Solved: standard multilayer image (SMI) and enhanced multilayer image (EMI) software

anitachoi3 · ‎12-13-2009

Hi,

Regarding previous discussion, the the stack master is suggested to run EMI; the member stack switches run SMI.

In the current setting of the network equipment, the SMI is running on all 3750 switches and they are in production environment. Any major issues / area need to be aware? Thanks

rdgs

Reza Sharifi · ‎12-13-2009

anitachoi3 wrote:

Hi,

Regarding previous discussion, the the stack master is suggested to run EMI; the member stack switches run SMI.

In the current setting of the network equipment, the SMI is running on all 3750 switches and they are in production environment. Any major issues / area need to be aware? Thanks

rdgs

Hi,

EMI is for Layer-3 (OSPF,BGP,etc..) and SMI is mainly for Layer-2.

The image should be the same for all the devices in the stack.

So, you configuration is correct since you have SMI an all the devises.

Reza

View solution in original post

Lucien Avramov · ‎12-13-2009

Check this out:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps646/prod_qas09186a00800913d3.html

Q. What is the difference between the EMI and the SMI?

A. The Cisco Catalyst 3550-24, Catalyst 3550-48, and Catalyst 3550-24 PWR switches can be ordered with the SMI or the EMI. The Cisco Catalyst 3550-24 DC and Catalyst 3550-24 FX can only be ordered with the SMI preinstalled, but as with all switches running the SMI, they can be upgraded to the EMI version using an EMI upgrade kit. The Cisco Catalyst 3550-12T and Catalyst 3550-12G switches come installed with EMI. The EMI enables a richer set of enterprise-class features including advanced hardware-based IP unicast and multicast routing, Policy-Based Routing (PBR), and the Web Cache Communication Protocol (WCCP). Additional details about the differences between the SMI and EMI are provided later in this Q&A

Q. What features are only supported on the EMI?

A. The following features and functionality are only supported with the EMI:

• Advanced IP routing protocols for load balancing and constructing scalable LANs:

– OSPF

– IGRP and EIGRP

– BGPv4

• WCCP to allow switch interaction with a cache for the purpose of redirecting content requests to a cache and performing basic load balancing across multiple caches

• PBR to allow specific policies to be implemented by causing selective traffic to take different paths

• PIM for IP multicast routing within a network that enables the network to receive the multicast feed requested and for switches not participating in the multicast to be pruned; support for PIM sparse mode (PIM SX), PIM dense mode (PIM DX), and PIM sparse-dense mode

• Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) tunneling for interconnecting two multicast-enabled networks across non-multicast networks

Many other things discussed on that link

View solution in original post

Reza Sharifi · ‎12-13-2009

anitachoi3 wrote:

Hi,

Regarding previous discussion, the the stack master is suggested to run EMI; the member stack switches run SMI.

In the current setting of the network equipment, the SMI is running on all 3750 switches and they are in production environment. Any major issues / area need to be aware? Thanks

rdgs

Hi,

EMI is for Layer-3 (OSPF,BGP,etc..) and SMI is mainly for Layer-2.

The image should be the same for all the devices in the stack.

So, you configuration is correct since you have SMI an all the devises.

Reza

Lucien Avramov · ‎12-13-2009

Check this out:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps646/prod_qas09186a00800913d3.html

Q. What is the difference between the EMI and the SMI?

A. The Cisco Catalyst 3550-24, Catalyst 3550-48, and Catalyst 3550-24 PWR switches can be ordered with the SMI or the EMI. The Cisco Catalyst 3550-24 DC and Catalyst 3550-24 FX can only be ordered with the SMI preinstalled, but as with all switches running the SMI, they can be upgraded to the EMI version using an EMI upgrade kit. The Cisco Catalyst 3550-12T and Catalyst 3550-12G switches come installed with EMI. The EMI enables a richer set of enterprise-class features including advanced hardware-based IP unicast and multicast routing, Policy-Based Routing (PBR), and the Web Cache Communication Protocol (WCCP). Additional details about the differences between the SMI and EMI are provided later in this Q&A

Q. What features are only supported on the EMI?

A. The following features and functionality are only supported with the EMI:

• Advanced IP routing protocols for load balancing and constructing scalable LANs:

– OSPF

– IGRP and EIGRP

– BGPv4

• WCCP to allow switch interaction with a cache for the purpose of redirecting content requests to a cache and performing basic load balancing across multiple caches

• PBR to allow specific policies to be implemented by causing selective traffic to take different paths

• PIM for IP multicast routing within a network that enables the network to receive the multicast feed requested and for switches not participating in the multicast to be pruned; support for PIM sparse mode (PIM SX), PIM dense mode (PIM DX), and PIM sparse-dense mode

• Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) tunneling for interconnecting two multicast-enabled networks across non-multicast networks

Many other things discussed on that link

sachinraja · ‎12-14-2009

Hi Anita

Apart from the routing protocols and multicast differences, the enhanced image also supports the following, which is not possible with the IP Base image:

1) Fallback bridging

2) IPV6 enhanced features

3) PBR, ACL enhancements

4) multicast sub-seconds convergence

5) VRF-lite etc...

and many more.. Please find attached a document which gives the differences between base image and enhanced image, and the features which are common between these.

Hope this helps.. all the best..

Raj