Inside a Switching Hub

RISC PROCESSOR

A dedicated RISC processor (like the 960 sho wn here) handles FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) translation and SNMP.

POWER

Power supplies and fans.

FLASH-MEMORY CHIPS

For remote software downloads. Upgraded via the serial port.

PORTS

Look for flexibility in port density and media type, including 16 or 8 10Base-T or 12 10Base-FL.

ASICS

Enable optimized performance with full wire speed filtering and forwarding rates.

Store-and-forward switching enables multiple LAN types and speeds (10-/100-Mbps Ethernet, FDDI).

Cams in the ASIC store the forwarding table of Ethernet addresses.

INTERFACES

Modular, optional high-speed interfaces mix-and-match FDDI, 100Base-T, 100Base-VG, Any LAN, and ISL Interswitch Link.

NETWORK INTERFACE CONTROLLERS

Convert Ethernet serial data to parallel data.