

System LED

Status LED

Speed LED

Utilization LED

Mode labelRedundant power system LED

Duplex LED

Overview 1-13

LEDs

RPS LEDThe Redundant Power System (RPS) LED shows the RPS status. Table 1-4 lists the LEDcolors and their meanings.

Table 1-4 RPS LED

Port Mode and Port Status LEDsCatalyst 3500 XL switches have four LED modes, each providing different informationabout a particular port or about the switch itself. The Mode button (shown in Figure 1-6 andFigure 1-7) and the Mode label (shown in Figure 1-8) highlights each mode in sequence.

Color RPS Status

Off RPS is off or is not installed.

Green RPS is operational.

Blinking green The RPS and the switch AC power supply are both powered up. If theswitch power supply fails, the switch powers down and after 15 secondsrestarts, using power from the RPS. The switch goes through its normalboot sequence when it restarts.

Note This is not a recommended configuration.

Amber RPS is connected but not functioning properly. One of the power suppliesin the RPS could be powered down, or a fan on the RPS could have failed.

Note If you are using an RPS with a revision level lower than Z3 with aCatalyst 3508G or a Catalyst 3548 XL switch, the switch RPS LED mightdisplay amber (normally indicating an RPS malfunction) even when theRPS is functioning properly. The LEDs display correctly for RPS revisionlevel Z3 or later. The label on the bottom of the RPS shows the revision level.



LED modes provide the following information:

See Table 1-5 for a description of the LED colors and their meanings for the differentmodes.

Changing the Port Mode

To change the port mode, press the Mode button (see Figure 1-9) to highlight in sequenceeach of the possibilities. Release the button to enable the highlighted function.

Note To change the port mode in the Catalyst 3548 XL switch, press the Mode label.

Figure 1-9 Changing the Port Mode

STATUS The port status. This is the default mode.

UTL The current bandwidth in use by the switch.

DUPLEX The port duplex mode: full duplex or half duplex.

SPEED The port operating speed: 10, 100, or 1000 Mbps.

SYSTEMRPS

STATUSMODEUTIL

23

1

DUPLXSPEED

1896

2

Mode button

Overview 1-15

LEDs

Interpreting LEDs after a Mode ChangeWhen you change port modes, the meaning of LED colors also changes. Table 1-5 explainshow to interpret the LED colors after you change the mode.

Table 1-5 Meaning of LED Colors in Different Modes

Port Mode LED Color Meaning

STATUS (port status) Off No link.

Solid green Link present.

Flashing green Activity; port is transmitting or receiving data.

Alternating green-amber Link fault. Error frames can affect connectivity, and errorssuch as excessive collisions, CRC errors, and alignment andjabber errors are monitored for a link-fault indication.

Solid amber Port is not forwarding. Port was disabled by management or anaddress violation or was blocked by Spanning-Tree Protocol(STP).

Note After a port is reconfigured, the port status LED canremain amber for up to 30 seconds as STP checks the switch forpossible loops.

UTL (utilization) Green The LEDs display backplane utilization on a logarithmic scale.

If all port status LEDs are green, the switch is using 50% ormore of its total bandwidth capacity. If the right-most LED isamber, the switch is using less than 50% of its total bandwidth.If the LED to the left of the right-most LED is amber, theswitch is using less than 25% of its total capacity, and so on.

See Figure 1-10, Figure 1-11, and Figure 1-12 for details.

DUPLEX Off Port is operating in half-duplex.

Green Port is operating in full-duplex.



Figure 1-10, Figure 1-11, and Figure 1-12 show the bandwidth utilization percentagesdisplayed by the right-most LEDs.

Figure 1-10 Bandwidth Utilization for the Catalyst 3508G XL

Figure 1-11 Bandwidth Utilization for the Catalyst 3524 XL

SPEED (speed) 10/100 ports

Off Port is operating at 10 Mbps.

Green Port is operating at 100 Mbps.

