The SMF is basically a 256Gbps switching fabric. The 6000 family has a 32Gbps bus communications system built into it. There are 3 types of cards for the 6000 series. Non-fabric enabled, fabric-enabled, and fabric-only. The non-fabric enabled can only use the 32Gbps bus (to talk to the Sup/MSFC and other cards) and the fabric enabled cards can use the 32Gbps bus to talk to non fabric enabled cards and the 256Gbps switch fabric to talk to the Sup/MSFC, other fabric enabled cards, and fabric only cards. Fabric only cards must use the 256Gbps switch fabric to talk to everything, so if it needs to talk to a non-fabric enabled card, it must to through the Sup/MSFC blade over to the 32Gbps bus....
The SFM must go into 5 or 6 (or both for redundancy) because that's the only place the backplane of the chassis will accept them (just like slots 1 and 2 are the only places to put the Sup/MSFC blades). Basically all fabric-enabled and fabric-only cards are treated like devices with a 16Gbps connection to a 256Gbps backplane switch. But you must be sure you line cards support it or else they'll simply use the 32Gbps bus. We bought a 6509 with the SFM in slot 5, and 48-port FastEthernet blades in the rest (well, slots 1&2 had Sup2/MSFC2s), but our so-called Value Added Reseller didn't realize when he placed the order that the ethernet blades he got were NOT fabric enabled, so now we have 288 FastEthernet ports on a 6509 w/SFM and NONE OF THEM can use the 256Gbps backplane.... it's just sitting there dormant..... what a waste and what a dumbass VAR for not realizing what he was doing!!! If your're going to be switching alot of Gigabit connections, get the SFM..... and be sure your blades are fabric-enabled! After all that, here's an URL that describes in-depth how the 6000/6500s work with and without the SFM...... good info.... http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/si/casi/ca6000/prodlit/k6kfy_wp.htm Mike W. "TP" wrote in message [EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > I'm reading the 6509 product overview and I could configure it with the > Switch > Fabric Module (WS-C5600-SFM or WS-X6500-SFM2). > Two questions: > - Which is the benefit of th SFM? > -Why I MUST install it in slot 5 or 6? > > Thanks in advance, > Teresa Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=42883&t=42877 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
