Q. What are the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are the evolution of the Cisco 4400 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR), designed for Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), and 5G-based architectures. Within the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms, there are four (two 2-RU and two 1-RU) platforms. Powered by a programmable software stack, these cloud edge platforms are purpose-built for high performance, supporting 10 GE, high availability, and advanced SD-WAN capabilities with full-feature parity and module portability with other ISRs.
New capabilities include 5G support, embedded security, WAN MACSec, integrated enhanced Layer 2 switching, and improved analytics with Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) with application optimization. These platforms will provide edge computing with an existing container architecture on the ISRs as well as the Cisco UCS-E modules that are currently available on the 4000 Series ISR platforms.
Q. What are the different models of the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms include the following models:
* C8300-2N2S-4T2X: Catalyst 8300 with 2 Service Module (SM) and 2 Network Interface Module (NIM) slots, and 2 x 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 4 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports
* C8300-2N2S-6T: Catalyst 8300 with 2 SM and 2 NIM slots, and 6 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports
* C8300-1N1S-4T2X: Catalyst 8300 with 1 SM slot and 1 NIM slot, and 2 x 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 4 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports
* C8300-1N1S-6T: Catalyst 8300 with 1 SM slot and 1 NIM slot, and 6 x 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports
Q. What are the key differences between the 4400 Series ISR and the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms offer the following key benefits:
* Integrated 10G ports
* Higher IPSec Performance and Services Scale
* Higher WAN port density
* New-generation Layer 2 and Layer 3 module support
* Improved Backplane connectivity with 10G connections for slots
* 256-bits WAN MACSec support on 10G ports
* Dedicated Physical Interface Module (PIM) slot for CAT18 LTE support and future 5G-ready
* 8G default DRAM to support embedded security
* Default Dual Power Supplies
* Pluggable M.2 USB (16G Default) and M.2 Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) storage
Q. What are the key capabilities of the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Catalyst 8300 Series offers:
* Software-Defined-WAN (SD-WAN) capabilities
* Support for Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM)-based containers, providing support for integrated applications
* Support for applications, including Snort intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS), URL-F, Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), Cisco ThreatGrid®, SSL proxy, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) optimization
* Network programmability using Netconf and YANG
* Zero-touch provisioning
* Multiple options for LAN, WAN, voice, storage and edge compute (Cisco UCS-E) modules
* Software-Defined Access (SD-Access)
* AppQoE- TCP optimization, Forward Error Correction (FEC), Packet Duplication
* Unified Communications (Voice)
* LTE CAT4, 6, and 18 (5G-ready)
Q. What is the naming convention for the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. Each part of the product ID is outlined as follows:
* “C”= standard Product ID (PID) prefix
* “8300” = platform series
* “1N1S” and “2N2S” = number of NIM and SM slots support, 1N1S supports 1 NIM and 1 SM slot, and 2N2S supports 2 NIM and 2 SM slots
* “4T” and “6T” = number of 1G ports; 4T supports 4 x1G ports and 6T supports 6 x1G ports
* “2X” = number of 10G ports
Q. Where do I deploy the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms in comparison to the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are deployed for medium-sized and large enterprise branch offices, where there is an aggregated performance requirement between 15G – 20G CEF traffic or IPSec performance between 1G – 5G with services. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms provide for a rich set of branch-optimized services that encompass security, voice, WAN optimization, application hosting (KVM/LXC containers) and edge compute. The Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms provide hardware-based encryption, Quality of Service (QoS), and for IPSec performances greater than 5 Gbps using custom-built ASICs for aggregation or headend sites.
Q. Are the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Shared Port Adapter (SPA) cards supported on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. No. SPAs are not compatible with the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms.
Q. Can I use the Enhanced High-Speed WAN Interface Cards (EHWICs) available on the Cisco 1900, 2900, and 3900 Series ISRs on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. EHWIC modules, based on older technologies available on the Cisco ISR Generation 2 (ISR G2) routers, will not work with the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms. The Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms support newer NIM architecture, allowing for faster, more capable modules on a high-end platform that can deliver higher bandwidth and greater application performance.
Q. What is the flash memory available on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. All the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms come with a default of 8 GB flash memory. Flash memory cannot be upgraded.
Q. What are the external storage options available on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms are equipped with 16 GB M.2 USB default storage. The upgradeable options are 32 GB M.2 USB and 600G M.2 NVMe Solid-State Drive (SSD).
Q. Can I upgrade the DRAM and flash memory on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The DRAM can be upgraded to 16G or 32G, but the flash memory cannot be upgraded. To upgrade the storage options, these platforms do support 16G, 32G, and 600G external storage options.
Q. Are the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms fanless?
A. No, Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms have three or four fans, depending on the platform.
Q. How does the system fan speed vary?
A. The number of fans on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms varies. The C8300-1N1S-xxxx (1RU) platforms contain three internal fans and C8300-2N2S-xxxx (2RU) platforms contain four field-replaceable fan trays.
