Layer 3 whatevers [7:7544]
1. There isn't a hard-and-fast distinction between a layer 2 switch and a bridge. In general, a layer 2 switch has microsegmentation and may have VLAN support and, in general, more intelligence. 2. Speaking as someone that actually works in layer 3 relay design, there is no true technical difference between a layer 3 switch and a router. Just saying ASIC vs. "software" is bogus; it's not a black and white distinction. Some ASICs are programmable. There's a spectrum of processing chips anyway, from ASIC to FPGA to RISC to CISC processor. In many cases, the bottleneck isn't the forwarder anyway--it's memory or fabric. 3. When line rates are being thrown around, simple numbers aren't enough. See RFC2544 for a vendor-independent measurement methodology. 4. The industry uses "switch" a great deal because marketdroids have convinced the executive masses that routers are slow and switches are fast.I believe I paraphrase Oscar Wilde when I say that if, while seated in the smallest room of my house, I had a paper with such a definition in front of me, it soon would be behind me. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=7544&t=7544 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Layer 3 whatevers [7:7544]
(ref #4) Do you really do that kind of work in your closet -:)? ""Howard Berkowitz"" wrote in message [EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > > 1. There isn't a hard-and-fast distinction between a layer 2 switch and a > bridge. In general, a layer 2 switch has microsegmentation > and may have VLAN support and, in general, more intelligence. > > 2. Speaking as someone that actually works in layer 3 relay design, there > is no true technical difference between a layer 3 > switch and a router. Just saying ASIC vs. "software" is bogus; it's > not a black and white distinction. Some ASICs are > programmable. There's a spectrum of processing chips anyway, from ASIC > to FPGA to RISC to CISC processor. In many > cases, the bottleneck isn't the forwarder anyway--it's memory or > fabric. > > 3. When line rates are being thrown around, simple numbers aren't enough. > See RFC2544 for a vendor-independent > measurement methodology. > > 4. The industry uses "switch" a great deal because marketdroids have > convinced the executive masses that > routers are slow and switches are fast.I believe I paraphrase > Oscar Wilde when I say that if, while seated in > the smallest room of my house, I had a paper with such a definition in > front of me, it soon would be behind me. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=7565&t=7544 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Layer 3 whatevers [7:7544]
Not unless its a water closet... :-) *** REPLY SEPARATOR *** On 6/7/2001 at 1:27 PM Luke wrote: >(ref #4) Do you really do that kind of work in your closet -:)? > >""Howard Berkowitz"" wrote in message >[EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... >> >> 1. There isn't a hard-and-fast distinction between a layer 2 switch and a >> bridge. In general, a layer 2 switch has microsegmentation >> and may have VLAN support and, in general, more intelligence. >> >> 2. Speaking as someone that actually works in layer 3 relay design, there >> is no true technical difference between a layer 3 >> switch and a router. Just saying ASIC vs. "software" is bogus; it's >> not a black and white distinction. Some ASICs are >> programmable. There's a spectrum of processing chips anyway, from >ASIC >> to FPGA to RISC to CISC processor. In many >> cases, the bottleneck isn't the forwarder anyway--it's memory or >> fabric. >> >> 3. When line rates are being thrown around, simple numbers aren't enough. >> See RFC2544 for a vendor-independent >> measurement methodology. >> >> 4. The industry uses "switch" a great deal because marketdroids have >> convinced the executive masses that >> routers are slow and switches are fast.I believe I paraphrase >> Oscar Wilde when I say that if, while seated in >> the smallest room of my house, I had a paper with such a definition >in >> front of me, it soon would be behind me. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=7613&t=7544 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