1000BaseX ports

Off Port is not operating.

Green Port is operating at 1000 Mbps.

Table 1-5 Meaning of LED Colors in Different Modes (Continued)

Port Mode LED Color Meaning

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUS

MODE

UTIL

DUPLX

2200

6

Catalyst 3500 XL

7 83 5 6421

< 25%

25% – 49% +

50% +

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUSMODE

UTIL

DUPLX

2200

72

Catalyst 3500 XL

1

< 25% +

25% – 49% +

50% +

1

1X

2X

11X

12X

13X

14X

15X

16X

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Overview 1-17

Rear-Panel Description

Figure 1-12 Bandwidth Utilization for the Catalyst 3548 XL

If all port status LEDs on the Catalyst 3548 XL are green, the switch is using 50% or moreof its total bandwidth capacity. If all 10/100 port status LEDs are green and the lower GBICLED is amber, the switch is using between 25% and 50% of its total bandwidth. If all10/100 port status LEDs are green and if both the GBIC LEDs are amber, the switch isusing less than 25% of its total capacity, and so on.

Rear-Panel DescriptionSwitch rear panels have an AC power connector, an RPS connector, and an RJ-45 consoleport (see Figure 1-13, Figure 1-14, and Figure 1-15). These components are described inthis section.

Power ConnectorsYou can provide power to the switch either by using the internal power supply or byconnecting the Cisco RPS to the switch RPS connector. The internal power supply is anautoranging unit that supports input voltages between 100 and 240 VAC. If you plan to usethe internal power supply, use the supplied AC power cord to connect the AC powerconnector to an AC power outlet.

SPEED

SYSTEM

RPS

STATUS

MODE

UTIL

DUPLX

2836

6

2

Catalyst 3500 XL

1

< 25% +

11X

2X

15X

16X

2 3 24 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1717X

18X

31X

32X

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 31 32 3333X

34X

47X

48X

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

50% +

25% – 49% +

Rear-Panel Description


Note Do not connect the switch power cord to an AC outlet if the switch is also connectedto a powered-up RPS. The switches do not support the fully-redundant configurationdescribed in the RPS Documentation. The redundant-with-reboot configuration is notrecommended.

Warning Attach only the Cisco RPS (model PWR600-AC-RPS) to the RPSconnector.

The Cisco RPS provides a quasi-redundant power source for four external devices that useup to 150W DC each. Use a one-to-one cable (one connector at each cable end) to connectfour external devices to the four DC output power modules. The power source isquasi-redundant because there are two AC input power modules for the Cisco RPS and oneDC output power module for each external device. The AC input to the Cisco RPS is fullyredundant, but the DC output to the external devices is not.

For more information on the Cisco RPS, refer to the Cisco RPS documentation.

Console PortYou can connect a 3500 XL switch to a PC or terminal by means of the console port andthe supplied rollover cable. For the data characteristics of the console port, see the“Connecting a Terminal or PC to the Console Port” section on page 2-20.

Overview 1-19

Console Port

Figure 1-13 Catalyst 3508G XL Rear Panel

Figure 1-14 Catalyst 3512 XL and 3524 XL Rear Panel

DC INPUTS FOR REMOTE POWER SUPPLYSPECIFIED IN MANUAL. +3.3V***@14A,+12V***@3ACONSOLE DC INPUT

RATING100-127/200-240V~1.0A/0.5A 50-60HZ

AC powerconnector

RJ-45console port

Redundantpower system

connector

Fans

18

96

3

DC INPUTS FOR REMOTEPOWER SUPPLY

SPECIFIED IN MANUAL.+5V @24A, +12V @.5A

RATING100-127/200-240V~1.0A/0.5A 50-60HZ CONSOLE

AC powerconnector RJ-45

console portRedundant

power systemconnector

Fans1

89

64

Management Options


Figure 1-15 Catalyst 3548 XL Rear Panel

Management OptionsCatalyst 3500 XL switches offer several management options:

• Cisco Visual Switch Manager (CVSM) application

Using CVSM, you can use a Web browser to manage a switch, to display network maps,and to monitor the network. See theCisco IOS Desktop Switching SoftwareConfiguration Guideand the online help in the CVSM application for more information.

