System information

Cisco 12000 Series Gigabit Switch Routers 13
Cisco 12000 Series Gigabit Switch
Routers
Description
The Cisco 12000 series Gigabit Switch Routers (GSR) is a new product class of routers that perform
Internet routing and switching at gigabit speeds. The Cisco 12012 and Cisco 12008 meet the
exponential growth in demand for Internet bandwidth and bring scalability and high-performance
services to IP-based networks. Designed to meet current and future Internet traffic requirements, the
Cisco 12000 series initially supports IP backbone links at OC-3/STM-1 (155 Mbps) and
OC-12/STM-4 (622 Mbps)—facilities up to four times faster than those used today.
The Cisco 12000 series is built around a high-speed switching fabric that provides nonblocking
bandwidth to support high-performance IP-based LANs and WANs. The switching fabric is scalable
from 15 to 60 Gbps on the Cisco 12012 and from 10 to 40 Gbps on the Cisco 12008. Both the
Cisco 120012 and Cisco 12008 support IP over SONET/SDH and ATM interfaces.
The Cisco 12012 has 12 user-configurable slots, and the Cisco 12008 has eight user-configurable
slots. These slots contain line cards and Gigabit Route Processor (GRP). Network interfaces reside
on line cards that provide connection between the router’s switch fabric and the external networks.
For more information on the Cisco 12000 series, refer to the Cisco 12012 Gigabit Switch Router
Installation and Configuration Guide and the Cisco 12008 Gigabit Switch Router Installation and
Configuration Guide.
List of Terms
Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF)—An advanced Layer 3 switching technology for IP. CEF
optimizes network performance and scalability for networks with large and dynamic traffic patterns,
such as those associated with the Internet, Web-based applications, and interactive sessions.
Gigabit Route Processor (GRP)—Serves as the console for the Cisco 12000 series, handles
environmental monitoring for the entire system, and provides the line cards with routing table
updates.
Line cards—Provide connection between the router and the network and are available in a variety
of network media types (based on your order). Line cards communicate with each other and with the
GRP through the switch fabric.
Switch fabric—The circuitry that carries the user traffic between line cards or between the GRP and
a line card.

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