Integrated Cisco IOS (Native Mode)

[diek]

The 6509 we just received has the Hybrid software.

Should we change to the Integrated software?

How long has the Integrated software been available for on the 6509?

I want to switch to the Integrated software but my boss wants to know if the Integrated software is stable.

We have 2 supervisors that are both SUP2 with MSFC2 and PFC2.

Thanks, Ken

[konigl]

Depends on what modules you'll have installed in the chassis. For example, I'm pretty sure that you need to stay in hybrid mode if you're using Cisco IP Telephony modules like the 6608 8-port T1/Services module, because it's managed from the Catalyst OS command line.

In general, if you're going to use the 6509 more as a switch, but also use the routing side of it, stay hybrid. Downside is, you've got two command-line interfaces to master: CatOS for L2 and below, CiscoIOS for L3 and above.

If you're going to use your 6509 more as a router, or you want the simplicity of one CLI, then go integrated IOS or native mode. Downside is, some modules may not be usable in this mode.

Hope this helps.

[diek]

Thanks for the info on which os to use.

How long has cisco offered the Integrated CIOS in place of the Hybrid?

[pleitnes]

We run all of our 6500's in native mode. We treat them as "routers", so it makes the most sense for us to run native. We don't have any hybrid-only modules, so it was a non-issue for us.

We have found 12.1(8)E+ plus releases to be very stable (some up for nearly a year before we upgraded for version parity). We are currently on 12.1(19)E and E1 for all our boxes (recently had an opportunity to get some upgrades done) and haven't had any problems. I must also admit that most of the CatOS and MSFC IOS releases we previously used were stable as well.

s.

[mschooley]

note that redundancy is a little different, with dual supes in hybrid mode, both supes are active and you run hsrp between them, while in native one us up and the other is in standby. When I did it, it was 12.0 and it was cold standby so the whole box reinitialized, took a couple of minutes for fail over, don't know it it is different in newer verions of code.