Introduction - Catalyst 3850
The Catalyst 3850 series switches are advanced enterprise-class stackable access-layer switches that provide full convergence between wired and wireless networks. They offer a broad range of features and functionalities that cater to the demands of today’s modern networks. These switches are designed to meet the requirements of next-generation networks. As a result, they provide a flexible and scalable architecture that enables businesses to deploy new applications and services with ease.
Key Features
The Catalyst 3850 series switches provide a wide range of features and capabilities, including:
Unified Access
Catalyst 3850 Unified Access refers to the feature of the Catalyst 3850 series switches that enables businesses to manage wired and wireless networks as a single entity. This feature simplifies network management, reduces costs, and improves operational efficiency. Additionally, with Unified Access, businesses can achieve a consistent user experience across wired and wireless networks, and have a unified policy for access control, quality of service, and security.
The Catalyst 3850 switches provide a flexible and scalable architecture that can support the demands of modern networks. This is why they enable businesses to deploy new applications and services with ease. The Unified Access feature of the Catalyst 3850 switches is designed to meet the requirements of next-generation networks. And as a result, it provides a powerful solution for businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve.
High Availability
High Availability is a key feature of the Catalyst 3850 series switches that provides a resilient and reliable network infrastructure. High Availability is achieved through a range of features, including redundancy, fast convergence, and fault tolerance.
The Catalyst 3850 switches support a range of redundancy features such as StackWise-480 and StackPower that provide stacking and power redundancy, respectively. The StackWise-480 feature allows up to nine switches to be stacked together, creating a single logical switch with a total of 480 Gbps of stacking bandwidth. The StackPower feature provides power supply redundancy by allowing switches to share power supplies.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also support fast convergence features such as Cisco NSF (Nonstop Forwarding) and SSO (Stateful Switchover), which help ensure that the network remains available in the event of a failure. With NSF, the forwarding process is not interrupted when a switch fails, and the network continues to function without disruption. With SSO, the standby supervisor engine takes over in the event of a failure, ensuring that the network continues to operate without interruption.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also provide fault tolerance features such as Smart Operations, which enables automatic detection and recovery from faults, and IP Base and IP Services software, which provide advanced features for network management and troubleshooting.
Overall, Catalyst 3850 High Availability is a critical feature that helps ensure that businesses can operate without interruption and maintain a high level of network availability.
Security
Security is a critical feature of the Catalyst 3850 series switches that provides a comprehensive and robust security solution for modern networks. The switches provide advanced security features that can help businesses protect their network assets, data, and operations from threats.
The Catalyst 3850 switches support a range of security features such as IEEE 802.1x, MACsec, and TrustSec that provide access control, encryption, and policy enforcement. IEEE 802.1x is a standard-based access control solution that can authenticate users and devices before granting network access.
MACsec provides hardware-based encryption for data traffic, which can protect against data interception and tampering. TrustSec provides a scalable solution for role-based access control and policy enforcement, which can help protect against insider threats.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also support advanced security features such as Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) integration, which can provide network-wide policy enforcement and visibility, and Cisco Stealthwatch, which can provide network traffic analysis and threat detection.
Additionally, the switches also support Cisco DNA Center, which provides a centralized network management and automation solution that can help ensure consistent and secure network operations.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also provide a range of security certifications and compliance standards, including Common Criteria and FIPS 140-2. These certifications and standards can help businesses meet their regulatory and compliance requirements.
Mobility
The switches offer mobility services that enable businesses to support a wide range of wireless devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. They also support location-based services and provide real-time analytics, which can be used to improve the user experience.
The Catalyst 3850 switches support a range of wireless features. These include IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2, Cisco CleanAir, and Cisco Mobility Express, that can provide high-speed and reliable wireless connectivity.
Firstly, IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 provides advanced features such as multi-user MIMO and beamforming. Subsequently, it can enhance wireless performance and capacity.
Secondly, Cisco CleanAir provides interference detection and mitigation, which can help ensure optimal wireless performance.
