Extreme Networks ExtremeWare XOS 10.1, Manual

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ExtremeWare XOS 10.1 Concepts Guide 17
1
ExtremeWare XOS Overview
ExtremeWare XOS is the full-featured software operating system that is designed to run on the Extreme
Networks BlackDiamond

10800 family of switches.
NOTE
ExtremeWare XOS 10.1 only supports Extreme Networks BlackDiamond 10800 family products. This
does not include other BlackDiamond families, Alpine

, and Summit
TM
“i”, Summit 24e3, and Summit
200 series platforms.
Virtual Routers
ExtremeWare XOS 10.1 introduces support for virtual routers. This capability allows a single physical
switch to be split into multiple virtual routers. This feature separates the traffic forwarded by a virtual
router from the traffic on a different virtual router. Each virtual router maintains a separate logical
forwarding table, which allows the virtual routers to have overlapping address spaces. Since each
virtual router maintains its own separate routing information, and switch ports can belong to one and
only one virtual router, packets arriving at a port on one virtual router can never be switched to the
ports on another. In this release of ExtremeWare XOS, the management port belongs to one virtual
router and all other ports belong to another virtual router.
With multiple virtual routers contained on a single physical switch, some commands in
ExtremeWare XOS now require you to specify to which virtual router the command applies. For
example, when you use the ping command, you must specify from which virtual router the ping
packets are generated. Many commands that deal with switch management use the management virtual
router by default. See the ExtremeWare XOS Command Reference Guide for information on the defaults for
individual commands.
NOTE
The term “Virtual Router” is also used with the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP). VRRP uses
the term to refer to a single virtual router that spans more than one physical router, which allows
multiple switches to provide redundant routing services to users. For more information about VRRP, see
Chapter 11.