Product Overview

Table of Contents

Product Overview

This chapter provides physical and functional overviews of the Cisco 7204 router. It contains physical descriptions of the router hardware and major components, and functional descriptions of hardware-related features. Descriptions and examples of software commands are included only when they are necessary for replacing, installing, configuring, or maintaining the router hardware.

The Cisco 7204 is part of the Cisco 7200 series routers, which consists of the 2-slot Cisco 7202, 4-slot Cisco 7204 and Cisco 7204VXR, and 6-slot Cisco 7206 and Cisco 7206VXR. The Cisco 7204 supports multiprotocol, multimedia routing and bridging over a wide variety of LAN and WAN interface types.

Network interfaces reside on port adapters that provide the connection between the router's three Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) buses and external networks. The Cisco 7204 has four slots (slot 1 through slot 4) for the port adapters, one slot for an Input/Output (I/O) controller, and one slot for a network processing engine. You can place the port adapters or service adapters in any of the four available slots.

There are bays for up to two AC-input or DC-input power supplies. The Cisco 7204 will operate with one power supply. While a second power supply is not required, it allows load sharing and increased system availability.

Note   The Cisco 7204 does not support a mixture of AC- and DC-input power.

The Cisco 7204 provides the following features:

Physical Description

The front of the Cisco 7204 provides access to an I/O controller and up to four network interface port adapters (see Figure 1-1). The I/O controller contains the following: a local console port for connecting a data terminal (or data terminal equipment [DTE]) and an auxiliary port for connecting a modem (or other data communications equipment [DCE]) or other devices for configuring and managing the router; two Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slots for Flash memory cards; an optional Fast Ethernet port. The Fast Ethernet port provides a 100-Mbps connection to the network.

Note   The I/O controller is available with or without a Fast Ethernet port. The I/O controller with a Fast Ethernet port is equipped with either a single MII port or an MII port and an RJ-45 port (only one port can be used at a time). Although still supported by Cisco Systems, the I/O controller equipped with the single MII port was discontinued as an orderable product in May 1998.

The port adapters installed in the Cisco 7204 are of the same type as those installed on the second-generation Versatile Interface Processors (VIP2s) in the Cisco 7500 series routers, in Cisco 7000 series routers using the 7000 Series Route Switch Processor (RSP7000) and 7000 series Chassis Interface (RSP7000CI), and in the Cisco uBR7200 series routers. The port adapters installed in the Cisco 7204 support OIR. For an explanation of OIR, refer to the section "Online Insertion and Removal" section.

Note   The I/O controller does not support OIR. You must power down the Cisco 7204 before removing the I/O controller from the router.

Port adapter slots in the Cisco 7204 router are numbered from left to right, beginning with port adapter slot 1 and continuing through port adapter slot 4. Port adapter slot 0 is the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller (refer to Figure 1-2).

Note   In Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2, a blank port adapter is installed in slot 3. To ensure adequate airflow across the port adapters, each port adapter slot must be filled with either a port adapter or a blank port adapter.

The rear of the Cisco 7204 router provides access to the network processing engine and up to two power supplies (refer to Figure 1-3).

Note   The network processing engine does not support OIR. You must power down the Cisco 7204 before removing the network processing engine from the router.

The network processing engine has no external connectors or LEDs. There is a handle for removing and installing the network processing engine and two captive installation screws for securing it to the chassis.

The Cisco 7204 router comes equipped with one 280W AC-input or one 280W DC-input power supply. A fully configured Cisco 7204 router operates with only one installed power supply; however, a second, optional power supply of the same type provides hot-swappable, load-sharing, redundant power. Figure 1-3 shows the rear of a Cisco 7204 router configured with a single AC-input power supply. (A power supply filler plate is installed over the second power supply bay.)

Caution   Do not mix power supplies in the Cisco 7204. In dual power supply router configurations, both power supplies must be of the same type (two AC-input power supplies or two DC-input power supplies).

The power supply has the router's main power switch and either an AC-input power receptacle or a hardwired DC-input power cable (depending on the type of installed power supply).

Adjacent to the power supply bays there are two chassis ground receptacles that provide a chassis ground connection for ESD equipment or a two-hole grounding lug (refer to Figure 1-3).