Lastly, Cisco Mobility Express provides a simple and scalable solution for managing wireless networks, which can help reduce complexity and cost.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also support a range of wired features, including Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet, that can provide high-speed and reliable wired connectivity. The switches support advanced features such as QoS (Quality of Service) and multicast routing, which can help ensure optimal performance for multimedia applications.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also provide a range of mobility services, including Cisco DNA Center, which provides a centralized solution for managing wired and wireless networks, and Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which provides a comprehensive network management solution that can help businesses achieve a unified view of their network infrastructure.
Programmability
The switches offer programmability through open APIs and support for industry-standard protocols such as NETCONF and YANG. This feature enables businesses to automate network operations and simplify the deployment of new services.
Catalyst 3850 series switches provide a robust and flexible solution for network programmability. The switches support a range of programmability features that can help businesses achieve a more agile and automated network infrastructure.
The Catalyst 3850 switches support a range of programmability features, including open APIs, Cisco IOS XE Software, and YANG data models, that can provide a flexible and scalable solution for network programmability. Open APIs such as RESTful APIs and NETCONF/YANG can provide access to the switch programmability interfaces, allowing businesses to create custom applications and scripts that can interact with the switch.
Cisco IOS XE Software is a modular operating system that provides a programmable infrastructure for network automation and management. The software provides a range of programmability features such as EEM (Embedded Event Manager), Python scripting, and model-driven telemetry, which can help businesses achieve a more automated and responsive network infrastructure.
YANG data models provide a structured data representation of network elements and services, which can help businesses achieve a common data model for network programmability. The data models can be used to describe the network configuration and state, and can be used with programmability tools such as Ansible and Puppet.
The Catalyst 3850 switches also support a range of programmability tools, including Cisco DNA Center and Cisco DevNet, that can provide a comprehensive solution for network programmability. Cisco DNA Center provides a centralized solution for managing network infrastructure, applications, and services, and can help businesses achieve a more automated and responsive network infrastructure.
Cisco DevNet is a developer community that provides resources, tools, and learning materials for network programmability.
Deployment Scenarios
The Catalyst 3850 series switches can be deployed in a wide range of scenarios, including:
Enterprise Campus Networks
Catalyst 3850 switches can be deployed as access switches in campus networks, providing high-speed and reliable connectivity for end devices such as workstations, printers, and IP phones. The switches can support a range of access features such as Power over Ethernet (PoE), QoS (Quality of Service), and VLANs (Virtual LANs), which can help ensure optimal performance and security for campus access networks.
Wireless Acess
Catalyst 3850 switches can be deployed as wireless access switches, providing high-speed and reliable wireless connectivity for end devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The switches can support a range of wireless features such as IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2, Cisco CleanAir, and Cisco Mobility Express, which can provide advanced wireless performance and management capabilities.
Branch Offices
Catalyst 3850 switches can be deployed in branch offices, providing a robust and scalable solution for remote site connectivity. The switches can support a range of branch office features such as IPsec VPN, MPLS VPN, and VRF (Virtual Routing and Forwarding), which can help ensure secure and reliable connectivity for remote sites.
Data Centers
Catalyst 3850 switches can be deployed in data center networks, providing a high-performance and scalable solution for data center connectivity. The switches can support a range of data center features such as virtualization, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), which can help ensure optimal performance and flexibility for data center networks.
Service Providers
Catalyst 3850 switches can be deployed in service provider networks, providing a high-performance and scalable solution for carrier-grade connectivity. The switches can support a range of service provider features such as MPLS, QoS, and Carrier Ethernet, which can help ensure optimal performance and scalability for service provider networks.
Healthcare Networks
The switches can be deployed in healthcare networks, where they provide a secure and reliable infrastructure that can support critical applications and services.
Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches also offer Audio Video Bridging (AVB), which is designed to meet the requirements of audio and video streaming applications. The AVB feature is crucial in the design of high-quality audio and video streaming systems, providing real-time transport of audio and video data.
To learn more about the Audio Video Bridging feature of the Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches, you can refer to the Cisco Feature Guide. In this guide, you will find comprehensive information about how the AVB feature works, its benefits, and how to configure it to achieve optimal performance. The guide is presented in a PDF format and is easily accessible for users to download and use at their convenience.
In conclusion, incorporating the Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches in your business network will guarantee reliable and secure communication systems. The AVB feature, among others, makes these switches stand out in the market. To learn more about the Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches and their capabilities, refer to the Cisco Feature Guide using this link.
