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Configuring the Switch
Class of Service (CoS): Managing Bandwidth More Effectively
Configuring the Switch
Class of Service (CoS): Managing
Bandwidth More Effectively
As the term suggests, network policy refers to the network-wide controls you
can implement to ensure uniform and efficient traffic handling throughout
your network. One goal of network policy is to keep the most important traffic
moving at an acceptable speed, regardless of current bandwidth usage.
While adding bandwidth is always a good idea, it is not always feasible and
does not completely eliminate the potential for network congestion. There
will always be points in the network where multiple traffic streams merge or
where network links will change speed and capacity. The impact and number
of these congestion points will increase over time as more applications and
devices are added to the network.
When (not if) network congestion occurs, it is important to move traffic on
the basis of relative importance. However, without Class of Service (CoS)
prioritization, less important traffic can consume network bandwidth and
slow down or halt the delivery of more important traffic. That is, without CoS,
most traffic received by the switch is forwarded with the same priority it had
upon entering the switch. In many cases, such traffic is “normal” priority and
competes for bandwidth with all other normal-priority traffic, regardless of
its relative importance to your organization’s mission.
This section gives an overview of CoS operation and benefits, and describes
how to configure CoS in the console interface.
Class of Service is a general term for classifying and prioritizing traffic
throughout a network. That is, CoS enables you to establish an end-to-end
traffic priority policy to improve control and throughput of important data.
You can manage available bandwidth so that the most important traffic goes
first.
You can use the console and web browser interface to configure CoS on
individual switches having the C.07. XX software release. You can also config-
ure CoS for these same switches on a network policy basis (using release
N.01.03 or later of HP TopTools for Hubs & Switches network management
software).