Q. Can the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms handle the failure of a fan?
A. Yes, for routers with multiple system fans, the platforms can handle a single fan failure. These fully loaded systems will function normally below 6000 feet (1.82 km) with a single fan failure. If the platform is above 6000 feet with a single fan failure and in 32°F (or 0°C) temperatures it may shut down because of overheating.
Failure of a power-supply fan will likely result in overheating and shutdown of the power supply. If power redundancy is required, you should run the default two power supplies in a Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platform in redundancy mode.
Q. Is a rack-mount kit available for the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms? How do I order it?
A. Yes. A rack-mount kit is part of the default accessory kit and is shipped with the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms. The platforms will ship with the standard 19-inch rack mount kit. Options to choose a 23-inch rack-mount kit and four post-rack-mount kits are also available. A wall-mount rack-mount kit is available for the 1RU platforms only.
Q. How can I calculate the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) information for the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms with the plugged-in modules?
A. The MTBF for the 2RU and 1RU units are given below:
C8300 2RU: 710,300 Hours
C8300 1RU: 536,060 Hours
Q. Is there an out-of-band GigabitEthernet0 management interface on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. No. The Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms do not have an out-of-band management interface. Only in-band management is possible.
Q. What does the default accessory kit include?
A. The default accessory kit includes:
* Mechanical ground lug 90 feet per screw kit
* 19-inch or 23-inch rack-mount kit
* Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information (RCSI) roadmap document
* Shipping label
* Document pointer card for Cisco router
Q. Is Online Insertion and Removal (OIR) supported on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. Yes, OIR is supported on the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms for the following scenarios:
* Surprise insertion or removal of any NIM in any of the NIM slots, except the C-NIM-1X module, which requires a proper shutdown of the slot before removing the C-NIM-1X module
* Surprise insertion or removal of any SM in the SM slots
* Surprise insertion or removal of PIM LTE module
* Surprise insertion or removal of any power supply or system Power over Ethernet (PoE) conversion module
* Surprise replacement of the system fan tray is not supported. To replace the fans, the system has to be powered down prior to the removal of the fans inside the fan tray.
Note: The SM and NIM modules allow replacement only for like-to-like modules. A faulty module can be replaced with a good module of the same type but cannot be replaced with a completely different module of a different type.
Q. Is a console port available on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms include the option of the regular RJ-45 console port as well as the micro USB console port.
Q. Is there a RFID tag available on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. Yes, an RFID tag is available on the right side of the front panel on these platforms for externally collecting the inventory (Product ID [PID] and serial number) without requiring someone to log in to the device. These inventories can be used by customers to help you pre-populate the devices in the backend system for zero-touch provisioning. They can also be used by non-technical staff to collect the inventory offsite. An RFID tag is included by default, but customers can choose to have the tag removed during the ordering process if they prefer not to have it on the system.
What different types of modules are supported on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. The Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms supports:
* All the NIM modules supported on the 4000 ISR models, except the NIM-1GE-CU-SFP and NIM-2GE-CU-SFP
* All the SM-X modules supported on the 4000 ISR models, except the SM-X-ES3-16-P, SM-X-ES3-24-P, SM-X-ES3-48-P, SM-X-6X1G, SM-X-4X1G-1X10G and UCS-E M1/M2 modules
* The next-generation L3 routed module C-NIM-1X
* The next-generation SM-NIM adapter module – C-SM-NIM-ADPT
* The next-generation Doppler-based ASIC switching modules – C-SM-16G4M2X and C-SM-40G8M2X
* The next-generation DSP NIM Module – NIM-PVDM-32, NIM-PVDM-64, NIM-PVDM-128, NIM-PVDM-256
* Pluggable Interface Module (PIM) like the CAT4, CAT6 & CAT18 are supported
Q. Is Multi-Gigabit Ethernet (2.5G) supported on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. Yes, the new Doppler-based Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) 2.0 SM-based switch module supports Multigigabit Ethernet speeds.
Q. Is a QR code available on the Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms?
A. Yes, a QR code is printed on the label tray for all the Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms. The same QR code label will be printed on the shipping box label as well for easy access to the platform details, without the need to open the shipping box.
The QR code gives the following information for the platform.
* Device Family
* Base Product ID (PID)
* Device MAC
* Vendor
* Serial Number
* HW Version ID (PID VID)
If you’re interested in Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms, welcome to contact us (cisco@router-switch.com) or order now: Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms.
Related topics:
FAQs Of Cisco ASR 1000 Aggregation Services Routers Quality of Service (QoS)
What are the Cisco 100G CPAK, QSFP-100G, CFP2, CXP and CFP Modules?
Comparison of Cisco, Huawei and Juniper Command Line
Cisco 8000 Series Routers: Technology Revolution, 400G Optimized Platforms
Migrating to Cisco ASR 1001-X and 1002-X Application Services Routers
Updated: Cisco Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver Modules for ASR 1000 Series Router
Find Your New Network Edge Routers/ASR 1000 Series
The New Cisco ASR 1001-X Router
FAQs Of Cisco ASR 1000 Aggregation Services Routers Quality of Service (QoS)
Huawei EOM and EOS Product Lists: Switch, Router, Firewall, WLAN