• Cluster Management application

Switches using Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP software are command-capable and canalso be cluster member switches. If your switch is a cluster member or a commandswitch, you can use cluster management software. See theCisco IOS Desktop SwitchingSoftware Configuration Guide and the online help in the cluster managementapplication for more information.

• Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI)

You can access the CLI by connecting a PC or terminal directly to the console port onthe rear panel of the switch. If the switch is connected to your network, you can use aTelnet connection to manage the switch from a remote location. See theCisco IOS

DC INPUTS FOR REMOTEPOWER SUPPLY

SPECIFIED IN MANUAL+3.3V @17A, +12 @1.1A

CONSOLE

RATING100-127/200-240V~1.6A/0.9A 50-60HZ

28

01

2

AC powerconnector

RJ-45console port

Redundantpower system

connector

Fanexhaust

Overview 1-21

Deployment Strategies

Desktop Switching Command Reference for more information.

• CiscoView application

The CiscoView device-management application displays the switch image that you canuse to set configuration parameters and to view switch status and performanceinformation. The CiscoView application, which you purchase separately, can be astandalone application or part of an SNMP network-management platform. See theCiscoView documentation for more information.

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) network management

You can manage switches by using an SNMP-compatible management station runningplatforms such as HP OpenView or SunNet Manager. The switch supports acomprehensive set of MIB extensions and MIB II, the IEEE 802.1D bridge MIB, andfour Remote Monitoring (RMON) groups. See the documentation that came with yourSNMP application for more information.

Deployment StrategiesThis section provides examples of how you could deploy the 3500 XL switches in yournetwork.

• GigaStack GBIC aggregation solution

• Wiring closet aggregator solution

GigaStack GBIC Aggregation SolutionFigure 1-16 shows a Catalyst 3508G XL switch with GigaStack GBIC connectionsaggregating full-duplex traffic from two Catalyst 2900 XL or 3500 XL switch stacks to anenterprise switch (such as the Catalyst 8500). The two Catalyst 2900 XL or 3500 XLswitches are daisy-chained together using GigaStack GBICs in half-duplex mode, creatingan 1-Gbps independent stacking backplane. In this deployment, the uplink from theCatalyst 3508G XL is either a Gigabit EtherChannel or a 1000BaseX connection.



Figure 1-16 GigaStack GBIC Aggregation Solution

Catalyst 8500, 6000,5500, or 4000 series switch

Catalyst 2900 orCatalyst 3500

series XLswitches

10/100 switched links

10/100 switched links

Catalyst 3508G XL switch

Gigabit EtherChannelor 1000BaseX connections

Full-duplex GigaStack GBIC connections

Half-duplex GigaStack

GBIC connections

10/100BaseTX attached workstations

1823

0

Overview 1-23

Wiring Closet Aggregator

Wiring Closet AggregatorFigure 1-17 shows a Catalyst 3508G XL aggregating traffic from two 2900 XL or 3500 XLswitches to an enterprise switch (such as a Catalyst 8500). In this deployment, thefull-duplex connection is either a GigaStack GBIC or a 1000BaseX connection, and theuplink is either a 1000BaseX or a Gigabit EtherChannel connection.

Figure 1-17 Catalyst 3508G Switch in a Wiring Closet

10/100BaseTX attached workstations

18

23

1

Catalyst 2900or Catalyst 3500

series XL switches

Catalyst 3508G XLswitch

10/100switched links

10/100switched links

1000BaseX or Gigabit EtherChannelconnections

Full-duplex GigaStack GBIC or 1000BaseX connections

Catalyst 8500, 6000,5500, or 4000 series switch

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