Specifications

OL-4923-01 B0

HSA Implementation Methods

Common HSA uses are as follows:

• Hardware backup—Protects against an RSP2 card failure. You configure both RSP2 cards with the

same software image and configuration information, and you configure the router to automatically

synchronize configuration information on both cards when changes occur.

• Software error protection—Protects against critical Cisco IOS software errors in a particular release.

You configure the RSP2 cards with different software images, but with the same configuration

information.

You can also use HSA for advanced implementations. For example, you can configure the RSP2 cards

with the following:

• Similar software versions, but different configuration files

• Different software images and different configuration files

• Widely varied configuration files (for example, various features or interfaces can be turned off or on

per card)

Note Other, more complex uses of HSA are also possible, but are not addressed in this document. For more

information, contact your Cisco service representative.

HSA System Requirements

To configure HSA operation with the RSP2, you must have:

• A Cisco 7507 and Cisco 7513 router containing one RSP active processor card, one RSP standby

processor card, and the proper Cisco IOS release (refer to the Software Advisor at

http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/Support/CompNav/Index.pl for additional information).

• A standby RSP with the same (or higher) DRAM and Flash memory capacity as the active RSP. See

the “Memory Requirements” section on page 12 for RSP2 memory component requirements.

• A standby RSP with the same boot image, the same ROM monitor, and the same DRAM

configuration as the active RSP. (See the “Hardware Prerequisites” section on page 13.)

Caution The HSA feature works with two RSP2s, or with one RSP2 and one RSP4/4+. The RSP2 cannot be

used in combination with the RSP1, RSP8 or RSP16 when utilizing the HSA feature.

Configuring HSA Operation Task List

Before you configure HSA, decide how you intend to use HSA, as described in the “HSA

Implementation Methods” section on page 25. Do you want it for simple hardware backup or for

software error protection? If you are using new or experimental Cisco IOS software, consider using the

software error protection method; otherwise, use the simple hardware backup method.

After determining how you intend to use HSA, complete the tasks in the following sections. The first

two and last two tasks are required for both implementations. The third and fourth tasks relate to simple

hardware backup. The fifth task relates to software error protection only.

• Specifying the Default Standby RSP2, page 26 (both implementations)