Cisco WS-F6K-VSS440 Full Official Product Description
1. Part Number & Naming Definition
Official Full Name
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Virtual Switching Supervisor Engine 32 Base Module
Market Reference SKU:WS-F6K-VSS440
Formal Ordering Part Number:VS-SUP32-10GE
Naming Breakdown
-
WS-F6K: Catalyst 6500 chassis module identifier
-
VSS440: Market designation for VSS-enabled Supervisor 32 with 440Gbps fabric capacity
-
SUP32: Supervisor Engine 32 multilayer supervisor hardware platform
Core Product Positioning
The Cisco WS-F6K-VSS440 (VS-SUP32-10GE) is a multilayer supervisor engine designed for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series modular switches. It integrates a 32Gbps per-slot switching bus, PFC3B policy forwarding engine and MSFC2A route processor. This supervisor supports Virtual Switching System (VSS) to virtualize two Catalyst 6500 chassis into one logical switching entity. Optimized for enterprise campus distribution, mid-sized data center aggregation and building core deployments, it delivers cost-effective hardware Layer 2 switching, IPv4 routing, multicast services and resilient high-availability architecture.
2. Hardware Compatibility & Supported IOS Releases
Supported Chassis
Cisco Catalyst 6506, 6506-E, 6509, 6509-E, 6513
Supported on 6503 / 6503-E chassis without VSS function
Supported Daughter Components
-
MSFC2A Multilayer Switch Feature Card
-
PFC3B Policy Feature Card
-
Supports classic bus and fabric-enabled 6500 line cards
Minimum Supported IOS Version
Cisco IOS 12.2(33)SXH and later SXH / SXI trains
Unsupported Platforms
Catalyst 6000, Catalyst 6800, Cisco Nexus switching platforms
3. Physical & Electrical Specifications
Form Factor
Full-size Catalyst 6500 supervisor module; supports 1+1 redundant supervisor installation
Built-in Interfaces
2 × X2 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports (usable for VSL or data uplinks)
1 × RJ45 Console management port, 1 × RJ45 Auxiliary port
CompactFlash storage interface for boot images and configuration
Switch Fabric Performance
-
32 Gbps bandwidth per line card slot
-
System aggregate switching capacity up to 440 Gbps in standalone mode
-
Up to 880 Gbps aggregate capacity when deployed within VSS dual-chassis architecture
Memory Specifications
-
Route Processor: 512MB DRAM standard
-
Packet Buffer Memory: 256MB on-board packet memory
Typical Power Consumption
Environmental Operating Parameters
-
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F – 104°F)
-
Storage Temperature: -40°C to 75°C (-40°F – 167°F)
-
Relative Humidity: 5% – 90%, non-condensing
4. Supported Features & Functional Capabilities
Virtual Switching System (VSS)
-
VSS dual-chassis virtualization for Catalyst 6500 switches
-
Virtual Switch Link (VSL) over integrated 10GE X2 ports
-
Multichassis EtherChannel (MEC) to eliminate HSRP/VRRP bottlenecks
-
SSO, NSF non-stop forwarding for control plane failover
Layer 2 Switching
802.1Q VLAN tagging, PVST+, RSTP, MSTP, LACP, static EtherChannel, private VLAN, broadcast storm control, port security
Layer 3 Routing (Hardware CEF)
Hardware accelerated IPv4 CEF forwarding
Routing protocols: EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, static routing
Hardware IPv6 forwarding is not supported on PFC3B
Multicast Services
PIM-SM, PIM-DM, IGMP Snooping
Hardware multicast replication for Layer 2 multicast traffic
QoS & Security
Hardware-based access control lists (IPv4 only)
Traffic classification, policing, marking, queue scheduling
Control Plane Policing (CoPP), DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection
Management & Diagnostics
Full Cisco IOS CLI configuration, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Syslog, Embedded Event Manager (EEM)
SPAN, RSPAN port mirroring, online diagnostics, crashinfo logging
5. Typical Enterprise Deployment Scenarios
-
Enterprise campus building core and distribution layer VSS high availability design
-
Mid-sized regional office data center aggregation switching
-
Legacy Catalyst 6500 network upgrade requiring VSS virtualization at lower cost
-
Multicast video surveillance and IPTV campus switching deployments
-
Hybrid Layer 2/Layer 3 network consolidation for medium-scale enterprise networks
6. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications
-
Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, IEC/EN 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No.60950-1
-
EMC Compliance: CE Mark, FCC Part 15 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, VCCI Class A
-
Environmental: RoHS 2.0 compliant, WEEE directive compliant
7. Standard Factory Package Contents
-
Cisco WS-F6K-VSS440 Supervisor Engine Base Hardware (VS-SUP32-10GE)
-
Hardware installation guide
-
Safety and regulatory documentation
X2 optical transceivers sold separately
End-of-Life Status
The VS-SUP32-10GE / WS-F6K-VSS440 platform has reached Cisco End-of-Sale (EoS). Limited security maintenance releases remain available. Official migration options: VS-S720-10G Supervisor or Catalyst 6800 Supervisor 80.
UNSPSC Classification Code
43222615 – Cisco WS-F6K-VSS440 Virtual Switching Supervisor Engine 32 for Catalyst 6500 Series multilayer switches, supporting VSS chassis virtualization, hardware IPv4 forwarding and resilient campus/distribution switching for medium-scale enterprise networks.
Hardware Warranty
New original modules carry a 1-year limited Cisco factory warranty covering manufacturing defects. Warranty terms for refurbished hardware follow reseller commercial agreements.
|
