1-7
Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Software Configuration Guide
78-6511-08
Chapter 1 Overview
Management Options
Advantages of Using CMS and Clustering Switches
Using CMS and switch clusters can simplify and minimize your configuration and monitoring tasks. You
can use Cisco switch clustering technology to manage up to 16 interconnected supported Catalyst
switches through one IP address as if they were a single entity. This can conserve IP addresses if you
have a limited number of them. CMS is the easiest interface to use and makes switch and switch cluster
management accessible to authorized users from any PC on your network.
By using switch clusters and CMS, you can
•
Manage and monitor interconnected Catalyst switches, regardless of their geographic proximity and
interconnection media, including Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Fast EtherChannel, Cisco GigaStack
Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC), Gigabit Ethernet, and Gigabit EtherChannel connections. Refer
to the release notes (
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/c2900xl/index.htm
) for a
list of supported switches.
•
Accomplish multiple configuration tasks from a single CMS window without needing to remember
CLI commands to accomplish specific tasks.
•
Apply actions from CMS to multiple ports and multiple switches at the same time to avoid
re-entering the same commands for each individual port or switch. Here are some examples of
globally setting and managing multiple ports and switches:
–
Port configuration such as speed and duplex settings
–
Port and console port security
–
NTP, STP, VLAN, and quality of service (QoS) configuration
–
Inventory and statistic reporting and link- and switch-level monitoring and troubleshooting
–
Group software upgrade
•
View a topology of interconnected devices to identify existing switch clusters and eligible switches
that can join a cluster. You can also use the topology to quickly identify link information between
switches.
•
Monitor real-time status of a switch or multiple switches from the LEDs on the front-panel images.
The system, redundant power system (RPS), and port LED colors on the images are similar to those
used on the physical LEDs themselves.
•
Use an interactive mode that takes you step-by-step through VLAN and voice VLAN (VVID)
configuration.
•
Use a wizard that prompts you to provide only minimal required information to configure VVIDs.
For more information about CMS, see
Chapter 2, “Getting Started with CMS.”
For more information
about switch clusters, see
Chapter 5, “Clustering Switches.”