Three internal fans draw cooling air into chassis and across internal components to maintain an acceptable operating temperature. (Refer to Figure 1-3.) The three fans are enclosed in a tray that is located in the subchassis.

Caution   To ensure the proper flow of cooling air across the internal components, make sure blank port adapters are installed in unoccupied port adapter slots, and power supply filler plates are installed in unoccupied power supply bays.

The I/O controller, port adapters, power supplies, and network processing engine slide into their respective chassis slots and connect directly to the router's midplane; there are no internal cables to connect. The midplane distributes DC power from the power supplies to the I/O controller, port adapters, fan tray, and network processing engine.

The midplane also identifies OIR of the port adapters, bridges the PCI buses from the port adapters to packet static random-access memory (SRAM) on the network processing engine, arbitrates traffic across the PCI buses, and generates the clock signals for the port adapters on each PCI bus.

The Cisco 7204 operates as either a tabletop or rack-mounted unit. A rack-mount kit is standard equipment included with all Cisco 7204 routers when they are shipped from the factory. The kit provides the hardware needed to mount the router in a standard 19-inch equipment rack or a 2-post rack. Steps for installing the Cisco 7204 router in an equipment rack are explained in "Installing the Cisco 7204." If you are not rack-mounting your Cisco 7204, place it on a sturdy tabletop or platform.

A fully configured Cisco 7204, with two installed power supplies and all chassis slots filled, weighs approximately 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms [kg]). For clearance requirements and rack-mount installation considerations, refer to the section "Site Environment" in "Preparing for Installation."

System Specifications

Table 1-1 lists the Cisco 7204 router physical specifications and power requirements.

Note   For a chassis footprint, additional dimensions, and clearance requirements for the Cisco 7204 perimeter, refer to the section "Site Requirements" section 2-4 in "Site Requirements."

Software Requirements

Below are the recommended minimum software requirements for the Cisco 7204:

Field-Replaceable Units

The Cisco 7204 router is easy to service; all its major components are field replaceable units (FRUs). The following Cisco 7204 components are FRUs:

The following sections provide brief overviews of each FRU.

Instructions for removing and replacing FRUs are contained in separate documents. For example, if you need to replace the I/O controller in your Cisco 7204 router, refer to the Input/Output Controller Replacement Instructions document. The document is available on Cisco.com.

For ordering information, contact a customer service representative.

Network Processing Engine

The network processing engine maintains and executes the system management functions for the Cisco 7204 router. The network processing engine also shares the system memory and environmental monitoring functions with the I/O controller.

Note   Detailed instructions for removing and replacing the network processing engine are contained in the Network Processing Engine or Network Services Engine Installation and Configuration . This document is available on Cisco.com.

The network processing engine is available in four versions: the NPE-100, NPE-150, NPE-200, and NPE-300.

Network processing engines have the same functionality; however, their performance differs because of the microprocessor type and the type of memory for packet data (SRAM and DRAM, or SDRAM) each network processing engine provides.

Note   The Cisco 7204 supports all versions of the network processing engine except the NPE-300; therefore, the NPE-300 is not explained in this publication. (The NPE-300 is keyed so that it can only be installed in Cisco 7200 VXR routers.) For information about the NPE-300 and its use in the Cisco 7200 VXR routers, refer to the Cisco 7200 VXR Installation and Configuration Guide publication.

The NPE-100, NPE-150, and NPE-200 consist of the following components:

The network processing engines perform the following system management functions:

Figure 1-4 shows the NPE-100, Figure 1-5 shows the NPE-150, and Figure 1-6 shows the NPE-200.

Table 1-1 lists the network processing engine memory components.

Note   To prevent DRAM errors and to ensure your system initializes correctly at startup, DRAM bank 0 (socket U18 and U25, or U11 and U25) must contain no fewer than two SIMMs of the same type. You may also install two SIMMs of the same type in bank 1 (socket U4 and U12, or U42 and U52); however, bank 0 must always contain the two largest SIMMs.

Table 1-3 lists the network processing engine factory-installed DRAM configurations and their product numbers.

