M10i High-Availability Chassis Manager (HCM) Description

The High-Availability Chassis Manager (HCM) works with its companion Routing Engine to provide control and monitoring functions for router components. The HCM also displays alarm status and takes PICs online and offline.

Two HCMs are installed into the midplane from the front of the chassis, as shown in M10i Chassis Description. The master HCM performs all functions and provides PIC removal buttons for the first FPC. The backup HCM provides PIC removal buttons for the second FPC. The HCM in the slot labeled HCM0 is paired with the Routing Engine in the slot labeled RE0. Likewise, the HCM in the slot labeled HCM1 is paired with the Routing Engine in the slot labeled RE1. By default, the HCM in the slot labeled HCM0 is the master.

Note: When HCM mastership changes because of failure, Routing Engine mastership will change as well. For a description of Routing Engine mastership, see M10i Routing Engine Description.

The HCM performs the following functions:

• Monitoring and control of router components—The HCM collects statistics from all sensors in the system. When it detects a failure or alarm condition, it sends a signal to the Routing Engine, which generates control messages or sets an alarm. The HCM also relays control messages from the Routing Engine to the router components.
• Controlling component power-up and power-down—The HCM controls the power-up sequence of router components as they start and powers down components when their offline buttons are pressed.
• Signaling of mastership—In a router with more than one Routing Engine, the HCM signals to all router components which Routing Engine is the master and which is the standby.
• Alarm display—If an alarm exists, the HCM displays the alarm condition. For more information, see M10i HCM Alarm LEDs.
• PIC removal—If a PIC offline button is pressed, the HCM relays the request to the CFEB or CFEB-E, which takes the PIC offline and informs the Routing Engine. Other PICs are unaffected, and system operation continues. For more information, see M10i HCM LEDs.

Figure 1: M10i High-Availability Chassis Manager

Each HCM (shown in Figure 1) has the following components:

• 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet switch—Carries signals and monitoring data between router components.
• Two LEDs—Indicate HCM status. There is a green one labeled PWR and an blue one labeled MSTR. M10i HCM LEDs describes the LED states.
• Alarm LEDs—Display alarm conditions, if any exist.
• PIC offline buttons—Relays a request to the CFEB or CFEB-E, which prepares a PIC for removal from the router, or brings the PIC online when it is replaced.

  Offline buttons for one row of PICs are located on each HCM (see Figure 1). Pressing the button relays a request to the CFEB or CFEB-E, which prepares the PIC for removal from the router, or brings it online when it is replaced. The HCM in slot 0 controls PICs on FPC 0. The HCM in slot 1 controls PICs on FPC 1. The buttons are labeled with the PIC slot numbers. The PIC slots on the upper FPC are numbered from 0/0 (zero/zero) through 0/3, right to left. The PIC slots in the lower FPC are numbered from 1/0 (one/zero) through 1/3, right to left.

  For PIC replacement instructions, see Replacing an M10i PIC.