Description
Understanding the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch Chassis
The WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 switch chassis is a piece of networking hardware designed to provide advanced features for managing network traffic. This chassis is a crucial component in building robust and scalable network infrastructures. In this description, we will delve into the details of the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 switch chassis, exploring its features, functionality, and significance in network architecture.
What is the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch Chassis?
The WS-C6506-E is a Layer 3 manageable 6-slot switch chassis manufactured by Cisco Systems. It belongs to the Catalyst 6500 Series, which is renowned for its high performance, scalability, and reliability in enterprise and service provider networks. This chassis is designed to accommodate various line cards and modules, allowing for flexible configurations tailored to specific networking needs.
Key Features of the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch ChassisModular Design
The WS-C6506-E chassis features a modular design, allowing users to customize their network infrastructure according to their specific requirements. With six slots available, users can install a variety of line cards and supervisor engines to meet different connectivity and performance needs.
Layer 3 Capability
The WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch Chassis supports Layer 3 switching, enabling advanced routing functionalities within the network. This capability is essential for optimizing traffic flow, implementing dynamic routing protocols, and ensuring efficient packet forwarding.
Manageability
The switch chassis is equipped with management features that facilitate easy configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting of network devices. Administrators can use centralized management tools to streamline operations and maintain network integrity.
Scalability
As part of the Catalyst 6500 Series, the WS-C6506-E chassis offers scalability to accommodate growing network demands. Users can expand their network infrastructure by adding additional line cards, modules, and supervisor engines as needed, without significant disruptions to ongoing operations.
High Availability
The WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch Chassis is designed for high availability, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous network connectivity. Redundant components, such as power supplies and fan trays, can be installed to provide failover protection and enhance reliability.
Components of the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Switch Chassis
- Form Factor: The chassis is rack-mountable and occupies 12 rack units (12RU) of space in a standard equipment rack.
- Slots: The chassis contains six slots for accommodating various network modules, including line cards, supervisor engines, and service modules. These slots provide the foundation for building a versatile and scalable network infrastructure.
- Supervisor Engine Slot: One of the slots is reserved for the supervisor engine, which serves as the brain of the switch, overseeing its operation and managing traffic. The supervisor engine plays a crucial role in providing advanced features such as Layer 3 routing and high availability.
- Line Card Slots: The remaining slots are designated for line cards, which handle data forwarding and processing tasks. Depending on the specific requirements of the network, organizations can choose from a wide range of line cards offering different port densities, speeds, and functionalities.
- Power Supply and Fan Tray: It’s worth noting that the WS-C6506-E chassis does not include power supplies or fan trays by default. These components need to be separately acquired and installed based on the power and cooling requirements of the network environment.
Applications of the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch Chassis
- Enterprise Networks:
- The WS-C6506-E chassis is well-suited for large enterprise networks with diverse connectivity requirements.
- It can serve as a core switch, aggregating traffic from multiple access switches and providing high-speed connectivity to various departments and business units.
- Data Centers:
- In data center environments, the WS-C6506-E chassis can function as a distribution or aggregation switch, connecting servers, storage systems, and other network devices.
- Its modular design and high-performance capabilities make it ideal for supporting data-intensive applications and services.
- Service Provider Networks:
- Service providers can deploy the WS-C6506-E chassis in their network infrastructures to deliver reliable and scalable services to customers.
- Whether used at the network edge or core, this switch chassis can handle high volumes of traffic while ensuring quality of service and service-level agreements.
Benefits of Using the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch ChassisPerformance
With support for advanced switching and routing features, the WS-C6506-E chassis delivers high performance to meet the demands of modern networks.
Its modular architecture allows for flexibility in scaling performance to match evolving requirements.
Reliability
The WS-C6506-E chassis is built with redundant components and hardware failover mechanisms to enhance reliability and minimize downtime.
Users can rely on this switch chassis for critical network operations without worrying about single points of failure.
Flexibility
The modular design of the WS-C6506-E chassis offers flexibility in configuring the network infrastructure according to specific needs.
Users can mix and match different modules and line cards to create custom solutions tailored to their unique environments.
Investment Protection
As part of the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series, the WS-C6506-E chassis benefits from ongoing software updates, ensuring compatibility with new technologies and standards. This helps protect the initial investment by extending the lifespan of the network infrastructure and reducing the need for frequent upgrades.
scalability to support a multitude of connected devices. Its modular design allows for easy expansion to accommodate the network’s growing demands.
General Information about the 6 Slots Switch Chassis
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Part Number or SKU# WS-C6506-E
- Product Series 6500-E
- Product Model 6506-E
- Product Name: Catalyst 6500 Enhanced 6-slot Chassis
- Product Type: Manageable Switch Chassis
I/O Expansions of Catalyst Enhanced Switch Chassis
- Number of Total Expansion Slots: 6
- Network & Communication-
- Layer Supported: 3
Management & Protocols
- Manageable Yes
- Management –
- CLI
- GUI
- Telnet
- RMON
- SNMP v1, v2c
- DHCP
- VLAN
- MIB
Power Description
- Power Source: Power Supply
- AC input voltage: 100-240 V
Outline, the WS-C6506-E Catalyst 6500 Enhanced Switch Chassis is a versatile and reliable platform for building scalable and high-performance network infrastructures. With its modular design, Layer 3 capabilities, and robust feature set, it meets the demands of enterprise, data center, and service provider environments. By offering flexibility, scalability, and investment protection, the WS-C6506-E chassis remains a top choice for organizations seeking to optimize their networking operations.