Use the show version command to identify the network processing engine installed in your Cisco 7204 router. The following example shows an installed NPE-150:

Input/Output Controller

The Input/Output controller shares the system memory functions and the environmental monitoring functions for the Cisco 7204 router with the network processing engine.

Note   Detailed instructions for removing and replacing the I/O controller are contained in the configuration note Input/Output Controller Replacement Instructions . The configuration note is also available on Cisco.com.

The I/O controller consists of the following components:

Table 1-3 lists the I/O controller memory components.

Depending on whether the Fast Ethernet port is present, up to five LEDs on the I/O controller faceplate indicate system status; two additional LEDs indicate the status of the Flash memory cards installed in either PCMCIA slot.

Figure 1-10 shows the LEDs on the I/O controller with the Fast Ethernet port that is equipped with a single MII port. Figure 1-11 shows the LEDs on the I/O controller with the Fast Ethernet port that is equipped with an MII port and an RJ-45 port. Figure 1-12 shows the LEDs on the I/O controller without the Fast Ethernet port. Table 1-5 lists I/O controller LEDs and their functions. To use the LEDs for troubleshooting the I/O controller, refer to the "Identifying Startup Problems" section in ""Troubleshooting the Installation."."

A CPU reset button is located next to the IO power OK LED or the auxiliary port on the I/O controller faceplate. The CPU reset button resets the entire system.

Caution   To prevent system errors and problems, use the CPU reset button only at the direction of your service representative.

I

Note   The I/O controller without the Fast Ethernet port does not have the FE enabled LED and the FE link LED. The I/O controller without the Fast Ethernet port and the I/O controller that is equipped with a single MII port do not have the MII enabled, RJ-45 enabled, and RJ-45 link LEDs.

Note   An MII LINK LED is not provided on the I/O controller because the LED is provided on external transceivers that are required for connecting to the MII port on the I/O controller. Refer to the section "Fast Ethernet Connection Equipment" section on in"Installing the Cisco 7204" for Fast Ethernet MII connection requirements.

Use the show diag 0 command to identify the I/O controller (with or without the Fast Ethernet port) installed in your Cisco 7204 router.

Note   Slot 0 in Cisco 7200 series routers is always reserved for the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller—if present. If the I/O controller without the Fast Ethernet port is installed in your Cisco 7200 series router, the system software will not display output for the show diag 0 command.

Note   Refer to the section ""Port Adapter Slot and Logical Interface Numbering" section for information about port adapter slot numbering and logical interface numbering for the Cisco 7204 router.

The following sample output from the show diag 0 command is from a Cisco 7204 I/O controller with the Fast Ethernet port that is equipped with an MII port and RJ-45 port:

The RJ-45 port is the default media type for the I/O controller that is equipped with an MII port and an RJ-45 port. Use the media-type command to change the
I/O controller's media type and the show interfaces command to verify the change. The following example configures the MII port as the media type for the I/O controller:

Use the media-type 100X command to return the media type to the RJ-45 port.

The default transmission mode for the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller is half-duplex. Use the full-duplex command to change the Fast Ethernet port's transmission mode and the show interfaces command to verify the change as follows:

Use the no full-duplex command to return the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller to half-duplex transmission mode.

Port Adapters and Service Adapters

The Cisco 7204 is shipped from the factory with up to four installed port adapters and service adapters. Port adapters provide a variety of network media types (based on your order) for the router and service adapters provide hardware-based services (such as data compression and encryption) for the port adapter media types. The port and service adapters connect directly to the router's midplane. Port and service adapters installed in the Cisco 7204 router support OIR.

For a description of OIR, refer to "Online Insertion and Removal" section. For general instructions about how to replace a port or service adapter, refer to the section "Replacing a Port Adapter or Service Adapter" section in ""Maintaining the Cisco 7204."

Caution   To ensure adequate airflow across the router's port adapters, a port adapter or a blank port adapter must be installed in each port adapter slot.

Note   Detailed instructions for removing, replacing, and configuring the port and service adapter types supported by the Cisco 7206 are contained in the configuration note for each port and service adapter. For example, if you plan to replace a PA-A3 enhanced ATM port adapter in your Cisco 7206 router, PA-A3 Enhanced ATM Port Adapter Installation and Configuration. This document is available on Cisco.com.

