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TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHT
The LAN switching infrastructure connects users, applications,
and communications systems together. That basic task has become
much more challenging as the variety and complexity of network
uses have increased. Cisco Catalyst switches provide the intelligent
services required to create secure, resilient networks that optimize
the delivery of disparate services, yet remain easy to configure,
manage, and troubleshoot.
End-to-end intelligent switching
for today’s converged network services.
Cisco Catalyst switches support today’s technology trends and business goals
through a unique combination of intelligent capabilities. Major advantages include:
Integrated Security
Cisco Catalyst switches help make networks
self-defending. Encrypted passwords,
multilevel account privileges, and authentication
protocols prevent unauthorized network
access
—
a problem exacerbated by the rapid
adoption of wireless networking. The switches
can also prevent devices from connecting if
they fail to meet certain criteria, such as having
the latest antivirus software. Users can be
separated into private subnets to permit varying
levels of access. Other features enable the
switches to protect themselves from worms and
denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, prevent routing
and spanning tree information from being
spoofed, and ensure malicious users can’t steal
confidential information, either from the
company or from other employees.
Availability and Resiliency
Cisco Catalyst switches help maintain the
highest levels of network availability and
resiliency. Each switch is designed to protect
itself from hardware, software, power, or
connection failures
—
or at the very least,
minimize recovery times by enabling redundant
backup systems and protocols to take over in
as little as a millisecond. The switches are
also designed to increase resiliency on a
network-wide level, utilizing an array of Cisco
innovations to recover from device, link, or
protocol failures and maintain uninterrupted
access. Integrated security features also play
a role in preserving availability in the event of
incidents like DoS attacks. Conversely, resilient
designs help networks recover faster from
security breaches, or even nullify their impact.
Delivery Optimization
Today’s networks must be intelligent and
adaptable enough to meet the varying
requirements of converged data, voice, video,
and storage traffic. Cisco Catalyst switches
optimize the delivery of disparate traffic types
using three key technologies: quality of service
(QoS), multicast, and content switching.
QoS allows network managers to prioritize
traffic and ensure low-latency traffic, such as
voice, gets handled accordingly. Multicast
makes it much more efficient to deliver video or
music on-hold to multiple points on the network,
reducing the burden on servers. The Cisco
Catalyst 6500 Series Content Switching Module
adds advanced Layer 4–7 load balancing to the
Catalyst line’s existing Layer 2 and 3 features,
further optimizing service delivery.
Enhanced Manageability
All Cisco Catalyst switches offer enhanced
capabilities that make them much easier to
configure, manage, and troubleshoot. These
include wizards that automatically configure
switches, integrated Web-based management
tools, device discovery and intelligent power
management features for PoE equipment such
as IP phones and wireless access points, and
an array of data collection and analysis tools.
The benefits are real-time visibility, faster
response and repair times, more adaptive policy
management, and reduced cost and complexity.
In the case of the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series,
optional Network Analysis Modules embed a
rich set of management features on a single
blade, providing volumes of performance
information without burdening the switch itself.