Cisco WS-F6K-VSS720 Full Official Product Description
Note: WS-F6K-VSS720 refers to the hardware platform foundation of VS-S720-10G (Virtual Switching Supervisor Engine 720 for Catalyst 6500). VS-S720-10G is the complete ordering part number for the assembled supervisor with VSS capability.
1. Part Number & Naming Definition
Official Full Name
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Virtual Switching Supervisor Engine 720 Base Hardware Module
Spare SKU Base:WS-F6K-VSS720
Complete Assembled Supervisor:VS-S720-10G-3C / VS-S720-10G-3CXL
Naming Breakdown
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WS-F6K: Catalyst 6500 chassis module identifier
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VSS720: Virtual Switching System-capable Supervisor Engine 720
Core Product Positioning
The Cisco WS-F6K-VSS720 is the hardware carrier for the VS-S720-10G virtual switching supervisor engine, designed for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series modular multilayer switches. It integrates a 720 Gbps crossbar switch fabric, MSFC3 multilayer route processor and PFC3 policy forwarding engine. This supervisor enablesVSS 1440 Virtual Switching System, virtualizing two physical Catalyst 6500 chassis into a single logical switch. Optimized for enterprise core, data center aggregation and campus distribution deployments, it delivers high-density 10 Gigabit uplinks, hardware IPv6, MPLS, and non-stop forwarding for resilient large-scale networks.
2. Hardware Compatibility & Supported IOS Releases
Supported Chassis
Cisco Catalyst 6506-E, 6509, 6509-E, 6513
Not supported on 6503 / 6503-E chassis
Supported Daughter Components
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MSFC3 Multilayer Switch Feature Card 3
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PFC3C / PFC3CXL Policy Feature Card
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WS-F6K-DFC3 Distributed Forwarding Cards for line cards
Minimum IOS Version
Cisco IOS 12.2(33)SXH and later stable SXH / SXI trains; IOS 15.1SY
Unsupported Platforms
Catalyst 6000, non-E 6506/6509 without enhanced power, Catalyst 6800, Nexus series
3. Physical & Electrical Specifications
Form Factor
Full-size Catalyst 6500 supervisor module; occupies supervisor fabric slot; supports 1+1 redundant installation
Built-in Interfaces (VS-S720-10G assembled version)
2 × X2 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports (VSL or data uplinks)
1 × RJ45 Console port, 1 × RJ45 Auxiliary port
CompactFlash bootdisk storage interface
Switch Fabric Performance
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720 Gbps shared crossbar switching fabric
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40 Gbps bandwidth per line card slot
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System capacity up to 1.4 Tbps when deployed in VSS 1440 dual-chassis mode
Memory Configurations
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PFC3C: 512MB packet memory
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PFC3CXL: 1GB packet memory (larger ACL, routing table capacity)
Typical Power Consumption
Environmental Operating Parameters
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Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F – 104°F)
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Storage Temperature: -40°C to 75°C (-40°F – 167°F)
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Relative Humidity: 5% – 90%, non-condensing
4. Supported Features & Functional Capabilities
Virtual Switching System (VSS)
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VSS 1440: Two 6500 chassis virtualized as one logical switch
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Virtual Switch Link (VSL) over supervisor integrated 10GE ports
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Multichassis EtherChannel (MEC) eliminating HSRP/VRRP bottlenecks
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Inter-chassis SSO, NSF/SSO non-stop forwarding
Layer 2 Switching
802.1Q VLAN, PVST+, RSTP, MSTP, LACP, EtherChannel, private VLAN, storm control
Layer 3 Routing (Hardware CEF)
IPv4 / Hardware IPv6, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, IS-IS, static routing
Distributed CEF when paired with DFC-equipped line cards
Multicast
PIM-SM / PIM-DM / Bidirectional PIM, IGMP snooping, MLD snooping
Security & QoS
Hardware ACLs (IPv4/IPv6), QoS classification, marking, policing, shaping, DSCP mapping
Control Plane Policing (CoPP), port security, DHCP Snooping, DAI, IP Source Guard
Service Support
Hardware MPLS, L3VPN, VPLS, GRE tunneling, NetFlow v9 export
Management & Diagnostics
Full CLI via Cisco IOS, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Syslog, EEM, SPAN / RSPAN / ERSPAN
Online diagnostics, crashinfo logging, field-upgradable firmware
5. Typical Enterprise Deployment Scenarios
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Data center aggregation layer VSS 1440 dual-chassis high availability architecture
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Large campus core switch virtualization to simplify layer 3 gateway design
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Enterprise core consolidation replacing standalone redundant Catalyst 6500 switches
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Multicast-heavy campus and data center environments requiring hardware IPv6 forwarding
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Service provider edge deployments with MPLS L3VPN and high-density 10GE uplink scaling
6. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications
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Safety: UL 60950-1, IEC/EN 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No.60950-1
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EMC: CE Mark, FCC Part 15 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, VCCI Class A
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Environmental: RoHS 2.0 compliant, WEEE directive compliant
7. Standard Factory Package Contents
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Cisco WS-F6K-VSS720 Supervisor Base Hardware Module
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Hardware installation guide
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Safety and regulatory documentation
MSFC3, PFC3 and transceivers sold separately unless ordered as complete VS-S720-10G kit
End-of-Life Status
The Catalyst 6500 VS-S720-10G / WS-F6K-VSS720 platform has reached Cisco End-of-Sale (EoS). Limited software security maintenance remains available. Official migration platform: Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Supervisor 80, or Cisco Nexus 9000 data center switches.
UNSPSC Classification Code
43222615 – Cisco WS-F6K-VSS720 Virtual Switching Supervisor Engine base hardware for Catalyst 6500 Series multilayer switches, supporting VSS 1440 system virtualization, hardware IPv6 and high-performance centralized/distributed forwarding for enterprise core and data center switching deployments.
Hardware Warranty
New original modules carry 1-year limited Cisco factory warranty covering manufacturing defects. Warranty terms for refurbished units follow reseller contractual agreements.
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