Power Supplies

The Cisco 7204 comes equipped with one 280W AC-input power supply or one 280W DC-input power supply. You must order the second power supply separately.

Caution   Do not mix power supplies in the Cisco 7204. In dual power supply configurations, both power supplies must be of the same type (two AC-input power supplies or two DC-input power supplies).

Note   Detailed instructions for handling and replacing the Cisco 7204 power supplies are contained in the configuration notes 280-Watt AC-Input Power Supply Replacement Instructions and 280-Watt DC-Input Power Supply Replacement Instructions. This document is available on Cisco.com.

A handle on the AC and DC power supplies provides a grip point for removing and replacing the power supply. (Figure 1-13 shows the faceplate of the AC-input power supply. Figure 1-14 shows the faceplate of the DC-input power supply.) Two captive installation screws secure the power supply to the chassis and seat the power supply in the router midplane. A power OK LED indicates that the power supply is delivering +5 VDC to the router midplane.

The AC-input power supply has a receptacle for an AC-input power cable. A modular power cable connects the AC-input power supply to the site AC power source. A cable-retention clip secures the power cable to the AC-input power supply.

The DC-input power supply has DC-input power leads that are hardwired to a DC-input terminal block. A cable tie is shipped with each DC-input power supply to secure the leads to the power supply faceplate and provide strain relief for the leads.

Caution   To ensure adequate airflow across the router's power supplies, a power supply or a power supply filler plate must be installed in each power supply bay. Figure 1-13 shows a Cisco 7204 with an installed power supply filler plate.

Table 1-1 lists the AC-input and DC-input power supply system power specifications, including input voltage and operating frequency ranges.

Note   Each AC-input power supply operating at 120 VAC requires a minimum of 5A service. We recommend powering the Cisco 7204 from a 15A receptacle at the power source.

Note   Each DC-input power supply operating at -48 VDC in North America requires a minimum of 13A service. Each DC-input power supply operating at -60 VDC in the European Community requires a minimum of 8A service. This product relies on the building's installation for short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that a listed and certified fuse or circuit breaker, 20A minimum 60 VDC, is used on all current-carrying conductors.

The power OK LED goes off and the power supply will shut itself down when the internal DC voltages exceed allowable tolerances or the internal temperature of the power supply exceeds allowable tolerances. The power supply will remain in a shut down state until it is disconnected and reconnected to the source power, and then restarted with the power switch. The power switch turns the power supply on and starts the system. For a description of power-supply shutdown conditions and thresholds, refer to the ""Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Functions" section".

Fan Tray

The fan tray, shown in Figure 1-15, consists of three fans that are enclosed in a metal case. The fan tray is located in the subchassis and receives -12 VDC through a DC power harness that connects directly to the router midplane. You must remove the subchassis to access the fan tray.

The fan tray draws cooling air in through the intake vent on the right side of the chassis (when viewing the router from the front), and moves the air across the internal components and out the exhaust vent on the left side of the chassis.

Figure 1-16 shows the air flow through the router.

The left and right sides of the chassis must remain unobstructed to ensure adequate air flow and prevent overheating inside the chassis; we recommend at least three inches of clearance. (See the "Site Requirements" section in the chapter "Preparing for Installation.")

Temperature sensors on the network processing engine and I/O controller monitor the internal air temperature and send warning messages when the internal air temperature approaches a specified threshold. If the internal temperature exceeds the specified threshold, the system environmental monitor shuts down all internal power to prevent equipment damage from excessive heat.

Chassis

The Cisco 7204 chassis, shown in Figure 1-17, has four slots for the port adapters, one slot for the I/O controller, and one bay for the subchassis. To replace the chassis, you must remove all of the internal components, including the subchassis.

Note   Because you must remove all the internal components when replacing the chassis, refer to the configuration notes that explain how to remove and replace the internal components. These documents are available on Cisco.com.

PCMCIA Flash Disks and Flash Memory Cards

The Cisco 7204 supports up to two installed PCMCIA Flash Disks or two Flash memory cards.

