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Packet Forwarding Engine
The Packet Forwarding Engine is a multicomponent system that uses application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs) to perform Layer 2 and Layer 3 packet switching,
route lookups, and packet forwarding. The ASICs include the Distributed Buffer
Manager ASIC, Internet Processor II ASIC, I/O Manager ASIC, and media-specific
controller ASICs.
The Packet Forwarding Engine has the following components:
- Midplane—Physically separates front and rear cavities inside
the chassis, distributes power from the power supplies, and transfers packets
and signals between router components, which plug into it.
- Physical Interface Cards (PICs)—Physically connect the router
to network media such as OC-12/STM-4, OC-48/STM-16, Ethernet, and channelized
interfaces.
- Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs)—House PICs. On the M5
and M10 routers, FPCs are built in (cannot be removed from the chassis as
on some other M-series platforms).
- Forwarding Engine Board (FEB)—Performs route lookup, filtering,
and switching. It installs into the midplane from the rear of the chassis.
For information about Packet Forwarding Engine components, see the following
sections:
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