The Cisco ASR 9000 Series is a robust platform designed for high-performance service provider edge and core routing solutions. Specifically, the ASR 9900 series delivers industry-leading scalability, flexibility, and modularity, making it an ideal choice for environments with extreme bandwidth demands. This document presents an in-depth technical overview of the critical hardware components used in the ASR 9900 system, including chassis, route-switch processors, route processors, switch fabric cards, line cards, power modules, and fan trays.

1. Chassis #

The chassis forms the foundation of the ASR 9000 system, supporting high-bandwidth connectivity and housing various modules such as route processors, switch fabric cards, line cards, and power supplies. The Cisco ASR 9000 series supports two chassis generations, differentiated by their throughput capacity.

Generations: #

• 1st Generation Chassis:
• Throughput: Supports up to 2 Tbps per line card slot.
• Use Case: Suitable for networks with lower-scale requirements but still demanding high throughput and service capabilities.
• 2nd Generation Chassis:
• Throughput: Supports up to 4 Tbps per line card slot.
• Use Case: Designed for ultra-high-bandwidth networks, such as high-density data centers and core routing solutions.

Chassis Models:

• ASR 90XX series (Supports 1st and 2nd Gen hardware)
• ASR 99XX series (Primarily for 2nd Gen hardware)

2. Route-Switch Processor (RSP) & Route Processor (RP) #

The Route-Switch Processor (RSP) and Route Processor (RP) are critical control plane components that drive the system’s routing intelligence, CPU capacity, and performance scalability. Both serve as the brain of the system, managing system-wide control and data plane activities.

2.1. Route-Switch Processor (RSP) #

The RSP integrates both the routing control function and switch fabric functionality into a single module. Cisco provides multiple generations of RSP modules for redundancy and scalability. Each generation delivers improvements in CPU performance, memory, and fabric bandwidth.

Key Features: #

• Switch Fabric Integration: The RSP has integrated switch fabric capabilities, allowing for seamless packet forwarding across line cards.
• Redundancy: The system supports dual RSPs for active/standby redundancy.
• Fabric Bandwidth Scaling: Each generation offers increased fabric bandwidth, supporting higher throughput and backplane scalability.

Generations: #

• RSP440: Supports medium-scale network deployments, offering moderate CPU and switching capacity.
• RSP880: Enhances the switching fabric’s bandwidth and is suitable for larger-scale networks, supporting more ports and higher throughput. (Model: A99-RSP)
• RSP5: Latest-generation RSP, designed for massive-scale deployments, supporting the highest CPU processing power, core count, and switch fabric throughput.

2.2. Route Processor (RP) #

While RPs focus purely on control plane tasks without integrated switch fabric, they are used in systems where switch fabrics are separated into dedicated modules (SFCs).

Key Features: #

• Control Plane Functionality: Manages all routing operations, including BGP, OSPF, ISIS, and MPLS protocols.
• Redundancy Support: Dual RP configurations are possible for failover and redundancy.
• Switch Fabric Dependent: RPs rely on external SFCs for fabric-based packet forwarding.

Generations: #

• RP1: Legacy RP with basic CPU and control plane functionality.
• RP2: Mid-range processor, offering better performance than RP1 with support for more complex routing tasks and redundancy.
• RP3: Latest-generation RP, featuring the highest CPU performance and expanded memory support for the most demanding routing environments.

3. Switch Fabric Card (SFC) #

The switch fabric cards (SFCs) are the core of the ASR 9000’s data plane, providing the packet forwarding infrastructure that connects the line cards to each other. SFCs handle switching, enabling fast and efficient packet movement across the system.

Key Features: #

• Fabric Scaling: Each new generation of SFCs nearly doubles the switch capacity of the previous version.
• Seven Slots for SFCs: The ASR 9000 supports seven SFC slots, providing extensive scalability.
• Dual Fabric Modes: SFCs can operate in either 5-fabric or 7-fabric modes, depending on system requirements.

Generations: #

• SFC1: Initial switch fabric card with moderate switching capacity.
• SFC2: Doubling the switch capacity of SFC1, SFC2 provides improved packet-forwarding throughput.
• SFC3: Latest and most powerful switch fabric card, supporting higher scalability for dense, high-throughput environments.

Special Hybrid Models: #

• ASR 9906 and ASR 9910: These models only support five SFC slots rather than the full seven.

4. Line Cards (LC) #

Line cards are the physical interface modules that provide connectivity to external networks. Cisco ASR 9000 line cards are designed with scalability and flexibility in mind, supporting a wide range of port types, speeds, and breakout options.

Port Capabilities: #

• Speed Support: 1GE, 10GE, 25GE, 40GE, 100GE, 200GE, and 400GE.
• Breakout Modules: Options for breakout ports for higher port density or flexible deployment options.
• Modular Line Cards: Support for fixed or modular designs, giving customers flexibility in terms of port types and speeds.

Generations: #

• 1st Generation: Initial release with basic port density and throughput capabilities.
• 2nd Generation: Enhanced port density with multi-rate and modular options.
• 3rd Generation: Offers better performance and higher port speeds, including 100GE support.
• 4th Generation: Focuses on scalability, supporting 200GE and higher port speeds.
• 5th Generation: Supports the latest high-speed Ethernet standards, including 400GE, with maximum port density and modularity.

5. Power Supply Modules #

Cisco offers several power supply options for the ASR 9000 series, providing both AC and DC power options. Power supply redundancy and flexibility are key features in all models.

Generations: #

• V1: Initial version of the power supply, supporting basic power requirements.
• V2: Improved efficiency and power output compared to V1, supporting higher-density line cards and more demanding deployments.
• V3: Latest version with the highest efficiency and power capacity, designed for next-gen ASR systems with increased hardware demand.

Power Configurations: #

• AC/DC Support: All power modules support both AC and DC configurations, allowing flexibility in deployment environments.

6. Fan Trays #

Fan trays provide necessary cooling for ASR 9000 systems, ensuring that all modules operate within optimal temperature ranges. Fan trays have evolved across generations to improve thermal efficiency and accommodate increased system power and port density.

Generations: #

• V1: Original fan tray design, used in earlier ASR systems.
• V2: Improved airflow and cooling efficiency over V1, designed for higher-power configurations.
• V3: Latest fan tray design, delivering enhanced cooling capacity for high-density and high-power systems such as those with 400GE line cards.

Cooling Enhancements: #

• Per-router Fan Design: As power demands and system density increased, fan trays were upgraded on a per-router basis, offering more tailored cooling solutions to prevent overheating in larger setups.