Note   To avoid potential problems when inserting spare Flash Disks or Flash memory cards in your Cisco 7204, we recommend that you reformat all of your Flash Disks or Flash memory cards on a Cisco 7204 running one of the recommended Cisco IOS software releases. The chapter "Maintaining the Cisco 7204" contains instructions that explain how to reformat a Flash memory card.

Flash memory (Flash Disks or cards and the Flash SIMM on the I/O controller) allows you to remotely load and store multiple system and boot helper images. You can download a new image over the network and then add the new image to Flash memory or replace existing files. You can also transfer images between Flash Disks or cards and the onboard Flash memory SIMM. You can then boot the router either manually or automatically from any of the stored images. Flash memory can also function as a TFTP server to allow other routers to boot remotely from stored images or copy them into their own Flash memory.

Note   For procedures that explain the use of the PCMCIA Flash Disk, refer to the Using the Flash Disk document . For procedures that explain how to replace main, Flash, and ROM monitor memory in Cisco 7200 series routers, refer to the Memory Replacement Instructions for the Network Processing Engine and Input/Output Controller document. The preceding documents are available on Cisco.com. Instructions for installing and removing a Flash memory card are also contained in the "Installing and Removing a Flash Memory Card" section in "Maintaining the Cisco 7204" of this guide.

Table 1-6 lists the Flash memory card options supported by the Cisco 7204.

Table 1-7 lists the Flash Disk options supported by the Cisco 7204.

Rack-Mount and Cable-Management Kit

The rack-mount and cable-management kit for the Cisco 7204 consists of rack-mount and cable-management brackets that are designed for mounting your router in 19-inch, 4-post or 2-post equipment racks and for relieving strain on port adapter interface cables that are installed on port adapters in the router. The kit is shipped with each Cisco 7204 and is also available as a single FRU.

For detailed instructions about how to install the rack-mount and cable-management brackets on your Cisco 7204, refer to the "Rack-Mounting the Cisco 7204" section" and the "General Installation" section" in "Installing the Cisco 7204."

Functional Overview

This section provides a functional overview of the Cisco 7204. It describes the numbering and addressing of the port adapters for the router, the environmental monitoring and reporting functions, and online insertion and removal (OIR). These descriptions will help you become familiar with the capabilities of the Cisco 7204 router.

Port Adapter Slot and Logical Interface Numbering

In the Cisco 7204, the port adapter slot number is the chassis slot in which a port or service adapter is installed, while the logical interface number is the physical location of the interface port on a port adapter (service adapters do not have interface ports). Port adapter slots are numbered from 1 through 4; port adapter slot 0 is reserved for the optional Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller—if present. (Refer to Figure 1-2 for the numbering scheme of the port adapter slots.) The number of logical interfaces depends on the type of port adapter.

The Media Access Control (MAC) or hardware address is a standardized data link layer address that is required for certain network interface types. These addresses are not used by other devices in the network; they are specific and unique to each port. The Cisco 7204 uses a specific method to assign and control the MAC addresses of its port adapters. For a description of the MAC-layer address, see the section "MAC Address" section in this chapter.

Port adapter slots maintain the same slot number regardless of whether other port or service adapters are installed or removed. However, when you move a port adapter to a different slot, the port adapter's slot number changes to reflect the new slot number.

You can identify port adapter slots by using software commands to display information about a specific port or service adapter or for all port and service adapters in the Cisco 7204. To display information about all port adapter slots, use the show interfaces command. To display information about a specific port adapter slot, use the show interfaces command with the port adapter type and slot number in the format show interfaces (port adapter type and slot number/port number). If you abbreviate the command (sh int) and do not specify port adapter type and slot number (or arguments), the system interprets the command as show interfaces and displays the status of all port adapters and ports.

Following is an example of how the show interfaces command, used without arguments, displays status information (including the physical port adapter number) for each port adapter in a Cisco 7204.

In the following example, most of the status information for each interface is omitted.

You can also use arguments such as the interface type (Ethernet, TokenRing, Fddi, and so forth) and the port address (slot/port) to display information about a specific interface only.

The following example shows the display for the first port on the Token Ring port adapter in port adapter slot 3: