Extensive Fault Tolerance

All multiservice switches are designed to function as backbone switches. You can install each switch in your network's core without creating a single point of failure.

Extensive fault tolerance features include:

• Port redundancy. If the primary port fails, the secondary port becomes the active port. Failover time is less than 5 seconds. For information on port redundancy, see Chapter 8:�Configuring Ports.
• VRRP. Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) is used to provide fast-fail over for hosts if the default gateway fails. For information on VRRP, see Chapter 12:�Configuring IP Routing.
• N+1 power. Power supplies share the power supply load. If one fails, the remaining supplie(s) assume the load automatically and the switch management system warns of the failure.
• Hot-swappable fans and modules--Each fan and module can be changed from the switch front panel, without powering down the switch.
• Redundant switch links (using spanning tree and hunt groups).
• Front-loadable cables, modules, power supplies and fans.
• Redundant switch element and switch controller modules (fault-tolerant switches only).
• Redundant supervisor modules.

For more information hardware redundancy, see Chapter 10:�Configuring Redundancy Options.